Ministry Mission
There are millions of senior programs all over the country. However, in churches how many of them are well-rounded, spirit-filled ministries that have an outreach (a work/cause)? Other than playing games, bus trips, events around food, and shopping, no wait, this is sounding like a social club!
What can we do? Make it Personal first.
“Plant your legacy and live your eulogy” -Surina Jordan
Eulogy
No need to prop me up with unnecessary words about my life. It should be easy for me to be eulogized based on my day to day, starting with recent to my past.
Who did I serve? How did I help? What did I do? Who was blessed as a result?
Legacy
What were my mission and passion? Cultures, traditions, and customs established firmly (from very young to the elders) into a fixed Christian path. Does everything I was connected to reflect the nature of Christ?
Seniors in the family
A senior in the family, who is a believer in Christ, is a very powerful person. They are an asset to their family and church. The chief role is not distributing assets and wealth. The chief role of a believer in the kingdom is the responsibility of intercessory prayer. Some have become very organized prayer agents. For them, not a day goes by without prayers and supplications being made for their family.
Moving Ahead
The longer a believer lives on earth, the more they must become a person of prayer. They pray for everything and everybody, family members and those connected in any way to their family and especially the church.
Prayers for your children, their children, and your church family and other relatives is a daily responsibility of a senior child of God. One of the benefits of being a senior in the Lord is that you should by now have some extra time where you are not running at capacity. The biggest challenge with seniors who are believers is the mindset about what it means to be older in your community. Many of us because of aches, ailments, and limitations, feel that we are all washed out, not worthy, and looked down upon by others and themselves. Seniors have the ability to exercise a grateful heart daily. A senior’s prayer life is critical to the functioning, longevity, and health of (the body of Christ) the church.
This is not a physically exerted demand on you. It is spiritual wherein you can by faith, rest, see, and pray the word of faith over situations. It does not require extensive dialog or lots of financial deposits. An agent of prayer does not need to travel, get dressed up, or always be in the church building. As your prayer life grows, you can hook up with several other prayer groups and ministries.
I have observed that many seniors seem to sit around. They have embraced the way our culture has relegated them to be. Bridge parties, teas and lunches, shopping, and lots of doctor appointments and medical procedures appear to use a lot of time. This is great if you like doing this and if it does not disrupt your prayer work. However, if you want to be released from this, there are a few things to turn the corner for change.
1. Acknowledge in prayer that you have been trapped into the world definition of being older. We see in scripture that older is as one to be respected, not pitied.
Use this prayer: “Father, I see that I have slipped into the senior category of this world culture. I am not even sure that I see how to fix it, but I know you do. So, by faith, I received the mind of Christ. Your word says, “Let this mind be in you as it is in Christ Jesus.” -- Philippians 2:5
Holy Spirit, please help me to correct and restate anything that I speak, think, agree with, or have prayed or spoken over me that does not reflect my life in Christ. I choose to live and not die and to declare the works of the Lord. In Jesus' Name Amen.
2. Watch the spoken word. Do not say your aches are due to age. Do not say that you are this way because Momma had it or it runs in my family. Let’s pray about the root cause.
3. As we grow in the spirit, our health will also improve by faith. You can declare,
“Every day, in every way, I'm getting better, and better, and better, in Jesus' Name.
4. Move your body a little extra every day. Using the joy of the Lord as your strength, take a big stretch before getting out of bed. Be very gentle and do a little more every day. Climb a few extra steps and/or take a walk.
5. Be the Christian model to show forth your Christian nature for our young.
Related Scriptures:
Philippians 2:5 – “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
Psalm 118:17 - "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.”
Galatians 6:10 - "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
Surina Ann Jordan, PhD, is the author of "The Seven Disciplines of Wellness, The Spiritual Connection to Good Health, and editor of The Believers Today blog.
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