I was cleaning out my medicine cabinet the other day, and I found a few medicines that had expired. They were no longer effective in doing what they were designed to do, so I had to get rid of them.
Then I moved into my kitchen. I found several food items in my pantry that also had expired, and I had to discard them because they most likely lost their nutrients or flavor by being on my shelf for such a long time. Many other things become useless after a certain amount of time, and they need to be tossed out or replaced as well.
For example. we recently had to replace an old roof because many of the shingles had become old, and subsequently, they blew off. I’ve also had shoes that had worn out and needed to be replaced. Lastly, we’re thinking about replacing our sofa because it has many areas that have lost the padding, and it’s not as comfortable as it used to be
As I was thinking about things that expired, I realized that there was something very special that never expires, and that is my life with the Lord! I am an older person, that is true (70 years old this year!), and I may be retired, but I’m not expired!
My life with God began in March 1968, when I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and become my Saviour. From that moment, I chose to follow Jesus and serve Him. As a young girl, I didn’t do a lot for the Lord aside from attending church and praying, but as I matured both physically and spiritually, my service for God developed as well.
The writer of Hebrews certainly understood this, and under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, wrote about it in terms we could understand. He compared our service for God to a race. Hebrews 12:1 states, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”.
When an athlete decides to complete, he doesn’t just show up on the day of the game or race; he puts in hours, days, and even years of training. That was like my life as a newly saved Christian. In order to serve God, I had to learn about Him and know what it was that I was supposed to do for Him. This was my initial training. It actually is still continuing today! I’ve learned a lot over the years of my life, but in Philippians, Paul reminds us that our training continues until God calls us home, either by death or the rapture. Philippians 1:6 states, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
The apostle Paul was a great example of an athlete who kept running his race. He served the Lord regardless of what circumstances surrounded his life until his death, and he served Him well. However, Paul did experience some kind of physical ailment that bothered him, and on at least three separate occasions he asked God to remove it from his life. Maybe he felt he could better serve God without this problem, but the Lord taught Paul an important lesson by not removing this “thorn in his flesh”. Paul learned that God would always be with him always, giving him the ability to serve regardless of circumstances. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 states, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Paul was able to continue serving the Lord, knowing this “thorn in the flesh” had a divine purpose, and he could be confident that God’s grace would carry him through any situation or circumstance in his life. With this knowledge, Paul was able to serve God by sharing the gospel with others when imprisoned, when shipwrecked, when stoned and left for dead… the list goes on, but through it all, he didn’t quit.
Paul served the Lord until the day he was executed for his faith in Christ. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 recounts Paul’s devotion to serving God. “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” These are the words of a follower of Christ who finished well! So what does this mean for me and you.
We can have that same confidence that Paul had in his life. Regardless of our age, our environment, our physical health, our financial situation, we can still serve God. There is no expiration date on our service for Him.
It doesn’t matter if your health is not as great as it used to be; it doesn’t matter that live on a fixed income; it doesn’t matter if your home situation isn’t ideal. I’m not minimizing any of these things. I know life is rarely easy. Living in situations you cannot control is difficult, but none of that means your time of service to God has expired. In fact, the Bible tells us we should “redeem the time” in Ephesians 5:15-16. This means we need to intentionally live our lives walking in spiritual wisdom and submission to God, seeking His will and doing it. James 1:22 tells us, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
I wanted a life lived well for the Lord, but it didn’t end when my kids grew up and moved away. It didn’t end when I retired from my job. It didn’t end when I home-schooled my granddaughters for the last time. It is important that we don’t focus on what we can’t do; focus on what we can do. We must ask ourselves, “What can I do with this body, this mind, and the capabilities God has given me at this point in my life?”
The apostle’s words express what I desire to accomplish for the Lord, for my family, and for the church of Jesus Christ in my “golden” years. Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” That’s what I want – to finish my race well! I hope that is the same for you.
So, I’ll be tossing out those expired medicines and foods, remembering that God will never toss me or you out! His plan for us to serve Him and tell others about Jesus will continue until He calls us home.
Remember, there is no expiration date for Christians, and Jesus doesn’t put any age limit on His command to share the Gospel and lead others to Him. Matthew 28:19 tells us what the Lord desires of us. Jesus said, “… Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…”
Make the decision today to redeem the time and run your race well… You’ll be surprised at how far you can go with Jesus!