On 26 May, 2024, I hit forty-seven.
Perhaps I can comfort myself with the thought that forty-seven is a prime number—emphasis on ‘prime’—but there’s no getting away from it. I’m well and truly middle-aged. I’ve been in paid ministry for over twenty-two years, and God willing, I hope to serve him for at least another twenty-two.
Our broader culture idolises youth. People spend lots of money on skincare products, gym memberships, Botox, and plastic surgery. But we don’t quite know what to do with the middle years. We speak with slight embarrassment about a ‘midlife-crisis’, though it’s often ill-defined. Many people class it as what happens when we become aware of the gap between who we want to be (or how we wish our lives had turned out) and . . . reality.
So, how does growing older affect Christian leaders? What dangers are lurking for those who are church planters or ministers? As I’ve read, thought, and prayed over the past year or so, I’ve identified three potential dangers.
DANGER 1: STEWARDSHIP
The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendour of old men is their grey hair.
Prov. 20:29
As we get older, our bodies change. That’s a fact. Our capacities are not what they were. We may begin to notice that our recovery time after exercise is much longer. Or we no longer have the same bandwidth, the same energy required to drive multiple projects forward simultaneously. Or perhaps, like Jesus, we develop a fondness for naps!
It’s okay to admit weakness. Indeed, it’s good to acknowledge that we’re growing older.
To paraphrase Solomon’s words from Proverbs (above), young people glory in their strength, while the nobility of old men is in their grey hair. Though we may seek to hide it or even dye it, grey hair isn’t something to be embarrassed about. Rather, according to Solomon, it’s a crown of splendour. Proverbs 16.31 tells us it’s ‘attained in the way of righteousness.’
As we age, we need to rethink how we steward what God has entrusted to us. We are no longer in the season of late nights, early mornings and boundless energy. Instead, we now have a bit more wisdom to share with others—not simply wisdom from books, but wisdom from a life serving the Lord. As the years have passed, we’ve often gained wisdom the hard way—through struggles and mistakes. That’s worth passing on to others and it contains both encouragements and warnings.
DANGER 2: SIN
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Col. 3.5
When I was younger, I thought the older you got, the easier it became to follow Jesus. The naïveté of youth! Of course, now I realise we never stop fighting sin. Thirty years down the line as a follower of Jesus, I still see sin in myself that I hate—perhaps even more now.
It can be demoralising. Why such little progress?
Why am I still struggling with pride, envy, and selfishness? The call to put to death the sinful, earthly nature is not just a call for the young. It lasts a lifetime. Sadly, as we age, we can fall into the trap of downplaying the seriousness of sin. Call it a case of ‘Christian midlife mediocrity’. Whether it’s complacency, exhaustion, or despair, it can be easy to get used to ongoing, indwelling sin. After all, if things haven’t changed much in the last thirty years, why bother? Perhaps that’s why so many Christians, even leaders, end up walking away from their faith during their middle years. They stop fighting sin. They put down their ‘armour’ and walk away.
And yet, brothers and sisters, keep going!
As we age, we draw closer to the end of the race. And though we may feel tired at times, and discouraged by the depths of our sin, our God is neither surprised nor disappointed in us. He knows us too well. Furthermore, his response to our sin proclaims the heights of his love. So, as you consider how he’s been with you in each season of life, remember that he’s never let you down. His faithfulness endures forever.
Look to him for strength.
Enjoy his mercies, new every morning.
Be encouraged by the words of the apostle Paul, who reflected on his life as he approached death.
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing.
2 Tim 4.6-8
DANGER 3: SUCCESSION
“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
2 Tim. 2:1–2
When we start out, it’s easy to recite the mantra, ‘Preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten.’ A young pastor or church planter who’s fired up for the Lord is a thing to behold! Yet as time goes on, the desire to leave a legacy grows ever more powerfully inside us. If we’re not careful, as the work grows, the church develops, and lives are changed, we can easily start to find our sense of self-worth in how the church is doing.
But friends, every pastor is an interim pastor. This is not your church; it belongs to the Lord Jesus. You are not the focus. He is. Always.
A core part of your ministry should be the work you do to raise others up. It’s critical that as you age, you focus on training others to take over, urging them to surpass you in godliness. If you haven’t done this already, discuss a wise succession plan with your leadership. I’m convinced that one of the reasons pastors sometimes stay in post too long and end up finishing poorly is because these conversations either don’t happen or happen way too late. So, start today.
Whether you’re a young leader feeling like you’ll never reach middle age, an older leader reflecting on a long life of ministry, or a mid-life leader seeking to minister faithfully as the years pass, this advice is for all of us.
May we embrace whatever season of life we’re in. We pastor, we shepherd, we lead gospel-centred churches not for ourselves, but for the Lord.
We follow the way of Jesus.
For God’s great glory.
A similar article was previously published by Dan here