Recently in conversation with some old friends, the comment came up that as we get older, our job is to keep the lights on at church. The thought was that as we are less on the front lines of ministry and more in the background, doing the more mundane stuff like cleaning up after events, pushing brooms, and other support duties so that the younger generations can be less hindered and freed up for the heavy hitting of ministry, like teaching, organizing events, leading the charge in evangelism and more. As we grow older, we typically have a bit less energy and strength, but a bit more disposable income and availability—so we can be more generous with our money and our time.

More importantly, those of us who are older need to keep the lights on spiritually. We are the link with that generation of Christians who have gone on before us and finished their assignment here on earth as servants of God. We now stand in the gap and provide continuity to the Christian movement, to show that following Christ for a lifetime really does work! We have found peace and joy through all stages of life, and now, in the final third of our lives, we are still standing strong. We give those who come behind us an example to emulate.

Our younger brothers and sisters in Christ need us as pillars against which they can lean when the going gets tough, hearts get tired, and spirits flag. The work of ministry is hard and sometimes discouraging, constantly demanding time during a season of raising families and building careers. We who are older set the standard of enduring to the end, giving them hope that they also can endure.

I think of Joshua leading the troops in the valley and Moses (80-plus years old) on the mountaintop with his hands lifted in prayer, interceding before God for the armies of Israel and their field general (Exodus 17:8-13). I can imagine Joshua and the troops occasionally looking back over their shoulders and up to the mountain thinking, “Yep, Moses is praying for us—we’ll keep fighting!” In the same way, those on the frontlines of ministry today are encouraged by knowing we are praying for them.

Those on the frontlines don’t need all our advice, but they do need all our encouragement. If they want our “sage wisdom,” they will ask for it, even though we feel we have much more to give in that arena. But there is no limit to the encouragement they receive when they know that we believe in them.

Those on the frontlines of ministry need to know that we stand solidly on God’s Word, not wavering like a cork on the ocean, chasing after every wind of doctrine. In our day of the mis-information explosion and with the advent of artificial intelligence, they need to see us as anchors keeping the ship from drifting to the latest “Christian” fads or aberrant doctrines cleverly disguised with sentimental pop tunes. Our example is not a banal version of the modern mantra of holding to “my truth,” but demonstrates to others that we can live well in this fallen, self-centered world only by holding on to God’s truth.

We who are older need to keep the light of truth on, that Jesus is the living Word of God, that He really does make the difference in how we live life in this sin-marred world. The generation that follows needs to see in us what a life looks like centered on Jesus Christ our Lord over the long haul.

We who are older are now the “grey hairs” of which Scripture speaks:

A gray head is a crown of glory; it is found in the way of righteousness. (Prov. 16:31)

The glory of young men is their strength, and the honor of old men is their gray hair. (Prov. 20:29)

May we who are older Christians be characterized by the description the apostle John gave about older believers when he called them spiritual fathers: “You know Him who has been from the beginning” (1 John 2:13). In the end, it is our knowledge of God through Jesus Christ our Lord that we pass on to those who follow us. That is what will keep the lights on after we are gone. And that is our best legacy possible.

Lord, shine the light of Your grace and mercy through me!