Do you ever ask yourself, “Is it too late to get started?” You are perhaps thinking about starting something new and vigorous - a new sport or workout activity. Should I start at this point in life? Maybe its too late? Consider this great biblical story about Caleb the man of God:
I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said." Joshua 14:11-12
Caleb was 85 years old and insisted that he was as tough as he had ever been. He was ready to go to war to take the portion of the promised land that belonged to his people. He wasn’t too old. He wasn’t willing to leave it all to the younger people.
Too many of us miss out on amazing things because we think its too late to start. We think it’s too late to start growing as a Christian. It’s too late to lead or develop some new effort for Christ. The past few weeks I’ve been reading the story of a man I met many years ago, Dois (rhymes with choice) Rosser. He was leading a men’s group for men of my father’s generation, but I occasionally dropped in. The last time I saw him was in 1995 during my dad’s final illness. Dois is now 96 years old and still very busy about the Lord’s work. In late September I’ll meet with him again along with some others to see if the ministry of Equipping Leaders International (I went to Malawi both times under this ministry) could work in some way with Dois’ ministry. Having read the book, I feel it will be a great honor just to be with him for a little while and catch some of his fire for the Lord.
Dois was as successful an entrepreneur as they come. His car dealership, Poquoson Motors grew into one of the most successful in the Tidewater region. Meanwhile he owned other successful businesses, including a real estate development business. Dois did two things very well - he made money, and he loved Christ. He was influenced by a giant of a man in eastern Virginia - the late Dick Woodward who reached and discipled so many people from Williamsburg to Virginia Beach.
At 65 years old, Dois and his wife called a family meeting with their children to announce their plans to use nearly all of their considerable fortune for God’s kingdom. Their children responded with great joy at the news and fully supported this venture. Dois began International Cooperating Ministries. In addition to his own fortune, he enlisted others in the cause. They began building church buildings and orphanages in the developing world (Cambodia, China, Africa, Cuba, India among others) and developed ways to get Dick Woodward’s school of the Bible to untrained pastors in these places. Dick was still flying to the far corners of the earth in his mid-80’s.
My friend, it’s not too late. Maybe you are forty and you think its too late to really learn the Bible. Contact me. It’s not too late and the free resources that are available are amazing. Maybe you are later in life and think it’s too late to get started. Some of our older members are rehabbing houses and volunteering to care for the poor in our community.
Or maybe you think you are TOO YOUNG to make a difference. You surely are not too young to get involved. Rich Brown or myself can help you find your place to make a huge difference. Amy Sherman started Abundant Life Center in her early 20’s. I’ve known people who were great evangelists in their teen years.
Jesus Christ is the one great hope of the world. If you have ever really met him, you know that for yourself. No political system will fix it. No king, dictator, president or prime minister can change the human heart. Jesus Christ can. And he can use anybody to do it. Even me. Even you.
Dois’ book is The God Who Hung on the Cross. It’s available in hardbound, paperback and Kindle. It’s a very easy book to read, in fact, often it’s hard to put down. Beware, God may show you through Dois that it’s not too late to start. In fact, you are just getting started!
Blessings,
Don Ward