The generation that’s still standing!

You’re 60-plus. How do you embrace the years ahead and continue to serve God well? Neil Hudson answered this question and more at ELS

“We have lived through humiliations that are now brilliant dinner party stories. We’ve lived through tragedy and disappointment, and we’re still standing.”

This was Neil Hudson – teaching at ELS about life as a 60-plus, or as he described it, “the most interesting phase of our lives.”

Whether you’re working, retired, volunteering, up to your neck in grandparent duties or relaxing on a cruise, you face some important questions about how to continue serving God well.

As the seminar title accurately states, it’s “60, not out!”, so here, we bring you five of the questions Neil raised to help figure out discipleship at this stage of life.

Question 1: How can I be obedient in this context?

Every life stage brings new situations and contexts and we need to find a way to navigate them, Neil explained. Giving his own examples of becoming a granddad and living with his father’s dementia, he said: “I wanted to ask Jesus, will you help me learn your way in this context, as a disciple of yours? I’ve never done this before!”

Question 2: What’s my part to play now?

“I’m a working pastor but I won’t be for many more years,” said Neil. Huge steps like retirement bring big change, yet there is much still to do in the places and things we’re involved with, he said.

Whether it’s work, church, a book club or your local area, God has a purpose for it. Ask: what’s God’s intention for it? What’s broken there and how can you bring his goodness?

“One lady in our church decided to invite all her neighbours to a barbecue in their cul-de-sac,” said Neil.

“Over a number of years they started a carol service which al l the neighbours came to. They read the Christmas story, sang carols and prayed.

“It became a redemptive activity, but it started because this woman, who had retired, decided to offer her services as a cleaner to her neighbours.”

Question 3: Can you handle influence without having any authority?

“We’re in the most interesting phase of life – one where we’ll have reduced authority but increased influence,” said Neil. I’m convinced that the way we embrace it and the more we’re at ease with it, the more helpful we can be to others.”

Today, he explained, he has influence with his grandkids via his unofficial role as family theologian. This can involve humorous theological issues as well as some huge life moments.

“Ivy [Neil’s five-year-old granddaughter] lost her grandma on her mum’s side. Her mum and dad said, ‘Talk to Pops about where Grandma is,’” Neil said.

He did his best to explain simply about life, death, hope, mercy and grace.

“I have no authority over that young life, but I embrace the influence I’ve been given.”

Question 4: What’s your biggest temptation?

At a similar seminar a few years ago, Neil asked: what’s your biggest temptation? One man replied: “Now I’m retired I don’t have to spend time with people I don’t like.”

He used to work with some really difficult people, he explained, but if someone gets on his nerves now he can just choose not to be involved with them.

“My biggest temptation is that I can buffer my life.”

Another huge temptation is too much relaxation, Neil added. “You can’t get through an ad break on ITV3 without an ad for a river cruise!”

You could say you’ve earned a rest, but are you in danger of making your life too comfortable? What’s your biggest temptation, and what’s God’s intention for your life and time now?

Question 5: Who are you becoming?

Finally, Neil encouraged people to ask another poignant question.

“Who am I becoming, Jesus, and will you fashion me so I might become more like you, because I want to glorify God in this third of my life.”

With this comes other quest ions, among them: if you died tonight what would you regret not doing? What ‘no’ do you keep postponing or what ‘yes’ do you no longer believe in? What forgiveness or gifts are you withholding?

It comes back to the original question that is relevant at any age: what does it mean to follow Jesus at this stage of life?

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.