Our denomination is blessed with an ever increasing number of senior members. Many can pride themselves in being grandparents and perhaps even great-grandparents. One of the things which can be said for most of our senior members is that, in spite of their age, the difficulties some have in getting around and the problems which some still have with the language, they are, by and large, very faithful in church attendance.

The Task of Seniors in the Bible⤒🔗

The Bible has some special words for our seniors. If we look for instance at Titus 2:2,3, seniors are told to be much like what elders and deacons are told to be. Compare Titus 2 with 1 Timothy 3 and you will notice many similarities. The Bible says that aged men should be "sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience." The Bible says that aged women should be "in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things." This is much the same as what office-bearers should be! Why should our seniors be that way? Primarily, so that they may be good examples to the con­gregation. It is a rich denomination which has many such seniors because it has ex­amples which it can look up to, learn from, and follow after.

The Place of Seniors in the Church←⤒🔗

It must also be said in contrast: a church where seniors are absent, is an impoverished church. A church which only attracts the young but drives the seniors away is often a very unstable church, tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine and activities, precisely because it does not have the examples which it needs to look up to, learn from, and follow after. A church needs examples. Our children, young people, husbands and wives and families need examples! The most spiritual Example, surely, is the LORD Jesus Christ (Therefore we must always first look and listen to the Bible). But the most natural examples which God has given to us are our seniors.

Seniors, we need you so we may learn from you what it means to serve the LORD and see how rewarding it is to know Jesus Christ as Saviour. Also, we need to hear from you and learn from you how dreadful, how uncomfortable and how devastating it is not to know the LORD and His saving grace. In other words, we need to learn from your ex­perience what it is to live a life of service to God! Those of us who are younger must observe what kind of strength a life­time of religion can give and what power lies hidden in the consistent fear and worship of the LORD.

Am I stretching this example a bit? Am I making more of it than the Bible shows? I don't think so. Read Psalm 71:18, for in­stance. It is part of the aged David's prayer: "Now also when I am old and grey-headed, O God, forsake me not" Why? "Until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come." David, as a senior, wanted nothing more than to be an example of God's strength and power to the younger generation!

I feel confident, therefore, in laying down the Biblical principle that seniors are to be examples. Seniors should not live on the fringes of church-life. They are not "has-beens," people who are "put out to pasture, retired, unemployed and un­profitable." Far from it! This is what the world makes of them, but not the church! In the church and in the kingdom of heaven there are no retired believers, no unemployed people of God and no un­profitable saints. At least, there should not be! In the kingdom of heaven, seniors are not to be forced into spiritual retirement or committed to rest homes without a task.

The Task of Seniors←⤒🔗

Grandparents and seniors who desire to be good examples, no doubt, will ask: "How can I be a good example? I have become feeble; I am limited in my abilities! Often, the only thing I can still do is to pray for others, my children and grandchildren." You should see, however, that this is one of the main tasks you have in life and it is a very significant task! Do not say: "All I can do yet is pray," as if that isn't very much! Prayer is a very powerful weapon. The prayer of a righteous man or woman, who has experienced Christ's righteousness in life, availeth much! That congregation is richly blessed which has supplicating seniors and praying grandparents!

The Task of Elderly Men←⤒🔗

The Word of God is very specific and very practical. In Titus 2 a distinction is made between elderly men and women as to how they can be examples. The elderly men will be good examples when their conduct is "sober." Titus had some Cretians in his congregation and Cretians (the name comes from the Island of Crete) were infamous and known for being "slow bellies" (Titus 1:12), or as someone translates: "lazy gluttons." By nature and nationality they often were far from sober. Speaking through Titus, God said to the aged men in this congregation: "Don't be like those people from the Is­land of Crete. Be sober! Watch what you do, what you eat and what you drink!"

Also, aged men are to be "grave," that is, they are to be dignified and worthy of respect. Don't pretend to be a teenager! You do not gain respect by acting anything but your age.

Aged men are to be "temperate." Don't blow off steam whenever you feel the urge, but rather, be temperate – be self-controlled. Be "sound," that is, be healthy in "faith," in "charity" (your love for others) and in "patience." A healthy faith life and compassion for others with a good dose of patience are very fitting for grandparents and seniors. A grandfather with such spiritual health, although he may be weak and physically unhealthy, is a grandfather who will be held up as an example of godly fear and inspiration to the upcoming generation.

Grandfathers, this is God's desired role for your old age!

The World's View of the Elderly←⤒🔗

Aged men and women should never become a forgotten group in the church or in their families! They should never be considered burdensome! That is a mentality which comes straight from the world and is materialistic, for it values only those who can produce and perform. When you are no longer productive, you are considered useless and in some na­tions even a burden to society! This is a frightening development in the Netherlands, where the elderly are seen as having lost their usefulness. Because it is feared that some of them might become a financial burden to others, a devilish scheme has been concocted called "euthanasia" or "mercy killing." This idea is finding favour with an increasing number of people. It is the view of a world without the Word of God! It is frightening to see what happens if we let go of God, and when the LORD God lets go of us.

The Word of God honours aged men and women. It assigns an important place to them in our churches and families. Let us therefore not rob ourselves of our examples by pushing them into a forgotten corner, driving them away, or worse yet, by doing away with them.

We Need to Protect the Elderly←⤒🔗

There is an outcry against abortion and rightly so. But there should be an equally loud outcry against mercy killing. The world is selfishly cruel in doing away with unwanted babies and unwanted seniors! We should be on our guard and pray that this evil will be kept away from our nation!

We need our seniors! We need them even when they are feeble, sick and helpless. We should pray much, therefore, for our aged members! Pray, that the LORD and His Spirit may abide with them, help them and make them good examples for us. Pray for our seniors that according to the words of the Psalmist of 92:14, "they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; that they shall be fat and flourishing!"

The Task of Elderly Women←⤒🔗

Aged women also receive specific at­tention in God's Word. The LORD also wants grandmothers to be examples in the family and in the congregation. Listen to what the Word of God has to say to you: "That aged women likewise" – like the aged men, you can have the same exemplary influence – "be in behaviour as becometh holiness." This means elderly women must conduct themselves as holy women – as women who are not tied to the world but are separated (that is what holiness means) unto the LORD.

Grandmothers, you can be good examples, when your life is perfumed with holiness and reverence for the LORD and His service! This becomes evident especially in your communications with others.

The Word of God cautions you not to be false accusers. This means you do not slander or take part in gossip sessions. The Word of God is sharp as well as very practical. Now that you have become a senior and have more time to spend conversing with others, you are to practice holy conversation. Speak well of the LORD and His work in your discussions. Also speak well of others in your conversations. This makes you a good example to others.

The Word of God also says to aged women – (aged men as well?) – and there must be a reason for saying this, "Be not given to much wine." Don't become addicted to alcohol or for that matter, other intoxicating, habit-forming, or tranquillizing drugs.

The Bible makes it clear that as an elderly person, you have a great respon­sibility towards the younger generation.

Maybe you consider yourself out of step with the time, unproductive and therefore rather useless. You may even have thought at times, especially if you are having much difficulty with your health, "I am no use to anyone; I am a burden to others!" But this is not how the Word of God thinks about you! Neither is this how the church, congregation or family should think about you!

There is no retirement from this life, because the Bible says that grandparents have certain responsibilities and certain duties to perform, namely, they are "to be teachers of good things" (Titus 2:3). This is primarily addressed to the aged women, but if you read what follows, you will discover that the aged men are also involved.

What are the "good things" seniors must teach? Grandmothers, especially, have the task to teach the young women to be sober, which in this case, means alert and wise. They must teach young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, to be good and obedient to their own husbands. In short, grandmothers are exhorted to teach young women to be good mothers and wives.

Grandmothers, your teaching is the most effective by the examples you set! No, the Word of God does not want you to become critics of the young women, but teachers of good things. Actually, it says that you are to be beautiful teachers! A beautiful teacher is one who can teach with few words, with much love and is a shining example. Can this be said of the ladies whom we respectfully call "grandmothers"?

The Word of God says that you can be a great blessing for family life. Therefore, a family and a congregation possesses a treasure when it has people like you. You have experience to know how women and wives can be most effective and be the greatest means of blessings to a family. Your good, disappointing and sad ex­periences have taught you many things. You have learned, haven't you, to lean more and more upon the LORD, and to trust His grace? You may now teach that to others!

An Exhortation to Seniors←⤒🔗

Also grandfathers and aged men must be teachers of good things. Again, this is more by example than by word. There are young men to be taught and exhorted to be sober-minded. This means to be self-controlled. Grandfathers cannot retire from this area. You are to be teachers of good things, "shewing yourself a pattern of good works" Are you an example and a pattern to follow, as Scripture says? Or have you done what so many aged men have done when they retire? They retire from life altogether and lose interest in everything except themselves.

It is a sad state of affairs which we begin to observe also in our denomination, that when seniors retire from the work-force, they also retire from church work. To use the words of the apostle: "These things ought not to be brethren!" In our consistories there should be a good representation of aged men who by word and example can assist the younger men.

You are to be our examples! We want to look up to you, to follow you and to learn from you. Is that too much to ask? The Word of God does not think so! "But", you say, "I've been such a poor example all along. Look at what I've made of my life, in my family, in my church. No, I would not want anyone to follow me in this!"

Look at Titus 2 again. It does not speak of what you have been in the past, but of what you must be from this point on! If you have lived a careless life, repent! Let your repentance be an example to us. If you have sat under the preaching of the Gospel all these years with a hardened and bitter heart, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and let your broken spirit and contrite heart be an example to us. If you have received many blessings and benefits from the LORD in your life, but you have never really acknowledged Him for them, then let your present praises and thanksgiving be examples to us. Let us hear the invitation from you: "Come let me tell you what the LORD has done for me!"

Children and grandchildren are looking at you, perhaps praying for you, so you will yet show them what it means to fear and love the LORD. Perhaps there are children or even grandchildren praying and hoping that grandfather will yet break his stubborn silence about the things of God and tell them that you're never too young and never too old to find forgiveness with a gracious and merciful God. There may very well be children and grandchildren waiting to hear from grandmother, before she passes away, that it has been good to serve the LORD and that He could be counted on for all the difficulties in life!

Grandparents, be examples to us of unwavering, childlike trust in the Saviour, Jesus Christ, and show us what it means to live a forgiven life. If you find it difficult and even impossible to be such an example to us, isn't the Saviour and His blessed Spirit ready and most willing to still teach you? Be an example to us of how to flee to Christ and how to apply to the Spirit!

How rich and blessed our denomination and our families would be, if we had grandparents and seniors who would take the words of Titus 2 and say: "That is God's Word for me!"