Perhaps many of my contemporaries would share in this sentiment. As a young follower of Christ I have been told many times that my "die-hard" love for Jesus has been very inspiring. Most of the older fellows would give us a thumbs up on our radical pursuit and this remark would eventually follow, "You know, I was also like that when I was young!"
That right there just perplexes me time and again. Why do we confine our fire for the Lord only in our younger years? God is not a respecter of age group; you can go hard after Him whether you're eight or eighty. His is an invitation that does not have an expiration date. He summons everyone to come and drink of the living waters, anytime, anywhere (John 4:13).
Perhaps young people are idealistic, porous of the many philosophies and causes that's out there. That's why most of the time, that eagerness dies down as we age. The worries of this world (paying the bills, sending kids to school, work, etc) choke whatever seed God has placed in our hearts (Matthew 13:22). But the thing is, once God has truly lit you up, there's no way but to burn all the way for Him! And this bonfire of the heart will keep growing yet more and more as years go by. Once you've come close to this Consuming Fire of Love (Hebrews 12:29), His flames would eat you up like wildfire!
I remember listening to Helen Roseveare talk about the Lord in one of her messages in the Desiring God conference. I played it over 30 times or more! It was just so sweet to listen to her exploits in Congo as a missionary and her deep longing to know Christ more in the midst of suffering and pain. I would love to have a heart like hers sixty years from now! My desire is that when I am on my death
bed, in prison or in some home for the aged... I would still have a burning heart for Jesus, rocking back and forth, fully engaged with the Holy Spirit, radical as can be.
Everyday I am prodded by the Lord to keep desiring for more of Him in my life; to have some sort of holy discontent with my spiritua
l state and press on for greater things. He is an everlasting God- the knowledge of Him is bigger than I could imagine. Bob
Jones ones said that if the knowledge of God were sand, we have only settled for one grain of it when all the while there's a whole handful of sand available for us, and a whole ocean for an eternity!
Hebrews 5:12-14
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (Oracles mean God’s word). For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (Oracles mean God’s word). For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
How many Christians out there who have been in the faith for twenty years or more and are still timid to share the gospel to someone, or who only reads one chapter of Proverbs each day, or only spends five minutes of prayer time in the morning? It pains my heart to know that believers remain to be babes, even though they have known the Lord for decades. What a waste... There is so much in store for those who love Him, He DESIRES to reveal much of Himself to us. How I pray that as I grow older, I become more mature in His Word, in Spirit, in good works, in love for Jesus!
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