Daily Living for Seniors

[Judy Harder]

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
--Colossians 3:12

In 1935, on a winter night, Fiorello LaGuardia, the mayor of New York City, showed up at night court in the poorest part of the city. He let the judge go for the evening and he took over the bench.

A woman in torn clothing, charged with stealing a loaf of bread, was brought to stand before LaGuardia. She told LaGuardia that her son-in-law had deserted her extremely sick daughter, and that her grandchildren were starving. The shopkeeper refused to drop the charges, however, saying she needed to be punished.

LaGuardia sighed, turned to the old woman, and said, "I've got to punish you. The law makes no exceptions. Ten dollars or ten days in jail."

As soon as he pronounced the sentence, however, LaGuardia took a $10 bill out of his pocket and threw it into a hat. And he said: "Here's the $10 fine, which I now remit. Furthermore, I'm going to fine each person 50 cents in this courtroom for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Bailiff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

The next day, a New York newspaper reported that $47.50 was turned over to the grandmother who had stolen a loaf of bread to feed her starving grandchildren.

Today, give encouragement or show kindness to someone who wouldn't expect it from anyone else. Christ came to give life and show mercy to those less fortunate and those who are sinners--not the high and mighty. Restore the joy in your life by giving of your time and energy to those who don't have the blessings that you do.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to show you someone who is less fortunate than you, so you can extend to him or her the same kindness that Christ first showed you.

[Judy Harder]

But if a widow [or widower] has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. --1 Timothy 5:4

For some senior adults, moving toward dependency happens quickly as the result of an illness, a fall, an accident with long-term effects, and more. But, most seniors creep toward dependency at first unnoticed, then realized, and finally understanding and willingly.

Changes that continue to happen because of aging cause a senior citizen to finally understand: "I can't do this by myself anymore. I need someone to help me out." Depending on the individual, some may be eager and willing to accept the help of another, while others find it hard to admit what is happening.

The caregiver should be one who agrees to become responsible for one who decides to take on dependency. In the fifth commandment found in Exodus 20:12, "Honor your father and mother so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you," the rationale in God's plan is that family members are to look after one another.

Parents are to care for their children; and then in reciprocation, the adult children are to care for their parents. The most God-honoring care giving will come from the wisdom found in the fifth commandment. If you are at the point where you would like to begin making plans for someone to take care of you one day, then consider sitting down with a family member to discuss the next steps.

Be aware of the situation and how much time will need to be spent between the two of you. Work out a plan, involving more than one family member, if possible, and recognize that there will be some difficult times. Decide whether or not you want to remain in your own home, or if you need to go where it will be more convenient for your family.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask for God's will, wisdom, and guidance to be revealed in this situation. Pray that God would work out the details in His own way and in His time.

[Judy Harder]

In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. - Psalm 71:1

When things come up in my life, oftentimes my first instinct is to take action and correct whatever may be wrong. This is true for most men. It's a natural male tendency to want to fix what's broken. I'm sure some of the ladies reading this can relate to this tendency as well.

The problem is that my first instinct isn't necessarily my best course of action. An impulsive reaction to a situation can sometimes make it much worse. Instead of seeking the Lord and asking for guidance, we may rely on our wealth, our reputation, or our own know-how to get a job done. But often this can lead to negative results.

Consider Jonah. His first instinct was to run. In fact, when God called Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh, he went as far in the opposite direction as possible. And it was only due to his eventual acceptance of God's will that an entire city was spared the Lord's fury. Jonah knew he had a difficult task set before him, but he fled from God instead of seeking shelter from God.

How different the story would have been if Jonah had simply taken refuge in the Lord from the beginning! Jonah could have spared himself a lot of misery and shame by finding refuge in the Lord.

How much of our own anguish has been caused by an unwillingness to submit to God? Sometimes we would rather stand in the cold alone than experience warmth and safety in the sanctuary of the Lord.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God for refuge today by granting you strength and peace of mind.

[Judy Harder]

"Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water." Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. - Numbers 20:8, 11

Do you ever hear without listening? Maybe you've heard the words that were spoken to you, but failed to understand their meaning. A very simple example of this would be turning on a foreign language TV or radio station. You can listen all day long, but you'll never hear the intended message!

When God speaks to us, it's very important that we not only hear His voice but to listen to what He's telling us. In the verses above, you see a clear command from God: "Speak to that rock." Yet what does Moses do? He strikes the rock. Twice! Talk about missing the message. And as a result of this failure to really hear God's command, Moses wasn't allowed to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.

Now, maybe Moses was confused. After all, in Exodus 17:6, God did command Moses to strike a rock to receive water for the people. Which is why it is so important that we listen carefully to what God is telling us.

It's worth noting that while Moses failed to follow the Lord's command explicitly, God was still faithful to His commitment. He still poured out water from the rock. God is always faithful to His word. You and I need to focus on listening to His word as we hear to His voice.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that you will be able to listen to God's voice...and that you clearly understand His command to you in every situation in life.

[Judy Harder]

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. - Matthew 4:1

All of us battle temptation on a daily basis. The enemy is relentless in his attacks, which is why you and I must always be vigilant in staying connected to the Lord every day. But no matter how committed we are to our relationship with God, we will still come under fire.

The key to our victory is in our response. When you feel overwhelmed by temptation, how do you respond? Thankfully, God has provided us the perfect example for overcoming temptation by allowing His own Son to be tempted.

Christ's temptation is recorded in the fourth chapters of both Matthew and Luke. The key to focus on is Jesus' response when tempted by Satan. In both Gospels, Jesus responds to temptation by quoting Scripture. In fact, Jesus is tempted three times and each time He quotes from Deuteronomy!

Now Jesus probably had more Scripture memorized than you or I do, and at our age it may not be so easy to add a whole lot more. But notice that Jesus responds with verses that apply to the specific temptation. We all know our sin patterns and we know what temptations we struggle with. That's why it's so important to commit one or two verses to memory that address your individual weaknesses.

For instance, if you struggle with a lot of negative emotions, it might be beneficial to memorize Galatians 5:22-23, which lists the fruit of the Spirit. Or if you battle an unhealthy relationship with money, remember 1 Timothy 6:10. It will remind you of the consequences when putting wealth ahead of the Lord.

If you just can't seem to commit a verse to memory, write it down and tuck it somewhere that will be helpful when you are tempted. Keep it in your Bible, your wallet, in your car, or taped to your bathroom mirror.

Nothing rebuffs Satan like the Word of God. Remember it is our sword--the only form of attack we have against the enemy.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Repeat the Lord's Prayer today especially focusing on "Lead us not into temptation." Pray this for yourself and for those you love.

[Judy Harder]

When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. - Genesis 32:25

Have you ever heard the phrase "addition by subtraction"? You often hear it used by sports analysts when an athlete leaves a team. Take the Texas Rangers, for example.

In 2000, they signed Alex Rodriguez, or "A-Rod," to the biggest contract in sports history. He was one of the best shortstops in the game! Yet the Rangers finished last in their division three years in a row.

After trading A-Rod to the New York Yankees three years later, the Rangers finished the 2004 season only three games out of first place in their division! This is a good example of addition by subtraction.

In the same way, God often removes things from our lives that we consider very important. But in the end, we see that by removing that thing, we are better off.

In today's verse, we see that Jacob lost something that was extremely important to him: his ability to run! That's right. Jacob's pattern was simple, he would deceive and then he would run away. He ran from Esau after stealing his birthright and he later ran from Laban, taking all his possessions with him.

However, after the Lord injured his hip, Jacob was forced to confront his biggest fear. He had to face Esau. And much like the Prodigal Son, Jacob was welcomed with open arms by Esau. By subtracting his ability to flee, God added back Jacob's brother.

The Lord may be removing dependencies in your own life. What you may be missing, though, really may be God's provision through these times.

How is the Lord taking care of you even while stripping away things you thought you needed? I want to encourage you to look for the addition that results from God's subtraction.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to show you how He is using a recent loss for good..

[Judy Harder]

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. - 1 John 4:1

Superstitions exist in all facets of life. From black cats, to indoor umbrellas, even believers who have been walking with the Lord for decades can allow false beliefs to seep into their daily routines.

The world considers this harmless, entertainment even. But consider what it says to God when you speak with a psychic or allow superstitions to hinder your daily activities. What you are telling God is that you do not trust Him enough to take care of your needs. But the Lord clearly instructs us in Proverbs 3:5 not to rely on our own knowledge or the knowledge of others. Instead you are to, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart."

Superstitions happen when we give meaning to the meaningless. Sometimes we all need to be reminded that trusting God to lead you means that breaking mirrors, or stepping on cracks, or walking under ladders holds no meaning.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that God would reveal to you anything in your life that may be creating a separation between you and Him.

[Judy Harder]

"You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." - Acts 1:8

I read about a man not long ago who started a mission organization at the age of 65. He does a lot of pastoral training around the globe, including several training seminars in China each year.

During his most recent trip to China, the man was teaching a group of pastors when they were interrupted by Chinese officials. He was detained and held for questioning, his visa was suspended, and his passport was confiscated.

After eight hours of questioning, he was released and allowed to leave the country. His future access to China is unknown right now, but he is pressing on. Less than two weeks after this he was en route to Romania to continue his work!

Friends, our Lord has commanded us to take His message to the ends of the earth. Not all of us can go to China,but there's no excuse for not being involved in missionary work on some level. Chances are your church sponsors mission trips or missionary families or both. Find out what you can do to get involved in those areas. Or you could look online for any number of independent mission groups who could use your support.

Support doesn't have to mean going or even giving financially. Prayers are just as important as dollars, and countless people in the field have seen great provision through the support of prayer warriors at home.

And don't forget that the mission field includes your neighborhood or place of work! If you can't go to China, you still can go next door.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that God would present you with an opportunity to be directly involved with missionary efforts.

[Judy Harder]

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

This passage in 2 Timothy gives us four distinct uses of Scripture in our lives. These uses can be applied to ourselves, to friends and family, to small groups, or to whole congregations. Let's take a look at each a little more in depth.

1)      Teaching - As you study God's Word, you will come to know more about His character. God teaches us directly through His Spirit when we read the Bible. We teach each other in small groups, and we are taught as a body when we attend church services.

2)      Rebuking - God's Word informs us about sin and how He wants us to live. We are commanded to share this knowledge with those around us. The act of rebuking, which is very different from judging, is a positive, loving act according to the Word.

3)      Correcting - While rebuking is a confrontation of sin, correcting is more about instructing fellow believers in right ways of living, attitude, and thinking. Not in an area where they have been sinful, but where they are in error.

4)      Training - Not just training, but "training in righteousness." This implies guiding new believers in God's ways. Training is not just for new believers. You and I need to continue training others as well as being trained in the Word. It is an ongoing process.

The net result of these four principles is that "the man (or woman) of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

If you follow these instructions, as Paul required of Timothy, then you will be fully capable of meeting the challenges that arise in your life. In addition, you will become a valuable friend and neighbor by helping others become equipped as well!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that the Father would allow you to put these principles into action today.

[Judy Harder]

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. - James 4:17

Have you ever been in a situation and known the right thing to do, but just didn't do it? If so, you're not alone! Most of us can probably relate to this scenario.

The Scriptures clearly show us what actions are sin. But how do we know when inaction becomes a sin? Well, we all know the difference between right and wrong. And it's not enough to just avoid doing sin. We are commanded to pursue righteousness and justice.

You've heard the term "half-truth" before. Half-truths are telling the truth without telling the whole truth. Thus you can omit certain information without actually lying. But this is precisely what James is talking about. Some people say that a half-truth is actually a half-lie. I think they're on to something.

There are many times in our lives when we're faced with difficult situations. But we do not have the luxury of burying our heads in the sand or looking the other way and pretending we don't see what's before us. Friend, you and I must do what is right, even when no one is looking, and even when it might cost us something!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God for courage to do what is right, even when it is difficult.