BUT WHEN YOU ARE OLD
TUESDAY 10
“Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”
John 21:18 (NKJV)
READ: John 21:1–19
What Jesus said in the passage of our text is allegorical, a figurative description of the life of a mature believer. In the passage, Jesus cited that when someone is young, he usually would dress up himself, gird up himself, and goes wherever he wants.
However, when the person gets older, the person would stretch out his hands and another person would dress or gird him up and carry or take him to where he does not want or wish (John 21:18).
This illustration is about the spiritual life and journey of a believer who is walking with God. When you are still young in the Christian faith, you might be allowed to make some decisions about your life and things you do generally. However, when you become mature or old in the faith, you would no longer be allowed to decide on things by yourself. Remember, being old here is not about physical or biological age, but spiritual maturity.
When you are spiritually mature, you would no longer be allowed to make decisions on a number of things about your life again; the decisions would always be made by God through
the Holy Spirit on your inside—influencing and directing your recreated human spirit. All your desires at such a time would be about doing God’s will!
This is what it means in the passage that you would be girded and be taken or carried to where you wish not to go. In other words, the Holy Spirit through your recreated human spirit would influence your mind, and your thoughts and desires would be about doing God’s will only (1 Corinthians 2:2,3).
Even what your flesh would usually not wish, you would have no strength or ability to resist what you are being inspired to do, because you are now old or mature in the spirit, you would not be able to resist God’s will (1 Corinthians 9:16; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 2:20).
Your will, emotion and affection would have been taken over by God through the Holy Spirit who is residing on the inside of your recreated human spirit.
Your wills and wishes would no longer be carnally or fleshly motivated. Whatever you want to do would always be motivated by the Holy Spirit through your recreated human spirit.
At such a time, you cannot say No to whatever God is leading you to do, or wherever He is leading you to go (1 Corinthians 9:16,17). Remember, being old in this context is not about physical or biological age, but spiritual oldness or maturity.
The question is, how many believers usually allow God to train and build them to this level of spiritual maturity? Many believers usually strive with God, they would not want to agree with His plans and wills for them (Isaiah 45:9).
Take for example, Peter, who was supposed to be an example for the other disciples, chose and decided to go back into fishing business after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the work of ministry given to them was abandoned (John 21:3). As a result of the carnal decision made by Peter, being a leader figure, other disciples followed him in that wrong decision (John 21:3).
Before God could use a believer maximally, He would want to break the egos of the person, make him powerless and unable to do anything without Him, God (John 15:4–6).
This is the time God would be able to lead the person wherever he may not wish to go, or lead him to do whatever he may not wish to do. It is at this oldness or maturity of a believer that
God usually pours out His grace, power and anointing, on the believer who is taken to such a level or state. It is at the
weakness of the believer that God’s strength is made available:
“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore
most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)
READ: 2 Corinthians 12:7–10
Howbeit, it would take the cooperation of the believer who is being groomed and being taken to the level. It would not be forced on him. However, you may be made to be willing (Philippians 2:13).
In addition, the next verse to our text, John 21:19, says that what Jesus said in our text to Peter signifies the death through which Peter would glorify God. In other words, everything about Peter, whether death or alive, would be for the glorification of God.
At the spiritual old age, which is also known as maturity, a believer would live and do things only for the glorification of God’s name (2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Peter 4:1–3).
Such would no longer live to please the self:
“and He died for all, THAT THOSE WHO LIVE SHOULD LIVE NO LONGER FOR THEMSELVES, BUT FOR HIM WHO DIED FOR THEM AND ROSE AGAIN.”
2 Corinthians 5:15
“That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, BUT FOR THE WILL OF GOD.”
1 Peter 4:2 (NKJV)
Peace.
Reflect:
☞ Is there an area of your life where you are insisting on doing things your own way instead of following Jesus?
☞ What has God asked you to do that you have been reluctant to do?
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