A Mid-Life Crisis God

Sometimes when we get older we can feel our best is behind us. Till the "end" we are on cruise control. Everyday can feel the same. Everyday may even feel a little unfulfilled. We're just left with memories of the good ol' days. We can even resolve to just live through the experiences and lives of our children and children's children. For some of us we may even go through the dreaded mid-life crisis. Let me boldly say, we serve a mid-life crisis God! Just when we want to or think life is slowing down, God is just starting up.

In Exodus 7, the plagues on Egypt start after Pharaoh refused to let Israel go. Nonetheless, Moses and Aaron had gone to Pharaoh before with the same request in Exodus 5. What's the difference? In Exodus 5, they used no miraculous signs. When they are instructed by God to ask Pharaoh again in Exodus 7, God sends them with signs and wonders. God is going to show up and show out. In verse 1 God says to Moses "...“Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet. " Whoah! God was going to use Aaron and Moses mightily. However what makes this even more amazing is a few verses that follow. Verse 6 and 7 says, "'So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them. Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh.'" The bible specifically mentions their ages. This wasn't accidental. It is God's reminder that He values us at ALL life stages and ages. He is the God of our youth, old age and even our mid-life crisis.

Moses lived to be 120 years old. He didn't get into the real midst of his ministry until 3/4ths of his life was over! When Moses may have thought things would be slowing down, God was just getting started. When it seemed like Moses would be staying in Midian and watching his children grow up, God shows up in a burning bush with an assignment (Exodus 2). When we think life is almost done, God says I have a plan for you.

There are many reasons why God may have waited till Moses was older to use him. One reason I believe is fine tuning. Moses had an identity crisis. He lived in the palace like an Egyptian, but longed to connect with his people the Israelites. In Exodus 2 it says when Moses was older he went out to visit his own people. He saw how hard they were working but, it doesn't say he had any plan to help them. He didn't bring his plight to his adopted mother the Egyptian princess. He didn't talk with his grandfather, Pharaoh. Instead he ends up killing an Egyptian attacking an Israelite. When he returned to intervene in a dispute between two Israelites they bring up his previous murder. Moses then fled to Midian.

Moses was torn and trapped between two worlds. Israel representing the believer and Egypt representing the unbeliever. When he tried to solve the problem the worlds way through anger, lack of self control, impulsiveness and violence, it ended in death. After he fled to Midian, they thought he was an Egyptian. He looked like "the world". I believe God was waiting for Moses to make a choice between the luxuries of sin or the humble life of the godly. Will you cling to the world or when I call will you follow me? God knew Moses was finally ready for the right choice. When God approaches Moses in Exodus 3 what was Moses doing? Tending sheep! God let Moses go through some shepard training. He had to learn to lead versus react.

God may wait to put us into His plan until we are fine tuned. We need to come to some line in the sand moment to establish once and for all which side we're choosing. For some people this happens later in life. God waits until we've stopped being a rouge sheep and become a shepard.

Finally a reason God may chose to use us for big plans when we're older is life wisdom. Wisdom can come in many ways. The bible says we can gain wisdom through praying for it (James 1:5) by listening to godly counsel,(Proverbs 12:15, 11:14, 19:20-21), and as a reward for following God's instructions (Ecc 2:26). But I believe, life experience can also result in wisdom. Things we go through, the good and the bad, if filtered through the bible, can lead to wisdom. Job 12:12 says, "Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?"

There are important things we need that can only be learned through time and experience. If you've ever sat with an older person, especially a believer, it doesn't take long to hear nuggets of truth and wisdom. They have walked long enough with God to have learned things first hand, sometimes by trial and error.

A scripture that really fits here is Psalm 37:25 "Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread."

When we're young we hear God never forgets us but what true experience do we have to believe that? It takes faith that in our short time on earth, with our lack of life experience, that God will keep us. However when you're old or older, you've seen it first hand. You've walked long enough with God to see His track record. You've walked long enough with God to see that what He says happens. That is invaluable. The jewels or treasures from a lifelong walk with God can't be bought. Life wisdom comes through living life.

Moses and Aaron had life experience or life wisdom on their side. It became a tool in the hands of God to use. God may be positioning you now because your life wisdom will be vital to the task. Don't assume He's done with you. Be ready that He may just be getting started with you!