Jun 06
Today’s Truth
“My purpose is to give life in all its fullness” (John 10:10 TLB).
Friend to Friend
I have discovered some wonderful advantages of growing older. Honestly, I can get away with so much more than I could when I was younger – and I love it!
Like many of you, I have paid some heavy life dues. I am enjoying a refreshing freedom in what I say and do – as long as I say and do it in love and with integrity before God.
I am flat-out amazed by the fact that people value my advice. They actually think I know what I am doing. Hilarious! I know!
But I am thrilled to share some of the God-truths I have learned along the way. I’m also free to occasionally respond with a hearty “I don’t have a clue what you should do.” No guilt. No shame. Just being real
Yes, I have aches and pains that I really could do without, but that is why God has gifted doctors and counselors – because He knew we would need them. We live in broken bodies. Our world is broken. But until Jesus returns, I know He wants my feet to hit the floor each morning, ready to face and delight in the fullness of the life God created me to live.
Jesus said, “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness” (John 10:10 TLB).
One of my current personal life goals is to royally tick off Satan whenever I can. Some days, his feeble tactics make me laugh and I respond with, “Seriously, that’s it? That’s all you’ve got?”
Other days, I am on my face before God asking for strength to withstand the demonic attacks of hell itself. Either way, I win. I have read the whole Book, and we win!
My audience for this race of life has certainly changed. I no longer give credence to those people who delight in leering at me through the fishbowl, waiting and watching for me to fall and fail so they can feel better about their own faults and failures.
Those people are not my audience. God is my audience – and He is crazy about me, cheering me on. Angels dance simply because I exist. I am God’s creation – and so are you.
We have choices to make with every passing season of life.
We can hang on to past accomplishments, using them as an excuse to sit and sour, or we can seek God, asking Him to use us in His Kingdom work.
We can rise each day to dance with joy simply because we know Him and He knows us, or we can focus on what is wrong in our lives and be miserable.
We can sing at the top of our lungs that God is more than enough for whatever comes our way, or we can sing the blues.
We can choose to give Him praise – even when it seems like there is nothing for which to praise Him, or we can sit down and let fear trample us in the dust of Satan’s hissings.
We can grow old in body, mind, and spirit, or we can serve Him with passion and purpose until we take our last breath.
What about you? Are you living each day to the fullest? Jesus is all about living an abundant life in the here and now … no matter how young or old you are. Eternity began the moment you submitted your life to Him.
Someone once said that life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take but by the moments that take our breath away. Let’s do this thing called life and let’s do it right!
Let’s Pray
Father, I do not want to stop living the life of purpose You created me to live. I choose to ignore those who would tell me to give up. I stand against the enemy who seduces me to quit the race when the obstacles seem impossible to overcome. No! I turn to You, Lord! I depend on You! I celebrate You, God! Until You come, I am Yours, Lord.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
If you could choose one word to describe your life journey so far, what would it be? Explain.
What one commitment do you need to make today in order to live the life of purpose God created you to live?
More from the Girlfriends
It is Never Too Late to Be Great is Mary’s four-week study based on the lives of Samson and Delilah. Each lesson will help you learn how to hear and respond to the call of God, choose forgiveness over revenge, take charge of your wants, and surround yourself with great people.
New! Mary’s heart is to train and coach women in ministry. Be sure to check 
out her new Zoom coaching ministry, Friends for the Journey.
© 2022 by Mary Southerland. All rights reserved.
Thank you for reminding me that I have a full life to live even after Anthony passed away. I forget that every time I think of him. It’s almost 10 years since he died and I am still mad, sad, lonely bout it.
You may never know how this message was meant for me, I thank God for you 🙏 I am in the times of aches and pain, with young people as neighbors who have no regard for, seniors, and situations that are, difficult to deal with, but I am praying that the Lord will continue keep me focused on His love for me and keep me faithful 🙏
Rollercoaster
So many highs and lows. Many times completely turning my back on and blaming the one who can fix all my problems. If God truly loved me he wouldn’t allow me to be in this place. Understanding that I am the one who put me in those places and that he was always along side me nudging me in the right direction but I chose the other path. I want to live for him. Declaring his great love for all of us.
Thank you Mary !! Thank you for the reminder that aging can bring a freedom to live life to the fullest!
I don’t think I can describe my journey in one word….maybe typical. I have traveled the highways and byways through life with it’s hills and valleys; twists and turns – even u turns at times; and through flowing traffic and traffic jams.
As I have aged chronologically, physically and spiritually, my journey has brought me closer to Our Lord.
I have decided that I am not over the hill, but continuing to travel upwards until I come face to face with my Savior !!
That will be a glorious day !
Trish said it beautifully… I agree! I’m loving and appreciating my Lord and looking forward to Heaven while I continue to serve him!
Oh my goodness, this came at the PERFECT time! I have been wallowing in self pity (forgive me Lord) all weekend due to an aching, aging body. My age is creeping up on me and at times I feel useless even though I know I have a lot of life left in me to give. To describe my journey so far would be to say “unexpected”. Divorced 8 years ago from the man I “thought” was my soul mate to living alone on a fixed income is not the life I had expected to live. But I’m trusting God all the way as He has already brought me this far. I know He won’t abandon me now. As Trish said it so well, “I have decided that I am not over the hill, but continuing to travel upwards until I come face to face with my Savior !!
That will be a glorious day !”. Thank you for giving me the encouragement I needed at just the right time!
What wonderful perspective for those of us not so young anymore. It’s important to remember we still have a purpose to fulfill.
Favoured (Canadian spelling eh – lol)- Wisdom and the hindsight gained through aging/maturing has provided me with this lens to reflect on my life. I have never had to go without my basic needs being met (food, water, shelter). Even when I have pined for things I felt I did not have at various times in my life God met those needs through other beautiful people and unexpected opportunities and gifts. I have always been able to land on my feet, and that hasn’t been because of anything I did, or even deserved, it’s because I am His daughter. I was blessed into a family of generations of ancestors who had faith in God, and I am proud to be able to give that to my children and the generations who will come after me until we will reunite in heaven.
I am a Christian but struggling to see how the Lord is in our every day lives when I watch the horrors of the Ukrainian invasion and the tragedy of Uvelde.
Somehow all these comments struck a chord in me. I am able to relate to something each of these ladies said and reading each comment, I praid for you all. Thank you for the reminders we are not alone in our journey and we serve a wonderful powerful loving God!
At 61 years old to describe my journey would be The Storm. But God has always blessed me and given me what I need during each stage of The Storm. I asked Jesus in my heart at 22 years of age. So glad I did! He knew that I would need him, like we all do! A few years ago I discovered I had just been surviving. I would like to go from surviving to thriving in the Love of Jesus. Someone said there are a 160 promises of our identity in Christ.I have them written down and try read and claim them daily. Pray for me that my behavior is not out of fear, but out of obedience to the Love of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Pray for me that the actions of others past and present have no power over who I am and how I live. That I will not compromise, and not play Holy Spirit junior. God gives each of us freedom of choice which is part of his Love. Pray that I will see clearly and not be deceived. That the door will be shut to the enemy in my heart and mind. Thank-you! I pray that all of you will feel God’s Love today and always!
I guess the one word that would describe my life would be “Rollercoaster” until the later years, and then “Joyfully bumpy” (that’s more than one word, I know, but that’s how it is.) At 81, God has allowed me to write a book and have it published; put all my poems into a book (not published) and be the wife of a Pastor of a wonderful, small church and see my great grandchildren growing up. He has also blessed me in letting me lead a Women’s Conference every year for the past 16 years. I have no complaints – well, a few health ones, but that’s it.
God bless you and thanks for all your devotions.
(Shirley) Jean Shepard
I am so sorry for the pain you are experiencing. I’m so glad God used the devotion to touch your life. I also encourage you to read Psalm 40:1-3. At the lowest point of my life, God used these words to give me hope. I know He will do the same for you.
Blessings!
Elsa, thank you for letting me know that the devotion touched your life. I love how God arranges our lives in order to speak words of life. Blessings to you!
Alice, thanks for your words. I understand those highs and lows and realizing that God saved me from myself. Stand firm, friend. Blessings!
Trish, thank you for your beautiful response. You covered all of the bases. I pray I can do the same. BLessings!
Cathy, I totally agree with you.
Lana, i was just doing the same thing last night while on the phone, talking with my sister. There are some perks to growing older … along with a lot of challenges. But if we are still here, God has a purpose for our lives. Hang in there!
Laurie, I am with you, friend!
Yes! With you, friend!
Monica, I’ve done some events in Canada. Had a great experience! Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. So thankful for what God has done and will do through your life. Blessings!
Margaret, I totally understand how you feel. My husband likes to say that one day, our questions will be yanked into exclamation points. Until then, we carry on. Blessings!
Hovercraft-ed.
God has showed me mercy in many areas and decades of my life; when things could have gone badly.
I appreciate your prayer and the reminder of Psalm 40, and I’m reminded of some lyrics of a song telling me that even if I get it wrong, God will never, ever let go of my hand.
Thank you for your inspired writings!
Sue, thank you for sharing! We all need to remember what God has done for us and stand on that when we face the storms that come our way. I can relate. My prayer team says I should do a reality TV show because nobody could make this stuff up! I think we all could say that. We are definitely not alone. And I am so glad!
Hey friends, I have been thinking and praying about writing devotions specifically to older adults. What do you think? It might develop into a page on my website. Love to have your feedback.
Dear Mary,
Thanks for encouraging words of wisdom! I think it’s a great idea to write devotions for older adults.
Lord, I thank You that You hear the cries of my heart!
Mary, Thank you for your reply. How kind of you to interact with each one of us and make it so personal. I wish I could sit down and chat with you over a cup of tea. You would be a wonderful friend to share life with!
YES!! YES!!! YES!!!!!…by all means, please write devotions for us “older” women. So many devotions are geared towards moms with young children , and that is wonderful, but I NEED to read something for me in this stage of my life. God bless you!
Mary, Thank you for your reply. How kind of you to interact with each one of us and make it so personal. I wish I could sit down and chat with you over a cup of tea. You would be a wonderful friend to share life with!
YES!!!!!…by all means, please write devotions for us “older” women. So many devotions are geared towards moms with young children , and that is wonderful, but I NEED to read something for me in this stage of my life. God bless you!
Thanks to each of you for sharing your heart and words, and a special thanks to you Mary for inspiring us to share. I would very much appreciate devotions geared for older adults. To add another twist to it (or another book idea) how about reflections to pass on to children, grandchildren, great grandchildren…one of the most special times of my Christian life was when I was on maternity leave with my first born in my early 30’s (now in my mid 50’s) I participated in a Bible study with women who were 60+. The wisdom, knowledge, faith and prayers those women shared with me had a tremendous impact on me as a new mother. Spiritual warrior women they were. In a world that has many of us fluttering about, I do believe there is an opportunity to provide guidance to younger people, who may not even know what they are searching for.
Mary,
I would love a devotional for older women