As I look at the Christian world I am always baffled at how many people in their 40′s & 50′s are overlooked for preaching. I see many churches who are looking for that young buck and many times they get someone whose foundation isn’t there yet. They have the education but many lack life experience.
There are so many awesome people of God who are 40 and over who I feel that God is calling to preach in some form but they feel that their place is behind the scenes because they didn’t go to college or they haven’t prepared up to this point. Maybe they just felt the calling.
An education isn’t what qualifies you to preach, it is God who qualifies and he always qualifies the called when his timing is there. There are many online schools that people can take nowadays that can help you out. There are many other resources that also can help you.
Remember you are called from God so it doesn’t matter what you have to do from this point, you just need to go do it. Also, don’t hear me wrong on this post as I am not saying that we shouldn’t raise the next generation of leaders. We should always be doing that but sometimes we need to look in our own churches and listen to people who feel they are called to one day preach even if they are 40 or over.
Because the emphasis is so much on the young generation about preaching, many people who are 40 and over feel that maybe they weren’t really called to preach even though they feel it in their heart and then miss their whole calling because of being overlooked.
If you are 40 or over and you feel that you are called to preach, I am telling you right now to do whatever it takes to go do it. Don’t allow what the Christian Society says to stop you from what you know in your heart you are supposed to do. If you don’t the day will come where you wonder what if and you will be full of regrets. It is much better to try and fail than to do nothing and end up with regret.
Who are the people to tell you that you are too old to start preaching? Who are they to tell you that you can’t do it? Who are they to tell you to give up on your calling? Who are they anyway? Are you going to listen to them or God? It should be an easy choice, choose God.
If you are reading this and you are a leader of your local church then I pray that you will start watching some of the people in your church and if you notice someone older who either feels like they are called to preach or if you can just tell that they might be called then I hope you will go and have a heart to heart talk with them.
Sometimes it may take a leader to lift someone up to the occasion. Maybe God has told them that they are called to preach but they aren’t listening. Just imagine now you go to them and let them know that they may be called. Would that not help them move forward? You may even be able to show them the next step! As leaders of a church, it is our responsibility to notice people’s gifts and then to show them a direction that they may have never thought of before so that they can pray over it.
I am writing this post because I feel that my generation as I am 42 is being left out and there are many talented people within my generation. Yes it is always good to also have some of the young bucks on the team but there needs to be some balance also or you could be missing out on someone God called!
People in my generation usually still have a lot of energy but they have also been around the block a time or two. They are usually stable in their life and a lot of times they have a solid foundation that has been built through years of struggle. Maybe they have been married at least 10 years, that always helps too for the foundation. Either way there are many people 40 & over who have been called and they are waiting for you to notice them. Go and find them!
Ask God to lead you to the people over 40 who have been called. Ask him to help take away your preconceived notions about any age you feel people should be called to preach. Ask him to give you the courage to fight for someone who is called even if other leaders disagree with you.
Be Inspired or Be Left Behind!
Chris Benton