Recently I saw in a bookstore a book titled Becoming a Titus 2 Woman. I didn’t give it much thought until this morning as I put pen to paper. Recently I wrote an article for True Education magazine, and the thought came to me, “When did I ever write one for our seniors?”—especially as I have reached that senior “status” myself.

Let’s consider Titus 2:2-10 in this article.

When we read and study these verses, it should give all seniors a “spark” of great encouragement. All these years have brought you so many experiences. Most of you have spent your youth working, then you married, perhaps had children, then they grew up and got married, had their own children, and so on. You built your life around all of that. Then you find yourself, as Paul says to Titus, “aged.”

“Aged” means old, elderly, or, as a noun, senior. The word can also substitute for ambassador.

An ambassador represents his country. In our case, as members of God’s Church, we must represent the God Family or God’s way of life. As we grow in conversion and as maturity develops with age, we must be examples of those who have reached senior “status.”

As seniors, our age isn’t wasted—we have experiences and lessons that we can pass on. Our lives should be models for the youth and others to look to.

With age comes responsibility. In the Revised English Bible, Titus 2:2-5 state: “The older men should be sober, dignified and temperate, sound in faith, love and fortitude. The older women, similarly, should be reverent in their demeanour, not scandalmongers or slaves to excessive drinking; they must set a high standard, and so teach the younger women to be loving wives and mothers, to be temperate, chaste, busy at home, and kind, respecting the authority of their husbands. Then the gospel will not be brought into disrepute.”

To repeat, in the last part of verse 3 it says, “they must set a high standard.” Getting older doesn’t mean dropping standards. In fact, we should be ever seeking to raise them.

Think of Herbert W. Armstrong in his senior years. Did he ever drop the standard? It was in his later years that he did his greatest work! Traveling as an “unofficial ambassador for world peace” he met with emperors, kings, queens, princes, princesses, heads of state, prime ministers and dignitaries all over the world. All this was done in his later stages of life—filled with zeal, energy and urgency for his role and responsibility.

Growing old is not a disease. It is a blessing that you can share! Senior years are the bonus years! No one can give experience until they have learned it. Seniors, we don’t retire; we change occupations. Now we have more time to share, volunteer, pray, study, meditate and fast. As our bodily activities perhaps slow down, we must let our spiritual activities increase.

Youth may be spent, but we are at another stage of life—not a negative one, but a fulfilling one—a role of responsibility that God requires us to use for the benefit of others. We don’t stop growing spiritually as seniors. We grow by sharing, and by our examples, others can grow. Being a senior is serious business. It is a stage of life that has with it levels of maturity that have been worked at for years. This is the time to share and give of those years.

Study Titus 2, and become a Titus 2 example of an “aged” man or woman. Seniors, we are never too old to give. Say to yourself daily, “I am young in God, therefore, young in myself, therefore young in years.” Old age is just a new page upon which you can write life’s noblest chapter.

Think on these things, and be a Titus 2 man or woman.