What Seniors Need – Seniors Need to be Real
It’s time to get real about getting real – really! What does that mean? It means we need to be realistic about the things we struggle with. It also means we need to express it and not leave it locked in our hearts. That means that when they do express their pain or their frustration, the rest of us need to be willing to listen.
For some seniors, it is easy to be real – “I’m 80 years old and I’m gonna do what I want to. You don’t like it? You don’t have to do. That’s the way it is.” Others can express what is on thier mind without being so abrasive. So the question remains -Why is it hard for some of us to be real with what we feel, what we think, and the struggles we are going through?
Right now, I can think of three reasons why we struggle to be real with those around us. I’m going to talk about each one of them. The three reasons that come to mind are pride, fear, a feeling of hopelessness.
Sometimes pride keeps me from letting people know I am struggling in body, mind, or spirit. “What would people think?” comes to mind for a lot of us, including me. “If people knew I am feeling tired or dizzy at workout, won’t that make me look bad? I want people to think that I have it all together. What they don’t realize is that everytime I “have it all together”, I forget where I put it! I am not one to freely show or talk about my struggles. Part of that is pride.
Fear keeps me from doing new things, testing out new ideas, pursuing God-sized projects, specifically the fear of failure, of not measuring up to the task. Its not just that I am afraid of failure or afraid of what other people think. Its also a fear that I am not up to the task, that I don’t have what it takes, that I’m not enough. May I say this loud and clear? That’s a lie from Hell, and you and I need to stop letting those lies filter down into our brain and into our heart. The Bible says “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or pride, but in humility serve one another. ” (Phil. 2:3). Fear and pride hold us back from being real, from being vulnerable.
Finally, a sense of hopelessness cripples courage and faith and prevents forward progress in life. It prevents us from being real. An “I give up. It will never get any better. God can’t change me. I can’t let people see these feelings. People will think that not only I am weak, but that God is weak too, that He can’t do anything to help. Another lie from the pits of Hell.
I want to encourage all of us to dig deep into Jesus, be vulnerable, allow ourselves to be real, focus on Him, and leave the rest in His hands.
Until next time,
Pastor John
