“I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore.”  Psalm 37:25–27 (NKJV)

I recently made a statement at a men’s breakfast that has continued to resonate with me: At 70 years old, I’m too young to quit, and too old to care.

Seventy may sound old to some. And honestly, there are certainly some things about which I could say, “I’m too old for that.” But when it comes to the purposes of God, I’m too young to quit.

I’m too young to stop dreaming.
Too young to stop believing.
Too young to stop having vision.
Too young to stop taking mountains.
Too young to stop learning.
Too young to stop reaching people with the hope of Christ.

At the same time, after 70 years of life and nearly 45 years of a surrendered journey with Christ, I’ve learned something else: I’m too old to live my life trying to prove myself to others.

I care deeply about people.
I care about relationships.
I care about the Kingdom of God.
I care about the generations coming behind us.

But I’m too old to be controlled by the opinions of people, sideline coaches, critics, misunderstandings, or those who may never know the full story. I’ve got nothing left to prove. But, I still have plenty of purpose to fulfill.

LOOKING BACK WITHOUT LIVING THERE

As I enter my 70th year of life, I’ve been reflecting quite a bit on my journey. When you have lived long enough, you naturally look back. And when I look back, I can see things I wish I had done differently.

There are decisions I would make differently today. Moments I wish I could revisit. Seasons marked by regrets, failures, disappointments, misunderstandings, wrong choices, and times when my own human frailty was exposed. But I’ve learned that I can acknowledge my regrets without camping there. I cannot change the past. But I can surrender the past to the redemptive purposes of God.

And when I look back over my life, one of the things I am most grateful for is the amazing grace of God.

His grace has corrected me.
His grace has restored me.
His grace has sustained me.
His grace has revealed things in me that needed to change.
His grace has continually drawn me closer to Him.
And His grace has allowed me the incredible privilege of serving Him and serving people.

Even through my human frailties and, at times, my wrong choices, God has been faithful.

THE ARROGANCE OF YOUTH AND THE WISDOM OF AGE

When I was young, I had plenty of zeal.

I had dreams.
I had passion.
I had faith.
I wanted to change the world.

And I still do.

But if I’m honest, there was also, at times, an arrogance of my youth. Not necessarily arrogance in the sense of intentionally thinking I was better than others, but the kind of confidence that comes when you haven’t yet lived long enough to understand how much you don’t know.

Youth can give us courage – and we need courage.
Youth can give us vision – and we need vision.
Youth can give us energy – and we need energy.

But time and experience have a way of teaching us things that books, titles, platforms, and even ministry accomplishments cannot teach.

Some lessons can only be learned by walking through some valleys.
Some wisdom only comes after facing giants.
Some understanding comes through disappointment.
Some humility comes when we discover that our own strength is insufficient.

Some of the things I thought I understood when I was younger, I now understand very differently.

And that is not necessarily a loss. That is growth.

I hope the zeal of my youth has not disappeared, but has been tempered by wisdom.
I hope the passion is still there, but with greater perspective.
I hope the courage remains, but with greater humility.
I hope the vision is still strong, but now accompanied by discernment.

The zeal may look different now. The perspective is certainly different. But the passion for God and the compassion for people remain.

And perhaps more than ever, I understand that whatever has been accomplished has ultimately been because of God’s grace, not my own strength and ability.

TOO YOUNG TO QUIT

So, I’m too young to quit.

Too young to stop dreaming.
Too young to stop believing.
Too young to stop taking mountains.
Too young to stop learning.
Too young to stop growing.
Too young to stop serving.
Too young to stop reaching people with the hope of Christ.

Caleb was 85 years old when he essentially said: “Give me this mountain.” Joshua 14:12

He had lived long enough to know the faithfulness of God, but he had not lived so long that he stopped believing there was something ahead.

There were still giants.
There was still occupied territory.
There were still challenges.
There was still work to be done.

And Caleb still had faith, vision, strength, purpose…and a mountain to take.

That speaks deeply to me.

Throughout nearly 45 years of ministry, I’ve had the privilege of facing mountains I once thought were impossible. I’ve walked through valleys I wondered if I would survive. I’ve encountered giants, obstacles, disappointments, limitations, and circumstances that exposed my own frailties. But time and time again, I’ve discovered: God’s grace is greater than my limitations.

My frailties do not cancel His faithfulness.
My failures do not cancel His redemptive purposes.
My age does not cancel His calling.
My past does not determine my future.
And my abilities were never the ultimate source of what God wanted to accomplish anyway.

As Paul reminds us: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:13**

So at 70, I’m not looking backward asking: “How much longer can I go?” I’m looking forward asking: “Lord, what mountain is next?”

There are still mountains in my life that need to be climbed.
There are still valleys to cross.
There are still giants to face.
There are still lessons to learn.
There are still people who need hope.
There are still lives that need to be transformed.
There are still generations that need to be reached.
There is still work to be done.

TOO OLD TO CARE

But I’m also too old to care. Or perhaps I should say it more accurately: I’m too old to care about having to prove myself to anyone.

That doesn’t mean I don’t care.

I care deeply about people.
I care about what God thinks.
I care about being faithful.
I care about relationships.
I care about the Kingdom.
I care about the generations.

What I no longer want to care about is living under the tyranny of other people’s opinions. I’m too old to allow false accusations, slander, misunderstandings, or criticism to consume valuable space in my heart.

I don’t have to answer every accusation.
I don’t have to correct every misunderstanding.
I don’t have to defend every chapter of my life.
I don’t have to convince everyone.
I don’t have to explain everything.

God sees.
God knows.
God understands.

And ultimately, His opinion is the one that matters most.

After nearly 45 years of traveling, serving, building, working with and helping to leverage multiple ministries and organizations, seeing nations impacted and lives transformed, there is much that many people may never know.

There are sacrifices they may never see.
There are prayers they may never hear.
There are battles they may never know I fought.
There are things accomplished behind the scenes that may never make a headline.

But God knows.

And I have learned that I don’t need to spend the rest of my life proving what God already knows.

I don’t want to build a résumé for people. I want to remain faithful to God.

NOTHING LEFT TO PROVE, YET PLENTY LEFT TO DO

Perhaps one of the greatest freedoms that comes with age is realizing: I have nothing left to prove, but I still have plenty of purpose to fulfill.

I’ve climbed some mountains.
I’ve crossed some valleys.
I’ve faced some giants.
I’ve made mistakes.
I’ve experienced victories.
I’ve known disappointments.
I’ve seen God do things I never could have imagined.

And through it all, He has been faithful.

The longer I walk with God, the less interested I become in titles, platforms, recognition, or proving my significance.  Ministry ultimately isn’t about any of those things.

It is about people.
It is about the Kingdom.
It is about being faithful with what God has entrusted to us.
It is about helping people find hope in Christ.
It is about preparing the next generation.
And it is about finishing well.

TIME IS OUR GREATEST COMMODITY

Over the years, I’ve often said, and the older I get, the more I realize how true it is: “Time is our greatest commodity. Once it is spent, it is gone.”

We can recover money.
We can replace possessions.
We can rebuild organizations.
But we cannot reclaim yesterday.

That realization has caused me to become increasingly protective of where I spend my time and where I place my eyes, my thoughts, my attention, and my heart.

I don’t want to waste the years I have remaining worrying about the opinions of others. I don’t want to waste them on frivolity. I don’t want to fill my mind and spirit with things that create clutter, distract me, or blur my vision for what is still ahead.

What we continually look at affects what we eventually see. What we continually think about affects what we eventually become. And what we continually give our time to reveals what we ultimately value. So I want to be intentional.

I want clear vision for what is still ahead. I want to spend my remaining years on things that have eternal value.

WHAT WILL WE LEAVE BEHIND?

At this stage of my life, I’m not simply asking: “What more can I accomplish?” I’m asking: “What can I deposit into the generations that follow?”

What wisdom can I pass on?
What lessons can I share?
What relationships can I strengthen?
What people can I encourage?
What younger leaders can I help prepare?
What can I deposit into the next generation that will continue producing fruit long after I’m gone?

Because ultimately, our greatest legacy may not be what we built for ourselves, but what we deposited into others.

That is why I believe this message is not just for my generation. It is for every generation.

A WORD TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION

To those who are younger: Don’t despise the wisdom of those who have gone before you. You may have technology we never had. You may have opportunities we never imagined. You may see things differently. And you should. Every generation must bring its own faith, creativity, courage, and expression to the purposes of God. But don’t assume that experience is irrelevant simply because it is old.

There are lessons that can save you years of unnecessary pain. There are battles others have already fought. There are mistakes you don’t have to repeat.

Listen.
Ask questions.
Learn.
Honor.

And don’t confuse confidence with wisdom. Zeal is powerful, but zeal without wisdom can become destructive.

I know because I have lived it. I was young once. I had zeal. I had dreams. And sometimes, I had the arrogance of my youth. But God was patient with me. He used time, experience, failure, correction, relationships, Scripture, and His grace to teach me things I could not have learned any other way.

So dream boldly.
Take risks.
Believe God.
Take mountains.
But remain teachable.

Your generation needs courage, but it also needs wisdom.

A WORD TO THE OLDER GENERATION

And to those of us who are older: Don’t assume your best contribution is behind you.

Your experience matters. Your testimony matters. Your scars matter. Your wisdom matters. Your prayers matter. Your encouragement matters. Your presence matters. And perhaps most importantly, what you deposit into others matters.

Don’t simply tell the younger generation what they are doing wrong. Help them discover what they can do right.

Don’t just criticize their methods. Invest in their character.

Don’t simply protect what you built. Help prepare them to build what God may be calling them to build.

And don’t become so focused on preserving the past that you fail to recognize what God may be doing in the future.

We need one another.

The younger generation needs the wisdom of the older. The older generation needs the faith, energy, and fresh perspective of the younger.

This is how generations become a mended net rather than a broken chain.

STILL TAKING MOUNTAINS

So here I am at 70. I can look back with gratitude.

I can acknowledge my regrets without living in them.
I can recognize my frailties without allowing them to define me.
I can appreciate what God has done without believing that my best days are necessarily behind me.
And I can look forward with anticipation.

Because there are still mountains ahead.
There are still valleys to cross.
There are still giants to face.
There are still people who need hope.
There are still generations to reach.
There are still things God wants to teach me.
And there are still things He wants to do through me.

So yes: I’m too young to quit.

And I’m too old to care about proving myself, living for approval, carrying unnecessary wounds, or wasting precious time on things that have no eternal value.

I want to care about what matters.
I want to care about God.
I want to care about people.
I want to care about the Kingdom.
I want to care about the generations coming behind us.
And I want to care about finishing well.

After nearly 45 years of a surrendered “yes” to God, I’m grateful that He has never allowed me to lose my passion for Him or my compassion for people.

So at 70:

I’m still dreaming.
Still believing.
Still learning.
Still surrendered.
Still passionate.
Still compassionate.
Still climbing.
Still taking mountains.

I’ve got nothing left to prove. But I still have plenty of purpose to fulfill. And by the grace of God, I’m not finished yet.

So, like Caleb, I want to say: “Give me this mountain.” Joshua 14:12

Not for my name.
Not for my reputation.
Not to prove anything to anyone.

But for His Kingdom.
For His glory.
For the sake of the generations.
And for every person who still needs to know that Somebody Cares…and ultimately, that Jesus Cares.

I’m 70. I’m not done.

I’m still surrendered.
I’m still dreaming.
I’m still learning.
I’m still climbing.
I’m still taking mountains.

And when the day finally comes for me to lay it all down, my prayer is not simply that I will have lived a long life. My prayer is that I will be able to say: I was faithful, I finished well…that I knew the Lord and made Him known…

By the grace of God.

by Doug Stringer