Never Too Old to Learn
THE saying, “One is never too old to learn,” is as true as it is trite. Learning new things is one of the best ways to keep young in mind and spirit even though old in years. Of course, one who is old will find learning a little more difficult; to make a change will be a little harder than it was in his youth or prime of life. If we are among the older ones, can we not compensate by putting forth a little more effort? And that should not be too onerous, since now we most likely have a better understanding and appreciation of the importance of knowledge than we did when we were young. So advanced years need not keep us from learning new things or from making a change that promises to be for the better.
Jehovah God uses old men if they are willing to learn and to make a change. Thus the prophecy of Joel foretold that in our day Jehovah would pour out some of his spirit on all kinds of flesh, causing even those consecrated Christians old in years to receive increased knowledge and understanding, spurring them on to increased activity. (Joel 2:28, 29) That this same principle applies to men of good will the facts clearly show.
Thus the 1958 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses tells of an American Methodist minister who at the age of sixty-five came in touch with the good news of Jehovah’s kingdom. Although she felt she knew all about the Bible and at first seemed rather self-important and self-righteous, she proved to be an open-minded lover of truth. In just a matter of weeks she had learned enough new things to make a radical change in her life; she severed her connections with her religious organization and began witnessing for Jehovah.
Among those baptized at large assemblies of Jehovah’s people, invariably there are some well along in years. Typical is what a London newspaper once reported: “There was a gray-haired great-grandmother of 76,” as well as “a thin little whispy-haired woman of 86.” By their being baptized they too acknowledged that they had learned many new things and had made a radical change in their lives.
Recently the Watch Tower Society was forwarded a copy of a letter sent to a witness of Jehovah in Canada by a one-time lay preacher of the Church of England. At the age of ninety-two this lay preacher had come to an accurate knowledge of the truth and made a change in his life by taking his stand for Jehovah and His kingdom. As a result he is happier than he ever was in all those ninety-two years. And some dedicated Christians in their old age have seen their privilege of entering the full-time ministry, appreciating that there truly “is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”—Acts 20:35.
Yes, to turn down new ideas or to refuse to make a change simply because of advanced years is unwise. And in particular is it foolish when what is involved is the truth of God’s Word and the worship of Jehovah. Only those who keep on taking in the right kind of knowledge and make a change in their lives can hope to be spared from the expression of God’s wrath at Armageddon, which fulfillment of Bible prophecy is very near at hand. That is why God’s Word counsels us to take in new ideas, to make a change in our lives—regardless of our age: “Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah’s anger.”—Zeph. 2:3, AS.