Dear Friends,
One of my favorite books is Coach John Wooden’s “Pyramid
of Success.” The late Wooden, is often acknowledged as the most successful
college coach of all time. He was not only famous for his coaching ability, but
also for creating the “Pyramid of Success,” a list of 15 qualities that people
need to be successful in any walk of life. One of the cornerstones of his
“pyramid or success” is industriousness. In commenting on it, he states, “I
have always wanted to be the best I can be. I still do, so I work at it. My
knees and hips make it difficult to walk very far or stand very long, but I
keep up with a busy speaking and traveling schedule. I continue to meet with
individuals during the week. And I still answer every letter I receive.”
"I used to read more than I do now. My eyes are failing some.
I don’t remember quite as well as I once did; my memory is going, too. But I
will continue to do the best I can with what I have. Although I don’t know any
other 94-year old’s who work as hard as I do, that is not the point. The only
competition I have is with myself. Even at 94 I want to be the best I can be,
and hard work is the only way to make this happen” Coach Wooden’s Pyramid
of Success, John Wooden and Jay Carty, p. 31.
Yes, at 94 coach Wooden was still going strong. Long ago he must
have learned the truth that “there is no office hours for
leaders.” Proverbs 21:5 reminds us that “good planning and hard work lead
to prosperity, but shortcuts lead to poverty.” And the Apostle Paul exhorts us
to “serve wholeheartedly as if you were serving the Lord” (Ephesians
6:7).
I hope that if I live to be 95, I am still going strong in the
service of the Lord. I hope that I can serve with the same enthusiasm as coach
Wooden, and that I can continue to bring glory to God, even as my knees weaken,
and my eyes fail, and the body begins to prepare for “Moving Day.”
When I read remarks like coach Wooden, I am reminded of George
Whitefield, a British evangelist who lived more than 200 years ago. He
exhibited a great devotion to Christ. After preaching several times one day, he
went to his room and prepared for bed. Then someone came and asked him to speak
one more time because a crowd had gathered outside. Although very tired, he
picked up a candle and said he would preach until it burned out. And hour
later the flame flickered and died, and Whitefield closed in prayer and
went inside. The next morning, he was found on his knees beside his bed-the
flame of his earthly existence had glimmered and died.
The devotional concludes with these comments. "As believers
we are called to be faithful in representing the Lord Jesus until life is over,
no matter how limited our energies. This does not mean we should drive
ourselves to an early grave. But, even when we retire from our jobs,
there are still opportunities to grow spiritually, serve others, and be a
witness for Christ.”
I once served a church where one of our 98-year-old members was
still teaching a weekly bible study, and today I have a good friend who is in
his 90’s and still faithfully serving our church as a member of the trustees.
These are the kind of people who have learned that you are never too old to
stop serving the Lord.
Let each of us “work wholeheartedly as if we were serving the
Lord,” for the fact is we are, and since we are, let’s do it in a way that
would honor Him and bless the lives of others.
Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom
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