I celebrated my 80^th birthday this past week. When I was a teenager, I used to feel sorry for people who were in their later years because it seemed as life had already passed them by and their days of influence and relevance were over. They were now on the final leg of the race and just limping home.

However, while I am now 80 years old, I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I feel so blessed these days that I am sometimes giddy with joy. Of course, I realize many others my age don’t share that same perspective. Many octogenarians face more physical and mental challenges than me, so I know the physical and mental state I currently enjoy may not last very long. The Bible warns, “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10).

But right now, today, I am blessed to be in good physical health. I am primarily pain-free, able to enjoy golf, exercise regularly, and move about without each step hurting.

I am also blessed to be mentally alert – or at least I think so! Admittedly, my mind hits mental roadblocks more frequently than years ago. While I can remember a phone number from childhood, I cannot recall a password I installed yesterday. Yet, for the most part, I remember well enough to find my way home, and I can still call family and friends by name. Even more gratifying is that I can still preach the gospel of Christ when requested. And last year, I preached over 100 times!

I am blessed with an exceptional family. I have a loving wife of 58 years who is my constant encourager and intimate companion. My four living siblings, my grown sons, their wives, and my seven grandchildren are all faithful to the Lord. And four of those grandchildren currently serve on the staff of a church! Our immediate family gatherings are often spent talking about God, the Church, and how the Bible applies to our culture. Those conversations are edifying because we are all pretty much on the same page – and that’s rare!

Bob with grandsons Andy and Chapman at the UofL v Notre Dame Football Game, 2023

I am blessed with wonderful friends. I have lifelong friends from my Bible College days and when I began serving as pastor at Southeast Christian Church in 1966. Since retiring from Southeast in 2006, I have made many new friends who have enriched my life. At this age, I find that relationships grow deeper more quickly, and expressing love and appreciation for others comes easier.

I am blessed with terrific memories. I look back at the people I have been privileged to meet, the places I was able to visit, and the pulpits where I preached, and I cannot help but smile, knowing 99% of those marvelous experiences occurred because of Jesus. I am confident if I had not grown up in the church, accepted Jesus as my Savior, and responded to a call to ministry, my life would have been much more limited and unrewarding. God has done immeasurably more than I could have asked or imagined.

I am blessed with financial security. I am not a multi-millionaire, but I don’t have to worry about how to pay the electric bill or afford the next golf game. My retirement has been relatively free of money worries, not because I was a wise steward in my youth but because the church was incredibly generous with me after 40 years of ministry. So, I am thankful that every day has been free of financial stress. God has been so good.

Most importantly, I am blessed with the hope of heaven. Jesus Christ promises me that the best is yet to be! I trust completely in His promise, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25). Because of that promise, I am more joyful at 80 years of age than I was at 40.

Who is the most joyful person on an airplane? Is it the passenger who is just 15 minutes into a 16-hour flight or the passenger who is 15 minutes from landing at home? The passenger who is almost home may not look as good or feel as fresh, but they are more joyful because the long journey is almost over.

You may think older believers are not relevant. Yet I consider being older in age as a time of having less pressure. You may pity older adults because their bodies are aging and not as energetic as they once were. I see it as being much closer to home after a long, sometimes difficult, journey.

Bob and Judy at The Cove 2023. Photo credit: Bobby Jack Murphy

While I have enjoyed my life, I would not want to relive it. There have been some heartaches and embarrassments along the way that I don’t want to repeat. So don’t feel sorry for me for getting older. The Lord has promised when my days are over, He will come for me and take me to my Father’s house, where there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more sorrow, and no more death. The best is yet to be, and I’m getting pretty close to home! It seems to me that is a big reason to rejoice on your 80^th birthday!

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

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