It Is Never Too Late to Give Your Life to Christ

One night when I visited a nursing home, a resident named Tom slipped out quietly from his room, hoping to catch me to chat. After we talked awhile, he asked, "Won't God be insulted if I become a Christian this late in life?" Tom's question wasn't a surprise. As a chaplain, I often hear it in varying forms from the elderly, from those who struggle with addictions, from former prisoners. They think they have a legitimate reason to believe it's too late for them to know God or to be used by Him.

Tom and I spent time exploring the lives of people in Scripture who, because of their past, could have thought it was too late for them to know God. But Rehab, a prostitute, and Zacchaeus, a tax collector, chose faith in God despite their past.

We also looked at the story Jesus told about workers in the vineyard. The earlier they were hired, the more labor they were able to give the vineyard owner: But those hired later discovered they had equal value in the owner's eyes and would be rewarded equally. The vineyard owner chose to be gracious to them all.

No matter what our past or present looks like, God loves us equally. At any stage in our lives we can begin a relationship with Him. It's never too late.

Randy Kilgore