We battle age at both sides of life. The young adult must prove they have enough knowledge and skills to do the job. The senior adult must prove they still have the health, skills and motivation to do the job. Both sides of the spectrum can be challenging. 

Actually, at every level it’s the same. The 40-year-old doesn’t get a pass from proving he has the skills and desire to perform the tasks but often is given the first glace as a stronger candidate for the job. 

When I was 20 years old, I was in college and serving as a senior pastor of a church in Lexington, Ky. I went on to several other senior pastoral positions in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. From age 20 to 30 I knew I was competing with men 30 to 55 who had more experience and could point to more success than I could. It all worked out and I did receive numerous opportunities and places to serve. At age 49, I was receiving calls from different churches in various states about serving as their pastor. I almost went to at least three of those opportunities. Around age 50 seemed to be a peak time for moving to a new senior pastoral position. I had vast experience, doubled and tripled attendance everywhere I had been and generated millions of dollars in contributions to the churches and their causes. For someone in my profession, 45 – 50 is a grand time. 

I was fortunate that at age 50 I had found my place in life with my current job. It doesn’t feel like a job but a daily opportunity to serve and help ministers around the world to train for greater service and fulfill their callings in life. 

My dad was another story. By the age of 55 he had worked about 37 years in the coal mines and he was done with that part of his life. Age 50 would be a hard time to begin a new career as a coal miner. There are so many jobs where 50 or 55 is a great age and some jobs where it’s not. 

Regardless of what we do in life, we are to some extent competing with age. Unless we can prove it doesn’t matter. If we can prove it doesn’t matter then people forget about it. Someone is not too old or too young to do the job unless they prove they are too old or too young. President John F. Kennedy was 36 and he did the job. We have had elderly Senators and Representatives who have performed their jobs well and others who have obviously become too old to do their jobs.  

Regardless of your age you have to prove yourself. Twenty-one might be too young, but maybe not if you are willing to work hard, educate and prove yourself. Eighty might be too old, but maybe not if you have the health, motivation and skills to keep going. 

Don’t let the number be the determining factor. Evaluate your skills and motivation and do your best whatever the job or task.

— Dr. Glenn Mollette is read in all 50 states. He may be emailed at gmollette@aol.com.