When Churchill assumed the powers of the British state in 1940 at its moment of dire peril, he was an older man of 65 years. The flower of his youth was gone, and now he was faced with the most strenuous and intense trial of his life.

Only an aged man could have the necessary maturity, life experience, expertise and wisdom to lead the British Empire through the Second World War. Churchill later said, “I felt as though I was walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial.”

It was a great blessing to the world that God orchestrated events so that an old Churchill, prepared and tested, was in the breach.

The war pushed Churchill to his limits. During the fall of France and Singapore he became discouraged and depressed. In 1941, he had a heart attack while visiting the White House (which was hidden from the world for 25 years). While in Carthage in December 1943, he contracted pneumonia and nearly died. By the end of the war, his robust health had been worn down considerably. For Churchill, it was a grind to win the war.

The world needs old, experienced statesmen. The world needs older people. Families need grandparents. Young people need aged examples. God’s Church needs old, experienced members who have been seasoned with spiritual wisdom, experience and maturity.

No one enjoys some of the effects of growing old, yet it is part of the aging process God created. Some of the effects are the wear-and-tear of working hard; some are the effects of lifestyle choices; some are caused by generational decline in food and health generally. Most elderly people deal with difficult health trials. Yet God says there is a beauty in age: “The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head” (Proverbs 20:29).

God attaches honor to the gray-haired members of our families. In fact, they are so important to our national health that it is a curse for them to be taken away. “For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah … The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them” (Isaiah 3:1-5).

Sadly, in the world today, there are many grandparents and aged leaders who think and reason like children! They never matured spiritually or emotionally. This has perpetuated a massive leadership crisis.

True Christians must strive to overcome this downward trend and become wise aged leaders filled with God’s character, God’s faith and God’s Holy Spirit! Throughout the Bible, God has used older saints to achieve epic goals in His master plan.

Why does God attach so much importance to the elderly? Why are they so important to God’s Church and to families?

As we age, we often face physical limitations, which can be discouraging. Health trials become more frequent, or a feature of older years. Tasks we did without thinking when younger become a battle, like attending Sabbath and holy day services. Areas where we used to serve like stacking chairs, laying down cables, setting up potlucks are now assigned to younger members. So how can older members serve?

It is through example and influence.

Our ability to serve physically may diminish, but we can replace it by setting examples, and influencing others in a positive direction. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24).

Growing up in God’s Church, I can think of many elderly brethren who set powerful examples for me as a youth,: smiling through the pain of severe health trials, spending time teaching me or listening to me, and faithfully waiting on God. Their examples were burned into my memory and inspired me to try and be faithful.

One of the highlights of Churchill’s long life occurred in the sunset of his years. On June 2, 1953, Elizabeth ii was crowned as Queen of Great Britain. Churchill, in his second term as prime minister, was dressed in the noble regalia of a Knight of the Garter, and had a prominent place in the ceremony. As the young Queen’s first prime minister (she was the sixth sovereign he had served), he was her mentor, teaching her about the British constitution, politics and how to rule the British Empire. You can read more about their relationship here.

It may have been by God’s design that socialist Prime Minister Clement Atlee had lost a snap election only months earlier, allowing the young Queen to have the best possible influence to shape her reign.

In many ways, one of Churchill’s final acts of service to the people of the British Empire was to inspire, influence and educate a young monarch who would serve for over 80 years. His impact was evident during her long reign.

As we grow older, can we assume the role of mentor, influencing and teaching by example, the future monarchs of the God Family Empire? Can we have a godly impact on someone that stays with them the rest of their life? Can we inspire others to strive for the Crown of Life? How many kings and priests in the Kingdom of God will remember your example?

One day soon all our gray hairs will become white as snow when God gives the firstfruits a spiritual body, incorruptible and free from aging! All the wisdom, experience and godly character that was developed in our earthly tabernacles will now be used to influence and teach others for all eternity!