Does "success" have an age limit?

I think most of us have heard of the concept of a "biological clock". It has an actual scientific meaning, but by and large it is understood as that window of opportunity for a woman to have a child. If a woman says her biological clock is "ticking", she typically means that she believes the window is closing on any chance of having a child.

There is another "clock" that seems to induce worry, frustration, and resignation in many people. The clock I speak of is the clock of success. The "clock of success" is the phrase I am using for that self-defined window of opportunity to reach some desired level of achievement with one's life. So many men and women I speak with feel the pressure of this clock. College students struggle with the decision of "what to do with my life", as if their life will be defined by this one decision. Many boomers, now in their 50's and 60's, have resigned themselves to a lingering sense of being unfulfilled. Young or old, we seem to constantly ask ourselves if that window has not closed on us. We wonder if we have not squandered what opportunity we may have had. We are vexed by the question, "Is it too late for me?"

One reason we feel this way is our society's infatuation with those who experience the meteoric rise to fame and fortune. Michael Dell and Bill Gates made millions by the time they were 25. Michael Phelps, at the age of 23, stands uncontested as the greatest Olympian of all time. Miley Cyrus, love her or hate her, has built a marketing empire at the age of 15. So, is it too late for me, is it too late for you, to succeed in your life?

Let me reassure you. It is not. In way of spurring you on, let me introduce you to a few people. First, there is Ray Kroc. Ray, at age 52, was a milk shake machine salesman until he entered an establishment owned by two brothers and pitched an idea to franchise the concept. The brothers would get one-half of one percent of the gross profit. Kroc got the rights to open the franchises. The name of those brothers? McDonald. The rest is history.

If you are a fan of crime fiction and detective stories, you know the name of Detective Philip Marlowe. But, did you know that the man who created this character, Raymond Chandler, never published anything until he was 45 and didn't publish his first book until he was 51.

Or consider the story of Grandma Moses. She had to give up embroidery in her 70's because of arthritis in her hands. So, she picked up a paint brush and a piece of wood and took up painting. Her work was eventually exhibited throughout the world. In 1949, at the age of 89, President Harry S. Truman presented her with the Women's National Press Club trophy award for outstanding accomplishment in art. In 2006, one of her paintings entitled Sugaring Off (circa 1943) sold for 1.2 million dollars.

Of course, an important piece in all of this is how we define "success." The success of our life should not be measured by the very temporary criteria of fame or fortune. Success is a divine thing that is measured by whether one has achieved the purpose for which they were created. Of course, we could worry just as much over such a goal for life. But there is good news! God seems to have no desire to close this window of opportunity. In fact, God seems to delight in taking no notice of age when raising people up to the success of fulfilling their lives purpose. At times, they are young. At other times, they are old. Quite old. There is Anna, in Luke 2, who was at least 84 years of age before she was able to give witness to the messiah Jesus Christ. Few people realize Moses was somewhere around 80 years of age when God called him to lead His people out of Egypt. Let's just take one other example: Abraham.

Abraham entered into a covenant promise with God early in his life. There were several covenant promises that God made with Abraham, but the result of those promises was one central promise that Abraham's life would result in the blessing of all the families of the earth. Throughout Abraham's life, on six different occasions, God renewed these promises with Abraham. Ultimately, Abraham was 100 years of age before he saw the last of those promises fulfilled by God in the birth of his son Isaac. Sarah, his wife, was about 90. Clearly, God's window does not close on bringing fulfillment and, thus, success to our lives. Come to think of it, that biological clock doesn't mean too much to God, either!