This article is a lightly edited extract from Not Old, Not Young, Not Done by Christopher Ash. It has been used with the permission of The Good Book Company © 2025.

One of the distinctions I have noticed among elderly Christians is this. Some, even in their seventies and eighties, seem to remain fresh in their walk with God. They appear always to be learning, growing, thinking, pondering. You never get the impression that they feel they know enough or understand sufficiently. And yet others somehow begin to “smell” a bit stale. It is not simply that they sometimes retell the same stories and repeat the same things; I guess we all do that as we age (“Oh no, Dad! Not that story again!”). Rather it is that their grasp of the Scriptures and their understanding of the gospel seem frozen in time, in some earlier stage of their lives. They hark back to some teacher or preacher by whom they were blessed more than they reach forwards in seeking a deeper understanding. Not that there is anything wrong with looking back in gratitude to one or another who has helped shape our Christian lives. But with some, the predominant impression is a looking back much more than a reaching forward.

If that distinction is visible in older age, the seeds are often sown in the afternoon of life - in your 50s and 60s. Many faculties fade over time, but wisdom can grow and grow. So how might we be intentional to grow in godly wisdom?

1. Refresh Your Personal Devotions

First, you will plan carefully that your personal devotional Bible reading will be more than a superficial series of hurried reminders of what you already know. You will find ways to engage more deeply with a Bible book or theme, to grapple afresh with it, to make some notes about it and just simply to spend time thinking and meditating on it. I know in my experience that there are seasons when my devotional reading, morning by morning, is dry, shallow and frustratingly lacking in spiritual nutrition. That may happen because of sickness or exhaustion; it sometimes coincides with overwhelming busyness. It is perhaps a necessary part of the life of faith that we persevere through such times and persist in reading our Bibles day by day. And then there are other times when a Bible book just comes alive and speaks to us afresh morning by morning. We find ourselves talking to others about it, pondering it at odd moments during the day, feeding on fresh wonders in God’s word. Let us pray and do all we can to give space for such times of growth and depth.

2. Read Nourishing Christian Writing

Second, I want to suggest that you take care to read nourishing Christian writings. Much that is called Christian literature is—to be brutally honest—little more than ephemeral fluff. (Perhaps you will think this book is one such example, although I hope not.) If it’s within your capabilities, seek to develop a pattern of reading in which you deliberately read meatier writings. Often that will mean mining the rich veins of biblical ore in some of the older writers. At the moment I am reading slowly through John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, which is one of the classics of Christian thinking in the age of the Reformation. Often I read just three or four pages in a day and make a few notes. But the cumulative experience is profoundly nourishing. It forces me to think harder than I otherwise would about God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—about what it is to be human, about salvation, and so on. And, as I do, I hope I grow in understanding.

Why not be brave and read some of the Church Fathers: the great church leaders of the first five or so centuries whose writings laid so many foundations for our Christian thinking (Augustine’s Confessions, for example)? Our church pastor has suggested we read Athanasius’ On the Incarnation over the next few weeks. Delve into Martin Luther and other Reformers from the 16th century (for example, Luther’s The Bondage of the Will). Dip or dive into the Puritans from the 17th century (for example, Richard Sibbes’ The Bruised Reed). Read some good Christian biographies (for example, Iain Murray on Martyn Lloyd-Jones or Ellen Vaughn on Elisabeth Elliot). I remember reading George Marsden’s biography of the 18th-century preacher Jonathan Edwards and learning so much.

3. Develop Intentional Christian Friendships

Third, you will want—insofar as you are able—to develop the kinds of Christian friendships in which you can have substantial discussions about the Scriptures and the gospel. You could seek out friends who will form with you a book group to meet once a month and read through a good Christian book. Many have found this richly rewarding. Or ask a friend who has read a nourishing book to share some of it with you. Or simply read the Bible together, share your reflections and pray. Time spent listening to brothers and sisters in Christ is not wasted. So often their words can shine light into our blind spots, and their experience can enrich our grasp of the wonder and grace of God.

4. Keep A Journal Of The Life Of Faith

Fourth—and in a way, this is where we begin to move towards the heart of wisdom—develop a life of faith in which you seek to walk with God “through all the changing scenes of life”. Many have found it helpful to keep a notebook or journal in which you record something of your life of faith and reflect on what is happening to you and in you. If you do this, try to include what the Puritans called “heart work”, focusing not simply on externals but probing deeper into what is going on inside you. It is possible to become morbidly introspective, but I suspect that, for many of us, the danger is the opposite: that we take too little time to work on our hearts, our desires, our affections, our delights, our hopes and our fears. What is God teaching you in this season of life? How is he shaping you to become more like Jesus? Of course, the self-deception of our hearts is so deep that our answers can never be more than approximate and provisional. But ask for God’s help in this, and he will give you insight into your own heart.

In all these ways and more, do what you can to grow in wisdom, to guard your heart and to make sure that you do not waste this precious season of your life. Nothing is more important than your heart. Watch over it with care!