When You Are Old, Another Will Lead You — Choose Wisely While You’re Young

Praise the Lord Jesus Christ,

To Him be all glory, honor, and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Let us reflect on a profound statement Jesus made to the Apostle Peter, recorded in John 21:18

“Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished;
but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”

At first glance, this verse refers to the kind of death Peter would face (see verse 19), but there’s a much deeper spiritual lesson hidden here—one that applies not just to Peter but to every believer, especially the young who still have freedom, strength, and the ability to choose.

1. The Freedom of Youth – A Season of Decision

Jesus contrasts Peter’s youth with his old age. In youth, Peter was able to “gird himself and go where he wished.” This symbolizes freedom of will, strength, and the power to make choices.

In your youth, you can choose:

What you believe.
Who you serve.
What values you follow.

But freedom is temporary. As age comes, your ability to choose will diminish—not just physically, but spiritually.

The Bible affirms this power of choice in youth:

1 John 2:14
“I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.”

The strength of youth is not just physical—it includes spiritual potential. This is the time to overcome sin, learn the Word, and build a life with God. But that window doesn’t last forever.

2. The Warning: “Another Will Gird You” — Who Will It Be?

Jesus says that when Peter is old, “another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”

That “another” represents either:

God — if you surrender your life to Him now.
Satan — if you ignore God’s call.

There is no neutral ground in the spiritual realm. Jesus said:

Matthew 12:30
“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”

If you do not choose God while you still can, eventually Satan will choose for you. This leads to spiritual bondage where you no longer desire or understand God’s truth.

Many elderly people who rejected the gospel in their youth find it almost impossible to receive it later. Not because they’re unloved by God, but because they have already been spiritually “bound” by another master.

Romans 6:16
“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey… whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”

3. The Blessing: If You Bind Yourself to Christ Now, He Will Keep You Later

If you choose Christ now, while you have strength, He will lead you when your strength is gone.

Even in weakness, old age, suffering, or death, you’ll be in His hands. He promises eternal life and security to those who are His:

John 10:28
“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

Even if you face hardship for your faith, you will not be lost. You are already “bound” to Christ—and that is eternal security.

That’s why Solomon wrote:

Ecclesiastes 12:1
“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’”

If you don’t remember God now, a time will come when even pleasure in life will disappear. That’s the life of someone spiritually bound by the enemy.

4. Now Is the Time – Cleanse Your Path While You Still Can

Don’t wait. The time to start is today. The psalmist asked:

Psalm 119:9
“How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.”

Start aligning your life with God’s Word now. Reject worldly distractions. People, possessions, and pleasure cannot save you when your strength fails.

Proverbs 14:12
“There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.”

5. Urgency: Jesus Is Coming Soon — The Trumpet Is About to Sound

This is not the time for spiritual complacency. The return of Jesus is imminent. The gospel today is not a soft call—it is an urgent plea to enter the Kingdom of God by force:

Matthew 11:12 (NKJV) –
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”

Every sign of Christ’s return has been fulfilled. If you think there’s still time, think again. The trumpet can sound at any moment.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (NKJV) –
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”

The trumpet is sounding. Don’t ignore it.

Final Encouragement

Dear brother or sister,
The choices you make now will determine who controls your life later. Whether it will be God or the enemy depends on what you do today.

If you bind yourself to Christ now, He will lead you safely into eternity. But if you delay, you may find yourself being led by “another”—to a place you never wanted to go.