GROWING OLDER -- A WIN-WIN SITUATION

“We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to Himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”  (2 Corinthians 4:14-18 NLT)

All of us are aging. Some of us handle it well -- we get better with age like good wine and cheese. We keep on keeping on, while looking forward to the ultimate experience of the Lord when He takes us home. Others of us, unfortunately, stick our heads in the sand of time and wish aging would go away. It won’t. So if you can’t beat it -- join it! Live the rest of your life for God’s glory, and look forward to the best of life to come in His presence. They call that a win-win situation. 

-- Stuart Briscoe in “Daily Study Bible for Men” 

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A PRAYER AS WE AGE

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”  (Isaiah 46:4 NIV)

All gracious God.... I am one of those called by You into old age, a call not given to all, not given to Jesus, not given to most in the world today. I humbly ask You, grace me deeply in each aspect of that struggle. As my physical eyesight weakens, may the eyes of my faith strengthen, that I may see You and Your love in everything. As my hearing fails, may the ears of my heart be more attentive to the whisper of Your gentle voice. As my legs weaken and walking becomes more difficult, may I walk more truly in Your paths, knowing all the while that I am held in the embrace of Your love. As my mind becomes less alert and memory fades may I remain peaceful in You, aware that with You there is no need for thought or word. You ask simply that I be there, with You. Amen.  

-- Sister Moya Hanlen as printed in “Weavings”

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GROWING OLDER

I love growing older. But I don’t want to grow old. Growing older is a process. Growing old is a conclusion. Growing older means that you’re going somewhere, and that in God’s kindness and in your cooperating with God you are taking more of life’s conquests every day. Growing old means that you’ve reached somewhere and that’s it. Older is a journey. Old is a destination. Mind you, I believe in a destination, but my idea of a destination for life is heaven. I want everything prior to heaven to be part of my preparation for that destination. If I settle for old as my destination, I will rob myself of some of the best years of preparation for the big exit, the grand eternal journey. 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in “I Love Growing Older, But I'll Never Grow Old”

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FINISHING STRONG

[The righteous] will still bear fruit in old age,” declares the psalmist, “they will stay fresh and green” (Psalm 92:14). I think of an older friend of mine, now in her eighties, who is still bearing fruit. She is limited in her physical mobility, but in her prayer life she ranges all over the globe, praying for Christian works and workers worldwide. She is not turning aside from God’s work, nor is she stagnating in her inner spiritual life. She will stay fruitful to the end because she will continue to serve God to the end.

None of us is ever finished “doing our share.” We can never repay the debt of love we owe to Christ. If we are running for the long haul we must determine to never to quit His service. If we want to run with endurance we must keep asking as long as we live, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Only in that way can we expect to stay faithful to the end and be greeted at the finish line by our Lord’s voice saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” 

-- Jerry Bridges in “Staying Faithful Through the Years: How Can You Keep Walking with God Throughout Your Life?” from “Discipleship Journal,” No. 58


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