Are you starting to feel the aches and pains of growing older? Is the reality of aging beginning to sink in? It can be challenging to accept the changes that come with age. It can bring up new insecurities, fears, and challenges to overcome. It’s scary to realize you may have fewer years left in your life than you once did. The feeling of invincibility that comes with youth starts to fade, and the wisdom of experience takes precedence. If you’re struggling with looking at your age from a Biblical perspective, you’re not alone. Many people struggle to know what it looks like to age gracefully, including King Solomon from the Bible. He wrote a whole passage in Ecclesiastes 12, sharing his lament over the aging process. By examining his thoughts, we can learn how to have a Christian perspective on aging.
If You Want to Age Gracefully, You Can’t Fight the Aging Process.
According to Solomon, it’s silly to put undue focus on fighting against the aging process or even fighting against death because time marches on. Yet, in Christ, you can have everlasting life. This life is not as good as it gets. So stop putting all your hope in your health and body. Your perspective needs to change if you place your highest value on what you look like. If you put your highest value on health, you will be disappointed. To express his disappointment with this life, Solomon uses the tool of metaphor to illustrate his failing body. He says the body is like a house.
Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years approach when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; on the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and strong men are bent over, the grinders stop working because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim, and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly. Furthermore, people are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while the mourners move around in the street. Remember your Creator before the silver cord is broken, and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is shattered, and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7)
You can be the weakest and frailest person on this earth, but you don’t have to lose the sparkle in your eye. You don’t have to lose that spunk in your spirit if you let God guide you and you know that He’s always with you. The author finishes his tirade on the labor of getting older by describing a man who is afraid of going out onto the road. He’s talking about the man who can’t climb the high mountains now like he used to. He’s talking about the man or the woman who doesn’t like going outside because they’re afraid they’re going to fall down whenever they take a step on an uneven surface. This is the lamenting of the aging process. Age comes to everyone.
As You Age Gracefully, Acknowledge the Inevitability of Death.
One of the things that Solomon is saying is that death comes for us all. All of us are part of the great statistic: ten out of ten people die. Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed unto man to die once and after that, the judgment. You’re not going to miss that appointment. The question is not, “will I die?” or even “when will I die?” The question is, “Am I ready for judgment when that day comes?” The focus on death here helps you hone and focus your mind. If you’re a believer, death does not need to haunt you. It’s simply a transition from one life into the next. Death is merely a promotion. You get to be around and worship Jesus for all of eternity. Christ did not live every day in fear of death. Though it was coming, He lived every day as if He was preparing for eternity.
It’s staggering how much money we put into fighting age. I read an article that said we put more money into fighting the appearance of age than in fighting actual diseases. You cannot, and you will not look 25 forever. You were made to decay. The hunger of not wanting to decay should drive us to appreciate the day when we will not decay. It shouldn’t lead us to depression or an irrational desire to fight or delay the inevitable. Besides, there are real benefits to getting older. As you get older and your body decays, you grow in greater things like your love for Jesus, your appreciation for eternal things, and greater wisdom. So instead of putting the creation over the Creator, let’s put the Creator over the creation daily.
People Who Age Gracefully Know that Eternity is Ahead.
Philippians 1:21 says, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Paul understood that there was something beyond this life. Eternity was so much greater than life on earth today. He was looking forward to something outside himself.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Eternity is waiting for you. Jesus was the one that was killed and buried, and He’s the one that rose in victory. You can be forgiven when you believe in Jesus, His sacrifice, and the power of the resurrection. Eternal life could be yours. You can stop focusing on this life and be released from the vain glory of this world. Take your eyes and your focus off yourself and put it on him. Put it on things that are lasting and eternal.
So many people want to leave a legacy or significant meaning when they die. They leave large estates to family members and request memorial funds be given in their honor. All of these funds or material possessions are temporary. They are fleeting. As you look forward and think of life beyond you, ask yourself what kind of legacy you want to leave for the Kingdom. How would your life differ if you had this kind of eternal perspective? Eternity is your ultimate destination, but you can use your time and talent now to invest in God’s kingdom.
Next Steps:
As you process through the process of aging gracefully, here are a few ways you can apply this eternal perspective to the process of getting older.
- Have the courage to find a friend who loves you but loves Jesus more and ask them, “Do I focus too much on my looks, body, or health? Truly listen to the answer.
- If you’ve never accepted Jesus as your Savior and accepted the gift of spending eternity with Him, this is a great day to do that so you are confident of your eternal destination!
- Let go of the wrinkles or extra aches or pains that come with age. What are the benefits that you enjoy? Make a list to remind you why this is a gift, not a curse.
Aging is not a process we look forward to or actively pursue, but that doesn’t mean it must be miserable. On the contrary, by shifting your perspective to focus on eternity and acknowledging the normalcy of aging, you will begin to reap the benefits and become someone who ages with grace!
