Godly Aging
Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 4:13-18
Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.
Mature, seasoned, senior—no matter what word is used, the message conveyed by these words is “old.” Scientists differ on the matter of when humans stop growing in their lifetime and start the process of becoming old. Some pessimists would say that a person begins dying as soon as he or she is born.
A lot of things can make it difficult, even miserable, to grow old—deteriorating health, the death of friends and loved ones, losing touch with society, financial difficulties, and more. Changes like these are hard to swallow, but Paul reminds us they are temporary. We can age gracefully if we have an attitude of recognizing that “inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”
The Bible talks about long life as a reward for obedience to God. Proverbs 16:31 adds that “gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.” If one is able to lead a life of righteousness in Christ, growing old is an honor. In Leviticus 19:32 the younger ones among God’s people are reminded, “Show respect for the elderly and revere your God.”
I pray that our older readers may live a life that is pleasing to God and filled with blessings. I also pray that the younger generations will honor them, learn from their experience, and praise God for their witness and example (Matthew 5:16).
Help us, Lord, to age with grace, and help the younger generations to honor the elderly. In your name, Amen.
About the author — Jimmy Tai-On Lin
Rev. Jimmy Lin is the Chinese ministry leader of The Back to God Hour. With his staff in Palos Heights and Hong Kong, Rev. Lin has ministered to over 1.3 billion Chinese-speaking people around the world for 16 years through radio, literature, CD/DVD, Internet, and text message. His wife, Doris, is one of the translators of Today into the Chinese language, which now has a circulation of more than 45,000 copies.
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