My college friends and I were recently discussing how much life has changed, sharing our joys and our woes of this current season. Although we each have different personalities, body types, and live in a variety of places, we have some very similar life challenges. One of them that we realized is beginning to occur is the effects of aging.
Anti-aging is almost a comical term. “Anti” implies against, indicating that there is a battle against aging. The main problem with this is that aging is inevitable. It is going to happen. So how do we cope with it?
How should a Biblical view of aging be lived out? Today, we are going to tackle the question, what does the Bible say about aging?
Skin care products or not? Go gray, or dye your hair? Cosmetic surgery or wrinkle naturally? There are a variety of viewpoints on these and many more decisions that men and women face as they grow older. It can feel frustrating to age. Our faces change, our bodies are not as strong and vibrant as in the past. Our hair color fades into that crown of glory. The fact is that aging is a result of the fall.
Genesis 3:19 reminds us that we were created from dust. “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
Getting older physically reveals our age and reminds us of the consequences of Adam and Eve eating the fruit. It is the outward sign that death is coming and Jesus is our Savior. It tells us that we are humans who need a Messiah for the hope of heaven. Aging is 100% a result of the fall. It is the physical evidence that all have sinned, and we are in a broken world.
Aging is spoken highly of in the Bible. It can be a sign of wisdom. Not everyone who is a senior citizen has wisdom, but many elderly believers do because of Christ in them.
Deuteronomy 32:7 says, “Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.”
There is great benefit in asking questions and listening to our elders. There is also a beautiful blessing in passing on what we have learned to the next generations. The enemy would love nothing more than to separate us due to age. However, we are called to be in community with one another and that means all ages have a place in the body of Christ.
Instead of assuming our elders are outdated because they are in a different generation, what if we learned from their experiences and found common ground? Instead of wasting our words to those younger than us over pointless conversations, what if we were more intentional to share meaningful and personal insights.
As believers in Jesus, we know that it says in the Scriptures, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). Just because someone is classified as old, a grandparent, or gray, does not mean that they cannot be one of the most beautiful people on the planet.
Beauty is much more than an eye-catching appearance. Beauty is the essence of who someone is: the way a person lives their life, how a person loves, and the purpose which a person serves. The Holy Spirit makes us beautiful.
Isaiah 64:6 says, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
If we are being honest with ourselves, we can only offer filthy rags. We are not righteous, so we cannot truly offer a fruit-filled love without His help. He is the One who beautifies our hearts and enables us to live the most beautiful lives.
The song “Beautiful One” by Jeremy Camp came out in the early 2000s. The chorus goes:
“Beautiful One I love
You're beautiful One I adore
Beautiful One, my soul must sing”
Jesus is beautiful, and when we have Him in our hearts, we cannot help but adore Him. Then, we recognize that we are beautiful too because of Him.
“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).
When someone has been walking with God for a long time, there is a stunning witness of His faithfulness. The longer we are here on earth, the more trouble, hardships, victories, and memories we make. When someone is older, this means that the Lord has carried them before and will carry them again.
Elders can look back over a long lifetime and thank the Lord for His presence in their lives. More time in relationship with God means more opportunities to recognize His steadfast love.
“A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31).
Just like royalty wears a crown, Scripture encourages us that older people wear gray hair. This verse is not a guarantee that if you follow Jesus you will live a long life. However, it does remind us that in following His ways, there is a blessing and protection over our lives. When I ponder the crown of glory, I think about how God values what the world does not. What we so long to reverse, remove, or redesign, the Lord speaks into that to tell us that He is the One in whom our identity lies.
Within the conversation of aging, I believe the key question comes down to identity. Who is God? Who are we? And who is it that we are trying to please?
Galatians 1:10 says, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
As servants of Christ, we can be motivated that our goal is to please God alone. If others recognize us, compliment us, or we get great health reports, these are all encouraging, however we cannot be defined by human accolades. Mankind is fickle, so we will never measure up forever. But through the cross of Jesus, we have fulness in Christ, forgiveness of our sins, and freedom forever. We can know that these signs of aging are not a just a representation of a future death, but of a future life. New life and new bodies care on the horizon.
“While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit” (2 Corinthians 5:4-5).
This chapter later on goes to say in verse 9, “So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.” May this remind us that our goal in life is to please God in the power of the Holy Spirit. May we use our aging to point others towards Jesus to also have the gift of new bodies in heaven.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/yacobchuk