Articles
Has 2020 Aged You?
How many times have you heard someone say, “Wow, these last few months have really aged me?” I
wonder how many of us look back on our lives and remember those times when we thought anyone over
age thirty was really, really old, and anyone over seventy was as old as Methuselah. All of us have
probably had these types of thoughts from time to time and going through 2020 has made a lot of us
think about aging. Having recently turned seventy, I cannot bring myself to think that I am getting older.
The Word of God has much to say about getting old, and regardless of our perception of when that is, we
would be wise to consider aging. God describes for us the lives of many older people and how aging
impacted their physical as well as spiritual life.
There is no doubt that as we age there is a decline in our physical health. All of us remember that failing
eyesight of Isaac and how he was deceived into blessing Jacob because he put the animal hairs on his
arms and neck. Jacob later died as a blind man unable to see because of his old age. When David was
seventy, the Bible describes him as being “…… old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but
he could not get warm.” (I Kings 1:1) Read Ecclesiastes 12 to see a beautiful poetic description of the
loss of hearing, the loss of teeth, trembling hands, fear of heights, inability to sleep, and the loss of vision.
While we all decline physically, do we have to decline spiritually?
The Bible describes the possibility of a decline in our spiritual life as we age. In 1 Kings 11:4 we read, “For
it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after others gods; and his heart was
not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.” The description of Solomon is very
sad and one that we must strive to avoid. In the story of the prodigal son, we know that the older brother
was overcome with jealousy, bitterness, and a lack of respect for his father after the wayward son was
welcomed home with a great feast. We must never let bitterness and jealousy creep into our lives as we
age.
The Word of God also shows us verses describing the faithfulness of older saints. Think for a moment
about Moses who matured spiritually throughout his life. Caleb was 85 years old and still actively trusting
in God. Think about the apostle Paul as he approached death and talked about, “fighting the good fight,
and running the race and having a crown of righteousness awaiting him and all who are faithful until
death.” Look at the way that God describes Abraham in Genesis 15:15, “Now as for you, you shall go to
your fathers in peace; and you shall be buried at a good old age. Notice the difference between an old
age and a good old age.
So, as we move closer to the end of 2020, do not allow the events of this year to pull you away from God.
Do not allow yourself to age spiritually, but continue to serve and worship God as long as you can.
