Growing Old Gracefully

When I was in my late twenties I met a lady who I bought my vitamins from. She was a very plain lady and after getting to know her there was something attractive about her. I will never forget her response when I complimented her skin and asked what skin products she used. She told me it was more how she lived her life than what she used. Unfortunately, I did not get that til a few years later. I believe that your inner spiritual beauty will reflect in your face.

I also believe that growing into spiritual maturity is becoming less self-conscious and more God-conscious.

2 Corinthians 4: 16, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." Like Paul, we realize our outer self is wasting away. Our bodies are getting older. We do not bounce back as quickly as we used to. Our sight is not what it used to be. Our brains cells are not being renewed. We are more forgetful. We cannot physically do what we used to do. We carry anger, jealousy, greed, bitterness, lust, self-pity in our bodies. You did not read this blog to feel bad about yourself did you? Some of us may be feeling old before our time. Good news. This is just the first part of that verse.

"Yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” As a Christian you are making progress every day. Every day your convictions are deeper, your trust in God is stronger. You are growing in wisdom. You are more resistant to sin.

Paul appeared to be a sick old man, but he was being transformed daily...inside. His youth was being renewed. He could remember clearly incidents from thirty years earlier. He memorized sections of Scriptures and could repeat them to old age. He shrugged off disease, decay and death and got on with the work of God. When everyone else left he knew the Lord was with him. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” he would say.

Like Paul, the greatest quality we can have is to be godly people. People who worship and serve our Savior. This is what we shall be remembered for. Youthfulness and outward beauty are temporary. Spiritual beauty and character will last throughout one's life and continue into eternity. The only things that will last in this life are what we accomplish for Christ. We will reap the fruit of the things we sow in this life.

Let us remember Philippians 4: 13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." And as I heard in a sermon recently, "if you ain't dead, you ain't done!"