Becoming Old Wise People

One of the realities of human life, that is a result of the Fall in Genesis 3, is aging.  In many ways, aging is a harsh reality because able-bodied young people decrease in physical capability just as a result of the passage of life and of time.  On the other hand, age should bring with it wisdom and dignity as well as insight into the Word of God.  The pertinent word is should, the process of aging should breed wisdom, but it is the process of such a decree that warrants further examination.

The issue at hand is the fact that wisdom is not accrued passively.  In fact, it requires our intentional and active pursuit.  More so, though, acquiring wisdom demands that God, particularly that we ask God to bless us with wisdom in faith (James 1:5-6).  Essentially, aging into an old, wise person does not simply mean growing into an old person.  Instead, it necessitates a life spent seeking God and asking Him to bless us with wisdom.

This is an all-too-often neglected reality.  We all know people who are old but are unwise.  However, they feel that their age is the only requirement of being wise.  This is just blatantly incorrect because, as aforementioned, wisdom and growing in wisdom does not happen passively but requires our active and consistent participation and pursuit.

Truly, aging in godliness requires more than merely the passage of time; rather, aging in a godly sense  demands our consistent and continued faithfulness.  Remember, wisdom at its heart is the ability to make right decisions.  And as rightness is a characteristic of God Almighty, wisdom is thus the ability to rely upon God for decision making.  Let us then pursue the wisdom of relying upon God so as to grow into the old, wise people that God intends us to be!

The "Joy" of Aging

Day by day, I get older.  In many ways this is a bittersweet ordeal.  For I am pleased to grow in faith at the work of God; however, the aging process is one of added aches and persistent pains that were not present years ago.  And, although I am not very old by the world's standards (a mere 29), I feel that the process of aging is one that is carried forward in a relatively the same fashion by all humans once they reach adulthood.

Truly, aging is a cold pill swallowed with a soothing cup of hot cocoa; the pill is the loss of youth but the relief comes with the addition of growth, both of knowledge and of wisdom.  My weight and figure is far-less stable than it once was, meaning that for the first time in my life I have to be cautious of what I eat.  And while this was devastating, the moment that the realities of aging hit me happened a couple years ago after casually brushing my hair and staring at the remnants left behind.  That's when it hit me.

I never knew that gray could be so discouraging.  Yet there it was: gray hair from my head?  I was stunned.  I spent the next several minutes staring at the mirror in disbelief, and the next several days under a hat to conceal my new found, unwelcome aging.  And though this could seem like a crisis of sorts for my early twenties self, God revealed Himself to me in His Word and comforted me in my struggle with my continually-growing age.

These two passages say all I need to hear whenever I feel depressed about aging:

"Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life (Pro. 16:31)."

"The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair (Pro. 20:29)."

Scripture can speak for itself.  Luckily, it speaks for us too!  So, if you find that you feel down over the effects of aging, you can find comfort and peace in the fact that your aging is a beautiful thing that is happening for a reason.  Just remember to always press on in faith!