May 7, 2019 ACCEPTING REALITY
2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”
No one likes the aging process; much time, money, and energy is spent with the goal of slowing the unstoppable process. At the outset of this article, let us agree that we are normal if we do not cherish the idea of getting old and also let us agree that exercise and a healthy diet are good habits for each of us. With that being said, let us work through this unpopular subject and come to a place where we can say with Paul that even though we are aging, we are not losing heart. There is something good about gracefully accepting reality as opposed to denying the obvious when it comes to growing older. You can say that there are two of us; our outer man, our physical being; and our inner man, our spiritual being. Our outward man has x-number of years to live, while our inner man, our spirit, will live forever, and in our spirit, we can grow and increase in strength even as the physical part of us grows older. If our focus is primarily on our otter man, then it stands to reason that we are not being renewed day by day in our inner man. If we focus on God and how His kingdom works, we discover that His Spirit living in us makes us alive in our spirit, even though we may have aches and pains in our physical bodies. (Again, I do not minimize how difficult it is to endure sickness and aging that accompany this life; we are instructed to comfort on another when difficult times come.) I think that there are at least two factors that hinder us when it comes to accepting the aging process. One that is obvious is our pride; no one wants to look old or be limited physically. The other is a little more subtle. It seems that over the years, the message of the church has become primarily focused on life on this earth, and has neglected the message of life after death and the reality of heaven. God allowed Paul to see into heaven, and what He saw changed his life forever and I think this explains why he said that he had rather be with the Lord in heaven than to continue to live here on earth. Philippians 1:23. Perhaps our belief in heaven is a bit uncertain. The message of the church should indeed address how we are to live life on earth, but it also should remind us that we have a destiny with God in heaven. No one likes the idea of dying, but at the same time, there should be a longing in our hearts to be with the Lord. Many church hymns of the past were about heaven, but not so today. So, let’s accept aging as a fact of life; let us work through and deal with the aches and pains; and most importantly, let us be being renewed in our inner man day by day; and let us look forward to life in heaven. Death has lost its sting for those who know God.
Genesis 25:8 “Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.” Psalm 92:14 “They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green.” Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on the things above, not on things that are on earth.”
Blessings,
Buddy
2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”
No one likes the aging process; much time, money, and energy is spent with the goal of slowing the unstoppable process. At the outset of this article, let us agree that we are normal if we do not cherish the idea of getting old and also let us agree that exercise and a healthy diet are good habits for each of us. With that being said, let us work through this unpopular subject and come to a place where we can say with Paul that even though we are aging, we are not losing heart. There is something good about gracefully accepting reality as opposed to denying the obvious when it comes to growing older. You can say that there are two of us; our outer man, our physical being; and our inner man, our spiritual being. Our outward man has x-number of years to live, while our inner man, our spirit, will live forever, and in our spirit, we can grow and increase in strength even as the physical part of us grows older. If our focus is primarily on our otter man, then it stands to reason that we are not being renewed day by day in our inner man. If we focus on God and how His kingdom works, we discover that His Spirit living in us makes us alive in our spirit, even though we may have aches and pains in our physical bodies. (Again, I do not minimize how difficult it is to endure sickness and aging that accompany this life; we are instructed to comfort on another when difficult times come.) I think that there are at least two factors that hinder us when it comes to accepting the aging process. One that is obvious is our pride; no one wants to look old or be limited physically. The other is a little more subtle. It seems that over the years, the message of the church has become primarily focused on life on this earth, and has neglected the message of life after death and the reality of heaven. God allowed Paul to see into heaven, and what He saw changed his life forever and I think this explains why he said that he had rather be with the Lord in heaven than to continue to live here on earth. Philippians 1:23. Perhaps our belief in heaven is a bit uncertain. The message of the church should indeed address how we are to live life on earth, but it also should remind us that we have a destiny with God in heaven. No one likes the idea of dying, but at the same time, there should be a longing in our hearts to be with the Lord. Many church hymns of the past were about heaven, but not so today. So, let’s accept aging as a fact of life; let us work through and deal with the aches and pains; and most importantly, let us be being renewed in our inner man day by day; and let us look forward to life in heaven. Death has lost its sting for those who know God.
Genesis 25:8 “Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.” Psalm 92:14 “They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green.” Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on the things above, not on things that are on earth.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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