Finish Well

Last month we talked about the importance of passing on the faith to the next generations. We quoted Psalm 71,

“O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come.” Psalm 71.17-18


I want to talk about finishing well from a biblical perspective. What does the Bible say about aging as opposed to what our culture says about it.

John Ortberg offers this formula for Age:

Age = Experience + Deterioration

There is an ambivalence, to say the least, about aging in our culture. I hear it from my elders often, usually with a smile, but always with sincerity, “Let me give a bit of advice, Rich,” they say, “don’t get old.”

And I understand why they say that. Deterioration is no fun. I have experienced a little bit myself, and I know there is a lot more on the way. And our feelings about aging are linked to the constant messages our culture says about it – what are they ? - we’re against it. Our culture worships youth.

Have you seen the commercials out about hair coloring for men? They’re funny because they have these retired athletes, Keith Hernandez, Emmit Smith, Walt Frazier, offering this hair coloring to take away the gray and, “GET BACK IN THE GAME!” The game is, I guess, being able to attract the attention of younger women. But it’s laughable because those athletes don’t look much like their playing days, I don’t care how black they die their hair.

But the Bible is pro-aging. The Bible teaches us to revere the aged.
Leviticus 19.32:

“You shall rise before the aged, and defer to the old; and you shall fear your God.”

Leviticus 27.1-2, 7 talks about when you make a votive offering to God, for a male age 26-60, you should pay fifty shekels of silver. But if the person is sixty or older, then they only have to pay fifteen shekels. Which means that this the first instance of what we now know as the “Senior Discount.” It came right from the Bible.

The Bible teaches us to honor the aged. But it also raises a question – how do you age well?

In Ecclesiastes 12 we have a great description of what happens to us as we age:

“Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return with rain;”

How can you tell if you are aging or not? Let’s try a little experiment – everyone stand up. . . If you made a noise as you stood, then you are aging. Kids don’t make noises when they stand. Okay sit.

Ecclesiastes 12.3 “in the day when the guards of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent,” You know you are aging because you shrink and you’re not as strong.

“and the grinders cease working because they are few. . .” What are the grinders? Teeth.

“and those who look through the windows see dimly. . .” the eyes get weak.

“and one rises up at the sound of the birds. . .” You can’t sleep. The slightest noise wakens you. Aging people ask each other “How’d you sleep last night?” Kids don’t ask each other that question. They don’t care. We aging people care about sleep.
We just can’t get it as easily anymore.

“when one is afraid of height and terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms,” white hair.

“the grasshopper drags itself along . . .” there’s no hop in that boys body anymore, he drags along.

“desire fails.” Enough said about that.

“because all must go to their eternal home, and the mourners will go about the streets; before the silver cord is snapped . . .and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

That describes the physical process well. But the Bible has more to say than this. The difference in despair or hope is what we put our trust in. According to the Bible aging is not about comfort, security, pleasure, or even avoiding pain.

Martin Marty reports that in Ancient Rome and Greece the average life span was . . .20yrs. Fast-forward 1,000 years to medieval Europe – average lifespan was about 33. In the U.S. today it’s 77. So for most of human history most people didn’t make it to be as old as most of us. In fact, its estimated that ¼ to 1/3 of every human being to hit age 60 in history are alive today. That’s amazing. So it is so important that we learn how to age well. Here are three important things to strive for:

How do we age well?

1) Need whole-hearted faith - we must completely trust God that he is with us now and that we can go confidently toward the future because God is already there waiting for us – The Resurrected Lord has gone ahead to prepare the way!

The story of when Moses sends the twelve spies into Canaan to spy out the land is a compelling one. Moses needs to know if they can enter in or are the inhabitants too strong for them. Caleb and Joshua alone of the spies say, “The Canaanites are strong but we can take them. We can do it – God is with us. The other ten spies said, “No way. We gotta leave.”

You know how many of those spies eventually made it to the promised land? Caleb and Joshua. The rest died. Researchers tell us the power of faith and hope and positive thinking. Martin Seligman has done studies that suggest 90 percent of the most optimistic people are still alive at age 85 while only 30 percent of pessimistic people make it to 85. Studies suggest a positive attitude can add a decade to your life. How many of you are happy about that news?

How do you grow old well? “Allow everything else to fall away until those around you only see love.”

2) We need a challenge. For Christmas the boys got this video game called, “Brain Age.” The game challenges you with mental exercises with the belief that our brains stay young and sharp when they are regularly stimulated and challenged. The game says you can lower your brain age through practice and exercise. The game measures your “brain age” when you log on. The first time I did this it told me I had a brain age of an 89 yr old. So I knew that I had some work to do. Our brain cells are dying everyday, in fact, some die even before we’re born. So we’re getting dumber before we can even get started.

One researcher says “the brain needs new challenges to stay a healthy functioning organ.” The brain doesn’t need the same thing, but new things, and certainly not comfort, ease, and security.

Caleb was forty years old when they spied out the land and decided to turn away. They wandered another forty-five years in wilderness before they entered in. So at 85 years old Caleb looks at the coveted hill country of Canaan, the most difficult to take mind you, and says, hey, I’m still strong, let’s go take that hill. He was ready for a challenge. Great men and women live this out.

3) We need community. Isolation adds to the process of physical and spiritual deterioration. Again, studies show that isolation results in an earlier death. Look at Caleb and Joshua. They are only two of not only the twelve spies, but that whole generation of Israel to live that long. Joshua got to be the new Moses. Caleb didn’t. He could have sulked and withdrawn from community affairs. Remember, all his peers and friends had died. He had to seek out and develop new friends. He mentored younger ones in the ways of God and the history of the people. He was a living treasure.

My grandparents were instrumental in my young faith. I don’t know that I would be a Christian without Truman and Marian. They weren’t perfect but they always showed me love and I will always owe them a debt. They aged well.

Let trust us God whole-heartedly, take up new challenges, and stay in community together.