James Hinkle, one of our elders and former pulpit minister, is teaching a class about aging gracefully. You can check out more of the series on our “Sermon Audio” page. Here are some of his thoughts.
It was Solomon who wrote that there is a time to be born and a time to die (Ecclesiastes 3:2). What happens in between is of the utmost importance. It may be helpful to “begin with the end in mind” (Stephen Covey), but we must make choices every day about how to live.
Will our lives be so that “a good name is better than fine perfume and the day of death better than the day of birth?” (Ecclesiastes 7:1) “However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all” (Ecclesiastes 11:8).
Aging is something that is going on right now in all of us. We may attempt to slow it by looking for the fountain of youth, but to no avail.
We yearn for a place where we never grow old. Where time does not diminish our capacities and no pain and sickness will invade our lowly bodies.
We know that this place cannot be found on this side of eternity. So, we need to learn to age gracefully. Making our mark in time before “the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’” (Ecclesiastes 12:1)