The Privilege of Growing Old
By Laura Bailey
“Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.” Proverbs 16:31 NLT
Recently, at a women’s retreat, we were asked to bring a small gift representing something we love as a fun way to get to know one another. The bags were filled with rich coffee, velvety chocolate, crafting supplies, and gift cards to their favorite restaurants.
I couldn’t help but chuckle as my friend opened her bag filled with under-eye masks, a collagen wrap, and a tool to decrease puffiness. We both exchanged a knowing look: " We are getting old.” While the present was meant to elicit a playful conversation about our changing seasons of life, I couldn’t help but think about how, as women especially, we fight the signs of aging.
We scoff at lines around our mouths that display a lifetime of laughter.
We work to erase slivers around our eyes that spent decades looking at our many blessings.
We hope one more layer of cream will decrease the cracks in the hands that served many meals to our loved ones.
Lest you think I am anti-all skincare or beauty improvement regiments, that is not my intent. Instead, I suggest that before we prod, poke, and pluck, we ask ourselves why we need to stop instead of savoring the gift of growing old.
Proverbs 16:31 tells us that gray hair is a crown of glory acquired by living a godly life. What a way to think about our changing hair color; it’s a blessing, not a curse, bestowed on us by the Lord himself. While I understand the dulling of our locks isn’t necessarily reserved for those who have lived six or seven decades, typically, it’s those who’ve lived a while donning these locks.
The gradual lightening of our hair is an outward display that we’ve logged some miles on this earth; our wrinkles tell the story of experience, and our scars display lessons learned. Even those fortunate to live a long life by earthly standards, our time on earth is brief. The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that we are but a vapor in the midst, poof, and we are gone. Knowing that any point we could be plucked from this earth should drive us to appreciate instead of avoid the additional candles on our cake.
In our modern age, where lifespans are at an all-time high, many people cringe at celebrating turning another year older. Yet, during the Bible's time ( and for many centuries after), few people made it past their forties! There wasn’t time for a middle-age crisis; they had a lot of living to do in a “short” period.
I love how Solomon equates the signs of aging to wearing a crown. Who wears crowns? Royalty! For the ancient readers, it would have been a luxury to see their hair gray, their joints ache, or their skin sag. The few people who made it to these milestones were cherished, and their experience and wisdom were sought after–especially those who spent a lifetime walking in the ways of the Lord.
A lifetime committed to serving the Lord and keeping His commandments doesn’t necessarily equate to many orbits around the sun. Plenty of godly men and women have had their lives cut short by human standards. However, those who can add another year to their earthly lives should embrace the blessing from the Lord.
Instead of cringing at the additional crow's feet, let’s look for opportunities to invest in the next generation. May we share lessons learned, encourage, equip, and disciple those who’ve come after us. All while clinging to the words from Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed daily.” Though our physical bodies experience the aches and pains of age `one day, we will be in the presence of our Creator fully restored and experience the eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Take a minute today and jot down what comes to mind when you think generally about aging, and then when you think specifically about your own growing older. Do you embrace the passing of time as a gift or dread the increase of birthdays? What words of wisdom can you pass down to the next generation due to your experience and lessons learned?
Further Reading:
Isaiah 46:4
The Joy of Aging
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/thodonal
She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her husband and three young girls, where she serves as director of women's ministries at her church. Her passion is teaching the Bible to women, equipping them to live with an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at your next event or learn more: www.LauraRBailey.com
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