Geriatric medicine is that branch of learning concerned with conditions and diseases of the aged. It’s a large field of study and practice, necessitated by the increasing number of people who are living well into their 80’s and 90’s. We can be thankful for the God-given advances made in the care of the elderly, and for the increase in understanding about how life can be lengthened, as well as improved.
Age is a relative thing. With few exceptions, little reference is made to the exact ages of individuals in the Bible. And yet, the pros and cons of aging are given great attention. When Moses died at the age of 120, “his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.” David died “at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor.”
Certainly, not everything about aging is positive. Not everyone is like Moses. Generally speaking, the body weakens with age, and the mind may not be as sharp as it once was. In spite of this, we can make the best with what the Lord gives us as we approach the end of life. And that “best” can be great!
Robert Wingfield, a friend who works in counseling with the Sylvan Hills church in Sherwood, Arkansas, wrote, on the eve of his 60th birthday, “I’m more convinced than ever that age is more truly determined by our attitudes than by our chronological years.”
We only have to listen to men like Paul and Peter and John to find an “Amen” to Robert’s conclusion. These apostles, who learned from the One to whom age literally and emphatically means nothing, showed by the things they were doing that serving God faithfully to the end of their days was the most important thing in the world to them.
Paul, a prisoner of the State, was concerned in what likely were his last days about instructing younger disciples like Timothy and Titus for the work they were doing, as well reaching out to those about him, believers and unbelievers alike, with the love and grace of God.
Peter, looking forward as an elderly saint to sharing in the yet unrevealed glory of Christ, was concerned, among other things, about giving encouragement to those who served as shepherds of God’s flock.
John, most likely given the Revelation when an old man, is seen in a beautiful apocryphal story as he is carried on a cot into a worship assembly in Ephesus. Unable to walk because of his advanced age, barely able to speak, he rises on one elbow to address the group of Christians with the words, “My little children, love one another.”
As we grow older, may God help us to seek his wisdom, and continue to use our opportunities faithfully.
Larry Sheehy is the preaching minister at Statesboro Church of Christ. He can be reached at (912) 764-5269 or sborococ@frontiernet.net
Age is a relative thing. With few exceptions, little reference is made to the exact ages of individuals in the Bible. And yet, the pros and cons of aging are given great attention. When Moses died at the age of 120, “his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.” David died “at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor.”
Certainly, not everything about aging is positive. Not everyone is like Moses. Generally speaking, the body weakens with age, and the mind may not be as sharp as it once was. In spite of this, we can make the best with what the Lord gives us as we approach the end of life. And that “best” can be great!
Robert Wingfield, a friend who works in counseling with the Sylvan Hills church in Sherwood, Arkansas, wrote, on the eve of his 60th birthday, “I’m more convinced than ever that age is more truly determined by our attitudes than by our chronological years.”
We only have to listen to men like Paul and Peter and John to find an “Amen” to Robert’s conclusion. These apostles, who learned from the One to whom age literally and emphatically means nothing, showed by the things they were doing that serving God faithfully to the end of their days was the most important thing in the world to them.
Paul, a prisoner of the State, was concerned in what likely were his last days about instructing younger disciples like Timothy and Titus for the work they were doing, as well reaching out to those about him, believers and unbelievers alike, with the love and grace of God.
Peter, looking forward as an elderly saint to sharing in the yet unrevealed glory of Christ, was concerned, among other things, about giving encouragement to those who served as shepherds of God’s flock.
John, most likely given the Revelation when an old man, is seen in a beautiful apocryphal story as he is carried on a cot into a worship assembly in Ephesus. Unable to walk because of his advanced age, barely able to speak, he rises on one elbow to address the group of Christians with the words, “My little children, love one another.”
As we grow older, may God help us to seek his wisdom, and continue to use our opportunities faithfully.
Larry Sheehy is the preaching minister at Statesboro Church of Christ. He can be reached at (912) 764-5269 or sborococ@frontiernet.net