An Age of Treasures

Is there much fulfillment in getting older? If one were to base their answer to this question from simply watching television or flipping through magazines at the local newsstand, it would become apparent that our society places a high value on youth and maintaining an image of youthfulness. The older generation, who isn’t known for being hip, cool, or chic, is not often esteemed in the media for their graying hair, years of life experiences, and their wisdom. Instead our society has downplayed the blessings, the treasures, and the priceless gifts that can be found in the latter years of life. As I turned another year older in November I carefully pondered over what is there to gain from getting older. Growing older provides a unique opportunity to develop in wisdom, as you grow in the knowledge of truth from God’s Word you find yourself desiring the things of this world less, and the less that you desire worldly treasures you long more for your eternal home. Maybe there is some fulfillment to be obtained in the aging process after all.

To many people being thirty-seven years old is not ancient. To a budding, nineteen year old that’s about to be twenty something, it’s not just old. It’s ancient.  Although the media may glorify the young and beautiful, in recent years our society has experienced an acceptance and celebration of Grandmothers and Grandfathers. One article entitled, “How Society Misunderstands the Elderly”, makes claims that the baby boomers of today are establishing a new trend in what it means in 2016 to be old. Grandmothers don’t like to be called “Grandma” because of the negative, old connotation that the title Grandmother carries. Many Grandparents, who do not settle for simply growing old behind closed doors, are not letting a case of arthritis slow them down in life. Instead, you’ll find the baby boomers of today on the move, traveling, trying new hobbies, and taking advantage of life in a way that the previous older generation may not have done. There is an aspect of growing old that the collective, older generation do have in common. They grow in wisdom. A dictionary definition of wisdom is,

Wisdom (def):

The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement; the quality of being wise.

No matter how old one gets, they will have experiences and will gain knowledge from those experiences. As I pondered over this first growing-old treasure, I smiled to myself to think about the quality of wisdom one can gain from studying God’s Word day in and day out as they celebrate one birthday after another. The Bible is full of riches and truth that as the dictionary explains, provides good judgement. We can obtain wisdom from the world, but what difference would it make in our life if we obtain wisdom that came from the Creator of Heaven, Earth, and of us? In my short thirty-seven years of life one of the unique gifts of wisdom I’ve obtain from God’s holy Word is a sensitivity to sin. As I read and ponder over the fact that none of us our righteous, I see how I fall short daily of God’s righteous standard. Though I desire to honor God with my life and be a light in the world, I constantly struggle in my flesh. This constant struggle beckons me to run to God’s Word to know Him more and seek to walk in obedience. While thirty-seven may not be ancient, it does carry with it life experiences that add to growing older.

                As a believer in Christ longs for God’s Word and maturing in wisdom, they may find themselves loving the things of this world to a lesser degree. For that budding nineteen year old, the excitement that awaits them when they finally move out of their parent’s home seems almost intoxicating. There is freedom finally after years of living under the shelter of home. While they may have the best intentions of simply living life to its fullest and taking in all that is has to offer, godly wisdom whispers to them there is a lust within their flesh, a desire within their eyes, and a pride of life that is feeding their inner man or woman to sacrifice all to be fulfilled. A lack of wisdom bring this realization to light. Understanding these desires comes from careful study of God’s Word and it can be an immense treasure to be attained as one grows older, lives life, and clings to the Word of God. As I’ve grown a year older in 2016 my affection for the world isn’t fueled by the shiny, new, and sparkly nature of the world as it once was in my young eyes.   

                If the Lord allows me to see another year in 2017 and I mature more, what do I have to look forward to if my flesh desires this world less and less? The answer is the last treasure that developing in Christ gives. In my younger years I remember like it was yesterday the excitement I felt in my spirit over experiencing life. Feeling what it was like to discover and face something first-hand simply got my blood going. So much that I can’t imagine in those years that I could ever imagine leaving this Earth. There was too much to be experienced. During those years I recall thinking to myself, “If I love being here so much that I don’t want to leave, what is the basis of my faith in a God and in a Heaven that I don’t long for?” If there was a longing in my Spirit for Heaven in my earlier years, it was surely minimal and thinking back I believe part of that missed longing was a lack of knowledge of who my God was. Longing for Heaven is a fortune to be claimed and made personal in a believer’s life. The devil wants me to be so content, satisfied, and happy here that I don’t seek to know my Savior. He also wants me to think that I’m such a great, fantastic, and wonderful person that I don’t recognize my poverty of spirit and need for a Savior. As I wrestle daily with my flesh, I now long to be away from this body where I will never have to struggle with my sin nature again. The work that the Lord has planned for me to accomplish on this Earth will one day be complete and my work in Heaven, honoring and glorifying my Savior, will begin and will last for eternity. What a celebration there is to be had for the believer in Christ as they age, mature, and grow older. There is wisdom to be gained, a fulfillment within the spirit to be claimed, and a longing for Heaven to be enjoyed though the Earth and all that’s in it is wasting away. I’ll take the age of 37 and however many years to come as long as I have my Savior and the Holy Spirit maturing, teaching, and blessing me with these treasures until I see my Lord face to face.