Forever Young

[B-A-C]

It seems many of us are looking for a fountain of youth. A way to look and feel younger.
For some, it simply means acting or dressing like they are younger than they actually are.

There is a Latin term - Puer aeternus, it is used to describe their gods who forever remain children.
Sometimes I think we as Christians want to forever remain children. Non-Christians are this way as well.

For example, I know a man who is in his 50's, but he still talks and dresses like he is in his teens or early 20s.
He wears marijuana t-shirts and laughs at Beevis and B-thead. He watches Southpark and thinks "Taylor Swift is hot". (He is old enough to be her father)
Now, I don't know that doing this is specifically a sin. But we are called to mature.
Women aren't immune from this either. There are women I know in their 50's that dress like teenagers, bare midriffs, skin tight jeans, and enough
make-up to keep maybellines stock up. I'm not a professional psychiatrists, but I have noticed that sometimes a trauma will happen in their life
( a divorce, a death, a financial loss, etc..) and it's almost as if they are unable to mature past the age that this event happened.

We are supposed to come to Jesus as a child. ( Matt 18:3; ) But we aren't supposed to stay there.
1 Cor 2:6; 1 Cor 14:20; Eph 4:13; Heb 5:14; etc..
We are even told to teach the immature ( Rom 2:20; )
In 1 Jn 2; John is talking to three groups of Christians, little children, young men, and fathers, but he isn't talking about age, he is talking about
Spiritual maturity.
1 Cor 3:2; Heb 5:12-14; 1 Pet 2:2;

I've noticed that Christians can often mature past those events in their lives that sometimes cause us to stop growing.
I'm not sure I've ever seen this happen in a non-Christian. We are God's children, it's true. But that doesn't mean we can't mature.
I myself have sons that are growing older and maturing (sometimes slowly) as they get older, but they are still my children.

 

[Fragrant Grace]

It seems many of us are looking for a fountain of youth. A way to look and feel younger.
For some, it simply means acting or dressing like they are younger than they actually are.

For example, I know a man who is in his 50's, but he still talks and dresses like he is in his teens or early 20s.
He wears marijuana t-shirts and laughs at Beevis and B-thead. He watches Southpark and thinks "Taylor Swift is hot". (He is old enough to be her father)
Now, I don't know that doing this is specifically a sin. But we are called to mature.

There is so much pressure in the world to look young.
And so much fear of growing old.

I have found that some of the most spiritually beautiful, wise and valuable teaching I have received have been from mature, elderly Christians
They have so much to share of their experience and of their growth in the Lord

I remember one very naturally lovely elderly Sunday school teacher who had long shining white hair
Some of the children would say 'why don't you dye your hair'
She would just smile and say that she praises the Lord that He in His goodness has provided her with a 'natural change of hair colour in her old age
The spiritual and biblical lessons I learnt through her gentle, wise, Christ centred Sunday School classes were some of the best lessons I have ever had
She grew old gracefully and produced spiritual fruit right until the end.

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
To shew that the LORD is upright: He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.


Psalm 92:12-15

 

[B-A-C]

Prov 20:29; The glory of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is their gray hair.
Prov 16:31; A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness.