Don’t be afraid of getting old

Before he was put to death for his faith, Paul wrote, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day” (vv. 7-8). Up until the moment he was executed, Paul kept writing truths that would change the world. He could say, “I have finished my course,” but never once did he say, “I quit!” Did he have reasons to quit? Sure, he had been persecuted by his enemies and deserted by his friends. What kept him going? The vision that burned in his heart (see Acts 26:19). As long as you have a vision, you will never be “old.” To overcome the fear of aging, you must do these: (1) Maintain an attitude of faith and expectation. As long as you believe your best days are ahead of you – they are! (2) Instead of obsessing about the good old days, seek ways to make new memories. For example, try celebrating the holidays in different ways, in different places, and with different people. If you want what you don’t have, then you must start doing what you haven’t done yet. (3) Get your financial house in order. “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22 NKJV). And the greatest legacy you can leave is not money; it’s love, faithfulness, integrity, and an example of godly living. As a redeemed child of God, when you die, you go to a better place – but your goal should be to leave the world a better place.