Go Ahead! Use A Smartphone!

Last Wednesday I wrote about a scene that created a moment of sadness in my heart, Moving Toward Empty. How ironic that two weeks to the day of taking the picture that accompanied that blog post, I get to take an exact opposite photo! Everything about this picture makes my heart happy; it encourages me so much! Here they are, talking, laughing, engaging, dressed up and . . . she is showing him how to use her smartphone!! Yes, folks, her smartphone!! They were just too cute!!

My wife and I have talked much about this over the years that we want to grow old gracefully. As we age, we either grow better or bitter. So many marriages become hum-drum, taken for granted, and no fun. I heard someone say recently that the older you get, the more you must train your mind to tell your body what it needs to do. Since we are today what we have been becoming because of what we have fed our minds (Proverbs 23:7), let’s consider the following truths that will help us grow old gracefully. Let’s meditate on the following passages so as we grow older with all our aches, pains, disappointments, sorrows, doctor visits, and medical bills, we will be joy-filled, Word-minded, God-loving believers that others will want to be around!

Continue to grow in your personal relationship with Christ

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age, they shall be fresh and flourishing. To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. (Psalm 92:12-15)

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Have the goal of finishing strong with an eye on Heaven

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

Everyday rejoice, pray and be gratefui!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Don’t be a Mr. Scrooge, a Negative Nellie, or a “Kill=joy”

For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. (Psalm 92:4)

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:30-32)

Be involved in ministry as long as you can

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. (Titus 2:1-8)

Laugh a lot!!

A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)

Hang out with folks younger than you

Note the older & younger connection in Titus 2. My dad often repeated, “I love to be around younger people because they kept me younger.” For most of my high school years, students from Bob Jones University would come to minister in our church on weekends. Dad looked so forward to them coming!

Yesterday, we celebrated Memorial Day with a dear couple that are a hoot to be around. He is 82, and his lovely wife is 79 years old. They have never had children of their own, are still traveling the roads in evangelism, and enjoy life to the hilt. How fun as 58 year olds to be with them and with our daughter and son-in-law who are in their mid-20’s. There was a bunch of laughter as you can see in these pictures. They are another example of what this blog post is all about!