Passing Down Wisdom

Discovering a life worth living depends on choices rather than pretenses of happiness. It's important to focus on what can be discovered at every stage of life rather than strive to conceal the certainty of aging. Attempts to disguise aging become barriers to experiencing the fullness of life God provides.

In some cultures older people are honored for wisdom they pass on to the younger generations. Unfortunately, our society believes aging is an affliction and must be avoided. Self-imposed restrictions on aging often serve as hindrances for receiving the positive benefits of growing older.

My grandmother could not read or write due to circumstances beyond her control. Yet she gained incredible wisdom and passed it on to young people who were drawn to her. She was given the secret of Proverbs 24:14: "Know that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." Grandmother discovered life was worth living at every stage of her life.  

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Since my youth, God, you have taught me,

and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

your mighty acts to all who are to come.

~Psalm 71:17-18 New International Version

Satisfaction Guaranteed

The sixteenth century Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon was convinced a fountain of youth was hidden somewhere in Florida. If he could find it, he would remain young and wealthy. Instead, he was killed at age forty-seven by a Florida Indian’s arrow. De Leon and those who financed his search believed staying young and wealthy guaranteed happiness.

Our obsession with youth and happiness is actually an attempt to create a life worth living. Happiness derives from the Latin root hap, which means subject to change as circumstances change. In other words, happiness can fluctuate according to events and situations.

As we age, the more challenging it may become to recall the uncertainty and unpredictability of our youth. Aging may also generate a longing for the chance to choose again a life worth living. Personal satisfaction with who we are, is dependent on how well we serve others and the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for us, which gives us a life worth living.  

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Even young people get tired, then stumble and fall.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will be strong like eagles, soaring upward on wings;

They will walk and run without getting tired.

~Isaiah 40:30-31 Contemporary English Version

I am confident of this: that the One who has begun his good work in you will go on developing it until the day of Jesus Christ.

~Philippians 1:6 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

Growing Older with Peace

Screen actress Bette Davis declared, "Getting old isn’t for sissies." She determined to focus on every opportunity and then to choose her best option. She refused to long for the days when Hollywood projected an illusion of beauty and happiness. Getting older was troublesome for her, but each day was still worth living.

Robert Browning invited his sweetheart Elizabeth to "Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be." He embraced an optimistic purpose for them as they grew older. Eric Hoffer in Passionate State of Mind observed, "The best part of living is knowing how to grow old gracefully." He believed passion for living could be experienced at each stage of life.

Growing old gracefully is possible by remaining at peace with yourself and others. Jesus said, "My peace I give you, not as the world gives, but as I give." Contentment comes from being thankful for what you have. Peace comes by realizing each day is a gift from God. So rejoice and be glad!  

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Long life is the reward of the righteous; gray hair is a glorious crown.

~ Proverbs 16:31 Good News Bible

He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord!

~Isaiah 26:3 The Living Bible

Joy at Every Age and Stage

Coming to terms with getting older is an issue that’s difficult for both men and women. As medical technology advances, the average age span continues to increase. You can live a healthier life for a longer period of time, but are you happier as our culture centers on youth and beauty?  

Youth carries an imagery of perpetual possibilities. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow sums it up. “How beautiful is youth! How bright it gleams with illusions, aspiration and dreams.” We want to believe in a fountain of youth, in finding a lifestyle that guarantees happiness.

An adolescent girl expressed anger and disgust with her mother’s attempts to look, talk and act like her teen-aged daughter. Her mother insisted on being friends and hanging out with her daughter’s friends. It is possible to experience the joy and satisfaction that’s given to you by Christ Jesus at every stage of your life. Contentment is assured by accepting the identity God designed for you, so welcome his joy for living each stage of your life!  
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Young people take pride in their strength,

but the gray hairs of wisdom are even more beautiful.

~Proverbs 20:29 Contemporary English Version

So teach us to number our days,

that we may present to You (God) a heart of wisdom.

~Psalm 90:12 New American Standard Bible

Aging by Stages

It's not uncommon for a young person to want to hurry up and get older for the explicit purpose of having more freedom and privileges. The conflicts of late adolescence and young adulthood tend to center around identity issues that include separating from family of origin.

All too soon the days of youth are left behind, and aging seems to accelerate. The first real hint of this phenomenon shows up around thirty. Up to this point you've been considered a young person, but now you’re thrust into middle age, which may bring on an identity crisis that may have been brewing for years.

The Apostle Paul’s secured life made a radical shift from persecutor of Christians to someone commissioned to carry the Gospel of Christ Jesus to the Roman Empire. Aging within each stage of adult development includes defining what kind of follower of Jesus you aspire to be. Fulfilling God’s design and purpose for you produces joy, confidence and great expectations for all eternity. 

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So be very careful to act exactly as God commands you. Don’t veer off to the right or the left. Walk straight down the road God commands so that you’ll have a good life and live a long time in the land that you’re about to possess.

~Deuteronomy 5:32-33 The Message

Don't Be Bored to Death!

Boredom is a fact of life, and each person must learn to manage it constructively to prevent unwanted thoughts and feelings from dominating their mind. Boredom is the outgrowth of what’s happening psychologically. However, you have the power to change your thought patterns to what are challenging and meaningful.

  

When you allow boredom to take up residence in your mind, negative thoughts become repetitive. These thoughts are reinforced with low self-esteem. If you become perpetually bored, you may be vulnerable to excessive use of excuse-making that eventually impairs your judgment. Your eagerness to accept challenges to explore present and future possibilities is also impaired.

Boredom indicates the absence of inner peace and must be challenged with opportunities to change particular facets of your lifestyle. Being receptive to God’s purpose for you can begin now. God acknowledges, "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Faith in these powerful words can change your life.  

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Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.

~Proverbs 4:23  Good News Bible

For I am demolishing arguments and every barrier that is raised against the genuine knowledge of God, taking captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

~2 Corinthians 10:5 Williams – New Testament in the Language of the People

Thoughts that Monopolize

As the intensity of a thought monopolizes your attention, self-control increasingly becomes difficult. If the desire to possess an object intensifies, it has power to prevent you from regulating your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. The capacity to think logically is in danger of collapsing as desire builds up.

An example of lust’s disarming self-control is David’s lust for Bathsheba. Instead of directing his mind to godly pursuits, he continued to bathe his thoughts in sexual fantasies. David knew it was wrong to enjoy these thoughts, for they would lead to the destruction of inner peace.

St. Augustine’s book Confessions exposes his battle with lust. "My will was wicked, and lust grew from it. When I gave in to lust, a habit was born and held me captive.” God gives you power to resist Satan and the temptations he hurls at you. "Greater is he that is in you than he who is in the world." Let this be your faith and confidence for deliverance. 

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Do not love the world or the things that are belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For everything that belongs to the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of one’s lifestyle – is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever.

~1 John 2:15-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible

Don't Lust for Other People's Stuff

Internal conflict is set in motion when something you want is in opposition to peace and a clear conscience. Regulating impulses that direct you toward a particular action is determined by the Spirit of Truth that produces self-control. Preoccupation with a desired object can undermine your ability to self-regulate.

As an employee, I agree to be responsible for doing my best work with a good attitude. If I lust after another employee's position, my best work is in danger of being compromised. The more intense the preoccupation with lust, the less effective I am at self-regulating thoughts and actions that are hurtful to others and myself.

God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, and the tenth explicitly states, "Do not covet." To stop this impulse, remember God’s provision for you, and then continuously express thanksgiving for his goodness. God knows your need and will graciously provide for you as you seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.  

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This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.

So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. 

~Isaiah 30:15,18 New Living Translation

A Long Look into the Mirror

Staying healthy and functioning in a turbulent world demands honesty with yourself and those with whom you share relationships. Honesty is obtained by looking long and hard in the mirror and asking yourself, “How far am I willing to go to satisfy my ambitions?”

A good friend ignored all the warning signs that told him to slow down and consider the price he was paying for his definition of success. He justified the absence of his inner peace by allowing ambition to sweep aside God’s word, “Do unto others as you would want them to do to you.” Did you get that?

At the peak of this friend's success and despair, God sent a messenger of hope, reminding him he could change and make amends for the wrongs he had committed. Ambition can be redirected for good rather than for purely selfish gain. Jesus’ ambition was to do his Father’s will regardless of the price, even death on the cross. It was for your benefit and your salvation that His ambition was realized. Give thanks to God for his grace and mercy.  

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Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own. The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had.

~Philippians 2:3-5 Good News Bible

Now we see by a mirror and are puzzled, but then we’ll see face to face. Now I learn only a part of anything, but then I’ll know as He has known me.

~1 Corinthians 13:12 Beck – New Testament in the Language of Today

Let Personal Values Rein in Personal Ambition

We often experience situations that challenge our value system and which in turn threaten our inner peace. Being faced with options to participate in unethical practices leaves some individuals momentarily tempted. Personal ambition plays a major role in how internal conflict is managed.

 

You may choose to permit ambition to override your personal values. Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle identified ambition as temptation to sin because of the drive to be successful. Alexander Pope remarked that “Ambition can save or destroy.” Whether ambition works for good or evil is determined by personal choice.

Striving to achieve all that’s possible is regulated by personal values.  If unbridled ambition collides with values guarding your inner peace and conscience, the consequences can be disturbing. Let the Apostle Paul’s testimony be your objective: “I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” This is possible when the Holy Spirit guides your choices. 

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I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Do not be like the horse or the mule,

Which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

~Psalm 32:8-9 New International Version

When in Darkness, Seek the Light

At the center of conflict is usually an internal struggle that hasn’t been worked out. If a struggle is fueled by guilt, any attempt to calm the strife will not be acceptable until confession and repentance are offered for the guilt. This is the pathway to inner peace and a clear conscience.

An extreme measure resorted to when facing guilt and shame is becoming self-destructive. Suicide is one attempt to silence the mental anguish of despair when nothing else alleviates the hopelessness and helplessness that have infiltrated one’s consciousness.

Take seriously anyone who speaks of suicide. They need to be heard and understood. Anyone experiencing such despair needs immediate medical and mental help. They need to understand solutions are possible. Even in great darkness, Jesus is the source of light, hope and forgiveness. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world and in me there is no darkness.” Accept that light right now. Seek out people who will provide help and hope. God bless you.  

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You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.

~Psalm 18:28 New Living Translation

Later, in one of his talks, Jesus said to the people, “I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.”

~John 8:12 The Living Bible

Don't Allow Negatives to Veto Positives

A life-long task human beings face is learning to manage conflict with others as well as internal struggles that can disrupt happiness and peace. Conflict, regardless of its origin, affects your body, mind and spiritual well-being. Conflict is fatiguing when resolutions that promise peace are continually rejected.

Mismanaged conflict lies at the core of emotional distress that’s fueled by hurt feelings, anger and anxiety. These feelings trigger reactive thinking and behavior that undermine attempts at problem solving and securing peace. We bring forward into the present time inner distress experienced from troubled relationships.

Securing inner peace in the midst of conflict is possible by refusing to permit negative emotions to veto resolutions. Peace is a choice and possible when acceptable resolutions are inaugurated. It’s important to remember the Lord God honors those who are peacemakers. They are called sons and daughters of God. 

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Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil; joy fills hearts that are planning peace!  

~Proverbs 12:20 New Living Translation

Try to live at peace with everyone! Live a clean life. If you don’t, you will never see the Lord.

~Hebrews 12:14 Contemporary English Version

Finding Peace within Conflict

Thomas 'a Kempis advised in his book, Imitations of Christ, that if you are to "keep peace within yourself, then first bring peace to others." Generating peace is challenging when conflict seems endless. What drives conflict are anxiety, fear, anger and bitterness, which suggests that conflict with others derives from unresolved personal issues.

Emotional turmoil is felt when personal objectives are obstructed, and failure is blamed on others. It takes courage to face oneself. Thomas 'a Kempis gives us another reality check when seeking to resolve interpersonal conflicts. "Be not angry if you cannot make others be as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself be as you wish to be."



The Apostle Paul's solution is, "Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  As you give the Lord Jesus Christ permission to renew your mind, an inner peace that passes all understanding will be given to you. 

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Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 4:6-7 New Living Translation