Do you want to be loved and understood? Of course you do! Everybody does. But many people live and die without ever having felt truly loved and understood. Why? What is the reason for this paradox?
According to statistics, a great number of those over 55 years of age do not participate in any of the activities of their community. They virtually have no social life. They are, for various reasons, social outcasts!
Why should it be so? Does life stop at 55? Is seclusion from society a natural consequence of growing old? Why should old age spell loneliness? A person does not only die when his heart stops beating; he also dies when he has nothing to live for. Growing old, for many people, means recalling with nostalgia pleasant moments of the past, complaining about the present and worrying about the future.
A few decades ago, it was said that old age was when you had gold in your mouth, silver in your hands and lead in your feet. In these inflationary times, this is no longer the case. Old age, for too many, is when they only have lead in their feet.
When you shed tears over the good old days, you actually shed tears over your inability to cope with the present. But it does not help. Pitying yourself will not solve your problems. It cannot change anything. Although life is a struggle for everyone, particularly for those who are handicapped or aged, life always smiles at those who smile at it, courageously. As the saying goes: "A smile warms the heart of the one who gets it and doesn't cost a penny to the one who gives it."
Life is meant to be shared. True success is measured with the measure of help we give one another, the genuine interest we show each other, the love we express for our neighbor—no matter what the circumstances.
To know how to grow old is to know how to live!
Life Is To Be Loved
I once heard a man say: "After all, death doesn't really scare me, because life doesn't interest me anymore!" What a tragic statement. The man did not understand what life is all about; neither did he know what happens after death.
Nevertheless, in his ignorance, he wished to die. No wonder he was terribly fed up with everything, unhappy and ungrateful toward the Creator who had given him life.
Life carries in itself a hope of fulfillment. So long as you are alive, you can hope to learn, to improve, to change, to accomplish your projects, even some of your wildest dreams. But death puts an end to everything in this human life—including your hopes.
Solomon wrote: "For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten." (Ecclesiastes 9:5).
Before God opened your eyes to the truth, you neither knew what life was all about, nor did you understand the meaning of death. But now you do.
Think of it! As a member of God's Church, you are called for a purpose. You are a begotten child of God, with the promise of inheriting eternal life. Consequently, you ought to love life, here and now—enjoy every moment of it in a way that will glorify God. The more you contribute to the wellbeing and happiness of others, the happier you yourself will be.
Do you know what actually makes you lose interest in life? It is your vanity, your feelings of greed, jealousy and prejudice, and your complexes and fears. The sooner you get rid of them, the sooner you begin to live. As the French writer Jean de La Bruyere once said: "Most people spend the first half of their life making the second half miserable!"
"All this is fine!" you may say. "But just how do we overcome the fear of aging? What is this thing called the art of loving?"
First of all, you must trust God implicitly. Remind yourself that, whatever the circumstances, whatever your age, He is truly interested in you—and He loves you. He wants you in His Kingdom and has a job for you. You are important to Him!
But the time to prepare for that job is here and now. Start working by using your talents, however small, in a constructive way—the "give" way—of which Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong often spoke. Be positive! There is always something you can do for others; always something you can give them.
The Apostle Paul instructed "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" (Titus 2:2–5).
This is the "give" way that makes life worthwhile, interesting and most exciting. It prevents you from wanting to isolate yourself from your community, which not only needs your participation, but may also show its own appreciation of you in times and ways you least expect.
When he was more than 90 years old, the famous pianist Arthur Rubenstein told an interviewer: "Happiness only surrenders itself to those who court it."
Are you really old? If so, be happy, because your community needs your experience and wisdom. The Church of God also has need of you. But remember that you, in turn, need your community and the Church. Your love of life depends upon your participation in the activities of both your community and the Church. An active life precludes boredom; it engenders hope, faith and love. Isolation, seclusion or exclusion engender fear. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18).
One of the most important lessons we all must learn is to live the present and not the past. Perhaps the greatest service older people can render younger ones is to show them by their own example and positive attitude that one can be happy at any age.
You—of all the people on the face of the earth—should be the least worried about your age.
What Death Is
Before you came into the truth, you probably believed, as most people do in the world, that your soul continued on after death somewhere in this vast universe. But now, you know better. To die is not to live. Death does not mean another life or continuation of life; it is the cessation of life.
"For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 3:19).
Man is a mortal being, made out of the dust of the earth. He became a living creature when God "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" (Genesis 2:7). This breath of life does not remain in us when we die. There is neither memory, nor knowledge, nor consciousness in death.
We were born to develop character, which in itself is a lifelong process. Age has no power to stop it.
"But how can we develop character if we no longer have the strength, the means or the ability to be useful?" you may ask. "Isn't it a bit too late for us to grow spiritually or to develop character? Life is already behind us."
You are mistaken! Life is not— and it cannot be—behind you. Life is now. It is never too late for anyone at any age to grow spiritually. As a baptized member of God's Church—as one whom He is calling— your relentless efforts to grow spiritually, until you draw your last breath, are your first step toward salvation. Today is your day of salvation— not yesterday. Today is the day of your judgment (1 Peter 4:17).
If you are unable to undo the past, you nevertheless have full dominion over the present. You can straighten out your life, change your attitude, improve your outlook, control your thoughts and desires, discipline yourself—in short, each day come a little closer to God. This is how you are being judged today.
Surely you recognize that your calling is an important enough reason for you to want to live and learn and grow—regardless of your age!
The Christian Hope
The Apostle Paul wrote: "Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.… For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable" (1 Corinthians 15:12–14, 16–19).
Surely you believe this, though Satan wants you to forget it. He will do anything to make you doubt God's Word. Do not let him make you think that you are too old to learn or have nothing to live for anymore. Just remember that you have the promise of eternal life to live for!
When God put the first man in the Garden of Eden, He told him to "tend and keep it" (Genesis 2:15). This command also applies to the care of our character. We must develop our character and cultivate it until the end. Age is not an obstacle. God is ageless. His Spirit in you will help you keep your mind active, jovial and in good health. It provides you the strength you need to endure your trials and difficulties. God knows that you can make it. That is why He has called you at this end time. Do not lose your crown by giving up, or thinking that you are too old to be useful. "The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness" (Proverbs 16:31).
We all reap in life what we sow. No one has ever been—or ever can be—too old to sow the good seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, perseverance and faith. Put God to the test. Sow daily those seeds, and you will reap the fruits, regardless of your age.
Death is your enemy, not your friend. Do not wish for it. It is the last enemy you will conquer with the power of God, provided that you sow the seeds of the fruit of the Spirit.
"Behold, I tell you a mystery," Paul wrote under God's inspiration. "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory'" (1 Corinthians 15:51–55).
Be Hard at Work
When you diligently read and study God's Word, can you see why you must be hard at work growing in grace and knowledge, and in helping others to appreciate life, grateful to be alive? You will not be able to fulfill your tasks by keeping others at arm's length or by isolating yourself. Love is sharing and giving, and you, a begotten child of God, have much to share and to give.
You are "the light of the world," said Christ. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14, 16).
You are "the salt of the earth," He also stated. Of what value is the salt if it loses its savor? It is your duty to let people around you know what it means to be truly Christian. The help you give to those around you—your encouraging example, your cheerful words, your contagious smiles, your confident attitude, your prayers and your faith—all this is well within your means. You are never too old to sow these good seeds.
You have an important part to play in this world of confusion and darkness. Not too many people know why they were born or why they will die. But you do, and you have the opportunity to show them the way to live. Not too many have the ultimate goal you have. Is this a good enough reason for you to want to share it with others? It should be.
You soon will be living in a different world—"Tomorrow's World"—where all people from all walks of life will be able to receive God's Spirit. At that time, they too will know what true happiness is. They will experience the peace of mind and the joy that come from the Spirit of God.
Today, they do not understand this or believe it. But you do! For you, "Tomorrow's World" has already started here and now. Live it in your home, in your community and in the Church of God today!