Let’s Talk About Aging - Part 1

Cathy Nagle — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:15:00 -0400

Our lives are gifts given to us by our all wise and loving Heavenly Father. If you have found yourself here on planet earth, then you are not an accident. You are loved and our Lord knows what you have need of; He has known from the beginning of time. He hand picked our parents for us before the foundation of the world.

Our parents are special and deserve our honor. When we make the effort to honor our parents, we are honoring God as well. Many of us go about our daily business with the watchful eyes of our parents along the sidelines of our lives, always standing in the wings. They are there for us ready to offer their help and guidance well into our middle aged years. For most of us, our parents have always been a source of encouragement and strength.

As the years pass, it may be difficult to notice some of the subtle changes that may be quite apparent as we grow and age because they develop rather slowly. As it applies to these changes, some could signal oncoming health problems. It is rather easy to overlook these signs. Maybe we are so used to leaning on our parents, trusting they will always be there, that we forget they too are perishable. If they are presently in fairly good health we may take this for granted.

As difficult as this subject may be to address, it is wise to discuss the topic of aging with our parents and plan for their care well before that time actually arrives. Maybe you don’t know how to approach your parents. Fear and apprehension of the future are probably more greatly blown out of proportion in our minds as we avoid these important areas of consideration. Addressing these fears will serve to eradicate and subdue them for both our parents and ourselves.

In this brief article, I am going to provide you with some general ideas on how to begin a conversation with your loved ones. It is always best to start from the beginning, with loving open arms and an attitude of honor.

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12 NIV)
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise—"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV)
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8 NIV)

We may have grown to believe that the above Scriptures and commands are only applicable in our lives while we are children but this is not so. We are to honor them at all times. We may not always agree with our parents and our views on some issues may differ greatly, but this is never cause for dishonor or scorn.

Never think of your parents as burdensome no matter how old or incapacitated they may become. Honoring them is the rule, not the exception. Remember, this pleases the heart of God. It’s not hard to spot or to cultivate a wrong attitude toward the elderly that is way too prevalent in these times in which we live today. In our churches, an over abundance of attention is placed upon the youth with ever increasing neglect of the basic emotional needs of our elderly. I am certain that this saddens the heart of the Lord.

Think carefully and consider how an older person must feel about various age related issues that they are about to face. It’s not comfortable pondering these things, that’s for sure, but it’s a necessary ingredient for us to nurture as we grow hearts filled with compassion toward them. In our society we sometimes view our own generation as invincible. We cannot seem to ever envision ourselves growing old. We push the thought far out of our minds. This type of thinking actually prevents us from planning and approaching our own parents as they age.

It is practically guaranteed if the Lord extends good health and longevity, we too will grow old. We must ask ourselves how we would want to be treated when those days arrive. Would we want the youth of the day to look upon our advice as second best or feeble? What do the Scriptures say?

Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? (Job 12:12 NIV)
I thought, 'Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.' (Job 32:7 NIV)

Please think about what has been laid out here in this article as it will be foundational in this series. In part 2 we will be looking at the subject matter more in depth.

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Let’s Talk About Aging - Part 1