Resolutions on Growing Old with God
I have never done this with an article before, but I was reading this morning and came across this list of Resolutions on Growing Old with God by John Piper in his book, A Godward Life: Seeing the Supremacy of God in All of Life, published in 2015 by Multnomah Books. It was such a good goal for me personally to shoot for as I age, that I wanted to share it with all of you in its entirety.
“I do not want to be a grumpy old man. God threatens terrible things to whose who grumble. (Psalm 106:25-26). Murmuring dishonors the God who promises to work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). Complaining puts out the light of our Christian witness (Philippians 2:14-15). A critical, anxious spirit dries up joy and peace (Philippians 4:6-7). That is not the way I want to grow old.
I want to be like the aging man in Psalm 71. We know he is getting old because he prays, “Even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me” (verse 18, RSV) and “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent” (verse 9, RSV).
Looking at this man’s approach to old age I have formed some resolutions:
1. I will remember with wonder and thanks the thousands of times I have leaned on God since my youth.
For you are my hope; O Lord GOD, you are my confidence from my youth. (verse 5)
O God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare your wondrous deeds. (verse 17)
2. I will take refuge in God rather than taking offense at my troubles.
In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge. (verse 1)
3. I will speak to God more and more (not less and less) of all his greatness until there is no room in my mouth for murmuring.
My praise is continually of You. (verse 6)
I will…praise You yet more and more. (verse 14)
4. I will hope (doggedly) and not give in to despair, even in the nursing home, and even if I outlive all my friends.
I will hope continually. (verse 14)
5. I will find people to tell about God’s wonderful acts of salvation and never run out, because they are innumerable.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness, and of Your salvation all day long, for I do not know the sum of them. (verse 15)
6. I will stay on the lookout for younger people and tell them about the power of God. I will tell them that God is strong and can be trusted in youth and age.
Do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation. (verse 18)
7. I will remember that there are great things about God above my imagination, and soon enough I will know these, too.
Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens. (verse 19) 8. I will count all my pain and trouble as a gift from God and a path to glory.
You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again. (verse 20)
9. I will resist stereotypes of old people, and play and sing and shout with joy (whether it looks dignified or not).
I will praise You with the hard, even Your truth, O my God; to you I will sing praises with the lyre, O Holly One of Israel. (verse 22)
My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to You. (verse 23)
I invite you to join me in these resolutions and to bank your hope on the precious promise of God to his aged ones: “Even to your old age I am He, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save” (Isaiah 46:4, RSV)”
As I read this article, I was challenged to want to age gracefully, if God allows. If you are already older, does this describe you? If not, what needs to change? If you do not yet consider yourself aged, wouldn’t it be great to age this way? How can we begin to pray that God would make this a reality in our hearts and lives?