We think of new life when we see the signs of spring, hear the cries of a newborn, or feel the fresh warmth of soil and the tiny hardness of a seed being planted. Just as the Spanish explorer searched Florida for the fountain of youth to be able to live eternally, men today are desperate to find a food or technique to stay young. No one wants to get old and shrivel up like a dried leaf from an autumn oak. We desire youth and vitality. New life. Eternal life.
So how do we stay youthful and full of vision and vitality? Is it possible for our bodies to stay young or is it inevitable for us to die? How about our spirit? It seems that some people are always youthful in spirit and attitude.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” In this verse, we see that if we want to be renewed then it will be through the work of Jesus Christ in our lives. Jesus also says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Before we come to Jesus, we may be full of frustrations, worry, and sin and tend to disobey God. However, after we confess our sins and surrender our lives to God, our guilt is taken away and we are given rest in spirit and body.
Jesus said in His sermon on the mount in Matthew 6:25 & 26, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”
Maybe you face much worry or even fear over the future, your declining health, or the economy. Jesus offers to exchange our fear for inner strength, love, and a sound mind. He promises to provide for His own. If we take our own way, then we step out from under the care of a heavenly Father, but if we follow and obey God and His commands, we can experience His provisions and protection.
It has been proven that stress causes aging in the human body. When my father was facing health issues, hospital stays, and operations he asked the doctor a question. “What should I be eating to stay healthy?” The doctor replied, “It’s not so much what you eat as much as it is what eats you.” The doctor went on to explain, “Worry and fear causes undo stress on the human body and therefore causes aging and often unnecessary disease.”
In light of this, a good way to slow the aging process on our bodies is to be at peace and to completely surrender our lives into the hands of a good Father. This surrendering of our own will while being a likely help to our physical being, does not necessarily guarantee perfect health. Sometimes God allows some people to face health issues to test and strengthen their faith – as we see in the Bible in the book of Job. With God’s permission, Satan caused boils on Job’s body to see how Job would respond. Job was faithful and came through this trial a better person with a stronger faith in God. Don’t worry about God allowing a test in your life. The Bible also says that God will allow no trial and temptation in our lives that we cannot overcome with His help.
I still remember a brother who at ninety-five years of age jumped into the air and kicking up his feet and laughing. “I’m not old,” he said. “Age is a state of mind.” This brother eventually did pass on to be with the Lord but he had made a point I did not forget. If our mind is renewed, we can experience peace and joy at any age.
In conclusion, I would like to talk a bit about the extremes of the old life versus the new life. The old life is full of darkness, but the new life is full of light. The old life is filled with guilt, but the new life is overflowing with peace. The old life is marked by anger and bitterness, but the new life knows forgiveness and healing. The old life is a lonely life of hiding, but the new life is filled with good relationships. The old life is filled with self, but the new life is filled with a loving and compassionate Jesus.
Thank God that you and I can choose between the old and the new.
~Harold R. Troyer
