Half-Life

Jeremiah 17:11 – Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool. (NIV)

Having a mid-life crisis seems to be a common experience for people in their forties. It's a time in life to ponder over past regrets, present purpose, and future plans. One begins to realize that the sands of time are running out and that there is nothing we can do to halt them. The years are flying by, and we recognize that everything we want to do cannot be accomplished. It's a time to become selective as well as reflective. It's a moment in life to stop, do an inventory of gifts, and then, concentrate on those things that are pleasing, satisfying, and self-fulfilling. It's a time to understand at last why we were created and what God wants us to do.

Some people don't want to be middle-aged — and so, they do everything under the sun to keep young. They undergo plastic surgery so that they can look good. They keep themselves superbly fit so that they can feel strong. They seek out new trends, foods, and diets to stop the aging process, but eventually, time wins the race. Getting old is part of the journey we call life. As the Bible says, "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall." (Isaiah 40:30 NIV)

As Christians, we shouldn't be afraid of time running out, because it doesn't mean that everything ends. The person that we are within ourselves, the soul that is surrounded by our body, is timeless. If you don't believe that, then ask yourself this question: do you still feel as if you are sixteen years old? Do you still experience the child within yourself? Of course you do — that's one reason we Christians are called children of God.

I guess that what I'm trying to express is that staying young comes from the heart that is connected to heaven, and not from the body that is linked to the earth. For some of us, our earthly life might be more than half gone, but we are still on the threshold of the eternal journey that has yet to come.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of time and the Shepherd of our years. You give us guidance each day through our muddles and mazes, our meanderings and wanderings. Your plan is to extend what we learn, know, and experience, by offering us the gift of everlasting life. In the midst of this journey on earth, grant us the courage to accept Your conditions of humility, repentance, and reverence, so that one day, we can enter into Your eternal presence, peace, and love. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.