"Even to your old age I [God the Father] 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
Martie and I were watching a videographic account of the life, an actress from the 40's and 50's, Heddy Lamar. It was very interesting and, at the same time, very sad. She was a beautiful woman who gained her notoriety because of her beauty. She was a talented actor and very intelligent - credited with inventing frequency hopping which evolved into what we know as secure communication, the WIFI, and Bluetooth - among other applications. She was denied recognition for those achievements largely, I think, because she was a woman and recognized for her beauty and not her brains. But I digress, a literary art that I nearly perfected!
Heddy Lamar's youth and her beauty eventually faded, as it does for all of us. After a while, not even money and the plastic surgeon's scalpel could restore her youthful looks. She was married 6 times - seemingly seeking that which was always just out of reach. Married six times, she eventually became a recluse and as mortal death will happen to all of us, she died.
At this point you might be wondering what this has to do with faith. Well, it has to do with our keeping an eternal perspective while living our natural lives. The root of our wanting to cling to our youth is not just a problem of vanity - but mostly one of fear. The cause of the fear, I think, is that we like having a visual reminder that we are getting older because then we are reminded that it won't be long that we will be dead. Just like the generations before us.
"So, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" - 2 Corinthians 4:16-17
As Christians we have the capacity to have an eternal perspective while living our mortal lives. If we are not careful, the physical and emotional aspects of our natural - mortal lives that we live can dominate us to the point that our eternal perspective is hidden or stifled. The moment we were born again, we began to live in eternity. We can become preoccupied with the care our bodies and self-esteem requiring - even justifying, their important place over the eternal as being Biblical. Personally, I don't imagine God is very concerned with how old our flesh looks or what high place we hold in the opinion of mortal men, but more with what or who our devotion is focused on. Are we living our mortal lives for Him.
I have mentioned this before - many Evangelical Churches in the United States organize around age groups which "seems" to minimize the importance of spiritual maturity. It's like having teachers meet with each other in one room and let the students teach themselves in another.
I am not suggesting that we should ignore the need of our bodies to be healthy - only that we should be more concerned with our spiritual health than our mortal longevity. It is not so important that we will be remembered by those who survive us, but that we will be acknowledged by the One who saved us. That we leave a spiritual legacy. Heddy Lamar was and is admired by many, but I think she was a very sad and lonely person in her alone time behind closed doors. She needed Jesus.
If you desire recognition, then let it come from the One who saved you. Our greatest desire should be that He will one day say to us -
"Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." - Matthew 25:21
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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