How to Have a Realistic – Yet Hopeful – Outlook on Aging

Some people over fifty see the aging process as the glass being half empty.

Some see it as half full.

Then there’s the comedian I once heard who saw the glass as twice as big as it needed to be.

Stuart and Jill Briscoe use the glass analogy as a way to describe what they call their “realistic view of aging.” The top half is completely empty, and the bottom half is completely full.

Aging is an undeniable fact of life. And yet it’s a reality most people try to deny, to defy, or to delay. Maybe that’s because people often associate “realistic” with “hopeless.” But when God is at the center of your reality, you’re never without hope.

Aging, from a biblical point of view, means two aspects of our lives are moving in opposite directions. We may be physically diminishing, but we can always grow spiritually. The Apostle Paul said, “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).

James 4:14 says, “You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” We only have a short time on this earth, so we do well to seriously consider what it means to live as an aging person.

On today’s and tomorrow’s Focus on the Family broadcast, Stuart and Jill Briscoe will be with us to talk about how to make the most of the years God is giving you and to finish strong.

Stuart and Jill have been married almost 60 years. They’ve taught, pastored, and still do pre-marital counseling. They’ve also written a book called Improving with Age: God’s Plan for Getting Older and Better.

I’m over fifty myself, so I’m either approaching the fourth quarter of my life (to draw from my football vernacular), or I’m already in it. But I’m still looking forward to what I hope will be the next few decades of my life.

We’ll help you develop a realistic, yet hopeful, outlook on the aging process as well. Growing older can present challenges, but it’s also an opportunity to discover God in increasingly enriching ways. Find out how over our next couple of broadcasts titled “Finishing Strong.” You can listen on your local radio station, online, or on our free phone app.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, marriage, relationships June 8, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura