Once a month, at work, we celebrate the birthdays of employees that fall within that month. Today, the celebrant was a bit sad at getting older. She was talking about her age, putting on weight (although she is quite slender) and all the things that worry us about aging. Trying to interject some humor into the conversation, I told her about how this birthday is just a blip when it matched up against eternity. Knowing she is a Christian, I reminded her of the last stanza of the classic Christian hymn, Amazing Grace.
When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.
Later in the day, she sent me a private email thanking me for reminding her to keep her focused on eternal things. It was a blessing to me because when I mentioned the hymn it was more to make a point about age rather than to be something encouraging. Like my coworker, I also have my concerns and fears about getting older. The increasing aches and pains. The loss of a youthful appearance. The inability to take care of ourselves. All of these, along with other factors, can combine to make the aging process a sort of slow death. While we may have wisdom, respect and the love of friends and family, we cannot escape the constant reminders that the end is getting closer.
"Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Selah" Psalm 39:4-5
We read in the Bible where many people lived hundreds of years and we cannot fathom the ability of anybody living that long, much less wanting to. Adam lived 930 years. Noah lived 950 years. Methuselah lived 969 years. Today, we are lucky if we live 120 years. It is inconceivable to think that people lived for nearly a full millennium. Imagine if you lived for the past 1,000 years. That means you would have been born the same year as King Henry I of France. The more you think about it, the more unbelievable it becomes. Like the Psalmist we desire to know our future. How long will I live? What kind of death will I die? Will I be remembered? Will I be loved? Will I love? Is aging going to be unpleasant? The questions are endless. The lack of answers can lead to fear and anxiety which can lead to getting our minds off the more important things in life. This can lead to fruitless ventures like chasing after health and wellness. Anything that will ease the pain of aging and promise to give us one more day in this world appeals to us. When Jesus was walking the earth, He performed miraculous healings. Today, we see believers and unbelievers alike looking for these same miracles from God. Believing that God has promised to deliver them from sickness, age and struggle.
"Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure." Job 14:1-2
Not unlike my coworker, we all wake up in the morning and stare in the mirror at the visible signs of age, brought on by sin, staring us back in the face. It is human nature to desire to do anything and everything, in our power, to reverse those signs. If we are not careful we can find ourselves sitting in church, allowing our itching ears to be scratched with the false promises of miraculous healings and whatever else we desire God to change in our lives. However, often times we are left deflated by the lack of these wishes being fulfilled. The unrealistic expectations we have of God lead us to expect something from Him that He did not promise to give. We are reminded by Scripture to expect a, relatively, short life of trouble, experiencing the withering away of our bodies as we head towards the end of our life. This in no way takes away from God's ability to conduct a miracle in our life as He has for many throughout history. However, when a miracle becomes the norm, it ceases to be a miracle. God has given us everything we need for life and godliness and blessed us with every spiritual blessing. If we have all of this, and it has not resulted in the slowing of the aging process or the ending of physical ailments, it means that what we have is not something that we may see.
"A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:26-29
Thomas doubted that Jesus had been resurrected. And after seeing Him with his own eyes, he stopped doubting and believed. The physical effects of sin we see and experience everyday can cause us to doubt that which we know to be true about the Lord, our salvation and this life. Birthdays are said to be celebrations of life. However, as we get older they can become painful reminders of the inevitable certainty of death. Thomas knew Jesus had died. And Thomas' hope, apparently, died with Christ. It may not be as sudden as the death of Jesus Christ, but each birthday, each reminder of our body withering away, can cause us to share in the doubt Thomas exhibited. But, when the Lord appeared, saying "Peace be with you," Thomas' hope was restored as Jesus proved He had conquered death. After all, death is what we are afraid of as we age. It is hard to think of the promise of eternal life as we watch ourselves get closer to the end of this life. However, Jesus not only removed Thomas' doubt when He appeared, He removes our doubt, as well, by saying that we are blessed for not having seen Him! It has been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus ascended to the Heavens after His resurrection. He knows we yearn to shed these bodies and go to be with Him in glory. And one day soon, whether through death or His return, we will be with Him. So next time you celebrate a birthday, don't think of it as a day closer to death, but a day closer to Life! Remember, there are no birthdays in Heaven because there is no time to keep track of when you have all eternity ahead of you to sing God's praise. Amen
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