Eternal Youth

Q: The field of medicine is currently working hard towards a cure for aging and I suspect they will succeed soon. What I want to know is whether it would be unchristian to go after eternal youth in this manner, especially when we already know we have eternal life?
what does the Bible say?

A: Modern medicine will never find a cure for aging. Unless they are able to stop time from passing they will never be able to do more than reduce the effects and appearance of aging. When you ask if it is "unchristian" to go after eternal youth, it sounds more like you are asking if it is a sin to focus your attention on your appearance and health? Your sins are already forgiven for eternity. Therefore, if it is a sin, God is not holding it against you. As for directing attention towards the search for "eternal youth," the Bible talks about that as well. The Bible says that, "Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12)." You are free to go after "eternal youth" if you like. However, is it beneficial to do so? I would say that it is not beneficial. We live in an age where nearly everything we do revolves around appearance, health and personal vanity. You cannot turn on a television, open a magazine or go into a department store without some sort of advertisement promising smooth skin, clear skin, longer hair, silkier hair, restoration of hair, stopping the graying of hair, weight loss, muscle gain, better vision, reduction of the effects of aging, healthy eating, better sleep, better sex and so on. It is an endless cycle with one goal in mind; focusing on yourself. And that is what will happen when you "go after eternal youth." You will be mastered by it.

Christians are not immune to the temptation provided by looking and feeling younger. Unfortunately, some Christians even teach that God promises these types of things as a blessing for "obedient" living. In Ecclesiastes 11:10 it says, "So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless." The risk involved in going after eternal youth is that there will always be something in our appearance or health that needs attention. Consequently, there will also be a product or item to try that promises to address whatever we feel needs fixing. Thus, you can become anxious and troubled as you try to keep up with the unyielding effects sin wreaks on your body. The Christian life is one of getting to know your God, not meaningless pursuits surrounding how we look and feel. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying a Christian should not take care of themselves. It is a natural byproduct of knowing our bodies are the temple of God to want to take care of them. Furthermore, as we mature in our faith in Christ it is logical to expect to see a diminishing of the sin in our lives. And as that happens the toll it takes on our bodies most likely will decrease as well. If along the way we experience times when we look or feel younger than our age would indicate we should rejoice in that taking place. Yet, at the same time we should also be reminded that "beauty is fleeting (Proverbs 31:30)"and not to get preoccupied with it.

The saying "beauty is only skin deep" is something that comes to mind when I think of how the Bible addresses this subject. While we can become overwhelmed with the demands put on us by the pursuit of "eternal youth," the Bible tells us something different. "Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight (1 Peter 3:4)." There have been many times we have said that what makes a person truly beautiful is what is on the inside of them. When it comes to being a Christian, that which is inside of us is the Holy Spirit. What then is more beautiful than having our Creator indwelling us for all eternity? It is the Spirit of God indwelling us that lives on for eternity while our bodies are slowly returning to the dirt from which they came. "I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:50)." If you have ever seen a dead body the last thing that comes to mind is "eternal youth." Similarly, if you have ever seen many of the people who are engaged in pursuing a youthful appearance, the last thing that comes to mind is "youth." The effects of the frequent use of things like Botox, face lifts, liposuction and breast augmentation often lead to unintended consequences. More times than not the individual involved in using these things looks less than natural, much less youthful, and their health is adversely effected.

The effects of aging are a reminder of the sin we have in this world. Also, the desire for "eternal youth" should not be something that occupies the majority of our time, but serve as a reminder of the promise of God. In the future God will create a new heavens and a new earth. "Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed (Isaiah 65:20)." With such a great promise as this why focus on going after "eternal youth," in this "old heavens and old earth," when we have something much better to look forward to in our future? At the root of our pursuit of "eternal youth" is usually the hope of satisfying some deep need of ours for acceptance. This usually means the acceptance of those around us. However, when we realize that God has met that deep seeded need in our hearts for acceptance, in Christ, we can get our attention off ourselves and on to what we are here to do. What we are here to do is to be His "witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8)." The conclusion is that we get to stop focusing on "eternal youth," which is fleeting and causes anxiety, and focus on sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ which promises an imperishable body and eternal life. Be blessed.