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50 Motivational Bible Verses About Aging Gracefully

Posted on July 5, 2022December 14, 2023 by Donna Snow

“An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets, the more interested he is in her.” Agatha Christie

At the age of 40, Agatha Christie married prominent British archaeologist Max Mallowan in 1930. Afterward, she spent several months each year traveling with her husband to archaeological digs in the Middle East.

Leveraging her first-hand acquired knowledge of archaeology, she became one of the most well-known, best-loved, and best-selling detective novelists of all time. And she was no spring chicken!

How can we age gracefully in the Lord when the world around us only sees our wrinkles?

Aging Gracefully in the Lord
We Have a Choice
Old Testament Bible Verses
New Testament Bible Verses

When it comes to aging gracefully, one of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 90:12: “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” So what other Bible verses about aging provide encouragement?

1. Aging Gracefully in the Lord

There’s no age limit on Psalm 90:12. Although the world may see older people or older adults, I still show respect because God honors their wisdom.

I count each day as significant because through them Christ Jesus increases our spiritual wisdom. And the longer He keeps me here, the more opportunities I have to share that acquired wisdom. And so do you.

^{Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash}

On countless occasions, I have said to every family member, friends, and at conferences: “If you are still breathing, God still has a purpose for your life.”

I have fully embraced traveling in this season of life. I have discovered that airplane time is great reading time. For instance, when I led a Reformation tour through Germany, I had almost eleven hours of reading time.

I slept some of the time, but the rest of the time allowed me to get through half of the New Testament in one read. Even though the days of my life are counting down and the gray hair of experience is setting in, God’s grace only increases in retaining His truths.

When I landed in Germany, that fresh read through Scripture enhanced my teaching! You may not be able to run physical marathons with the younger generations, but you are NEVER too old to keep reading Scripture.

Strong men and women – regardless of your ripe old age – grasp a deeper understanding of God’s love and perfect peace. Encouraging Bible verses about aging abound!

Perhaps the Best Years are Still to Come

I am in my mid-50s, but I truly believe in the marrow of my bones that my best years are still to come. God controls the steering wheel and I am simply a passenger in the most glorious, thrilling adventure of all time.

I have written several books (mostly Bible studies), both short and long, and consider it my highest honor to travel the world and teach from Scripture. The best is yet to come! I have read all of the Bible verses about aging as an encouragement.

The truth is that God faithfully watches over you. No matter how advanced in years you become, He’s still got you. He still has a purpose for your life for your good and His eternal glory.

Age is the very thing that most of the world believes to be less valuable. Yet your heavenly Father values the practical advice and spiritual wisdom you leverage as a witness of Christ in times of trouble. Have you taken the time to read Bible verses about aging?

God knit you together in your mother’s womb. God mapped out the plan for your life in its entirety before the foundation of the world.

We Have a Choice

You and I can enter our “Golden years” kicking and screaming, or we can enter them with the greatest sense of expectation and wonder. Bible verses about aging can inspire you to embrace life to the full.

Your health may decline in our senior years. You will face difficult times. You’ll likely need glasses, hearing aids, false teeth, or joint replacements. You will likely need a little more time and a little more effort to get from point A to point B. Yet God provides Bible verses about aging to see you through.

The good news is that aging is a truly beautiful gift from God. When you abide in Him, wisdom abounds.

Giving Thanks for “Spiritual Giants”

I am so thankful for the older “spiritual giants” in my life. Only those dear friends can offer godly guidance to the deep spiritual questions that I ask. And all because God has given them the gifts of faith, time, and wisdom.

And now, you have the privilege of being one of those older, spiritually wise people for the next generation. So reading all of the Bible verses about aging is crucial.

You cannot turn back the clock on the aging process to wrinkle-free days. But you can embrace this season of life as wisdom-rich days.

When Agatha Christie reached seventy-five years old, she said: “What can I say at seventy-five? Thank God for my good life, and for all the love that has been given to me.” Agatha Christie, An Autobiography

God’s Word provides infinite encouragement, inspiration, and wisdom on how to age gracefully. I pray that these Bible verses encourage, challenge, and inspire you. May God bless you in your Golden years!

2. Old Testament Bible Verses

*Note: All Bible verses are in the English Standard Version.

^{Photography by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash}

Gray Hair is a Crown of Glory

“He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age” (Ruth 4:15).
“Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days” (Job 12:12).
“Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life” (Proverbs 16:31).
“I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.’ But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand” (Job 32:7-8).
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).
“The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair” (Proverbs 20:29).
“The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedars of Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him” (Psalm 92:12-15).

Hope Continually

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
“Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent. But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more” (Psalm 71:9, 14).
“With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation” (Psalm 91:16).
“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength” (Isaiah 40:29).
“[The Lord] redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 103:4-5).
“You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child” (Exodus 22:22).
“You shall walk in all the way that the Lord you God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess” (Deuteronomy 5:33).

Vigor Unabated

“That this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever” (Psalm 48:14).
“Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you” (Deuteronomy 32:7).
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).
“Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated” (Deuteronomy 34:7).
“These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life, 175 years. Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people” (Genesis 25:7-8).
“He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom” (Isaiah 40:11).
“Young men and maidens together, old men and children! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His majesty is above earth and heaven” (Psalm 148:12-13).
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling” (Psalm 46:1-3).
“Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old” (Proverbs 23:22).

God Cares for You

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
“Even to your old age I 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).
“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Deuteronomy 5:16).
“You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:32).
“Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers” (Proverbs 17:6).
“So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those to come. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like You?” (Psalm 71:18-19).
“As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age” (Genesis 15:15).
“Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things” (Genesis 24:1).

3. New Testament Bible Verses

Nothing is Impossible with God

“For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).
“Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is appealing in the sight of God” (1 Timothy 5:3-4).
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity” (1 Timothy 5:1-2).
“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Worthy of Double Honor

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land’” (Ephesians 6:1-3).
“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17).
“So that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:7-9).
“Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things” (2 Peter 1:12-15).

Fight the Good Fight

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
“Yet 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. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:14-15).
“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Do Not Lose Heart

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
“Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves with too much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:2-5).

Continue to Do Good

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:16).

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About the Author
Donna is a sought-after author, speaker, and Bible teacher. Her path from being unchurched to becoming passionate about sharing Jesus was not easy. Read her God-breathed journey: “From Unchurched to Becoming a Multi-Published Author and Sought-After Speaker.” If you want to send Donna a quick message, then visit her here.

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What Does the Bible Say About Retirement?

Posted on May 26, 2022January 12, 2023 by Donna Snow

Retirement is often perceived as a well-earned reward after a long career. The sudden influx of disposable time unlocks many opportunities to pursue life’s pleasures. Travel more. Golf each morning. Set off in an RV across America.

However, is that a cultural or biblical concept of retirement? What does the Bible say?

The only mention of retirement in Scripture relates to the responsibilities of the Levites. It appears exclusively in the NIV translation:

The Lord said to Moses, “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites” Numbers 8:23-26 (NIV).

The Levites were responsible for all aspects of the worship of God, mainly service of the tent of meeting (Tabernacle) and later in the Temple. Only Levite males ages 25-50 were assigned this God-given responsibility.

After age 50, the older men transitioned to serving outside the Tabernacle and Temple. Their responsibilities changed but did not end. They were not exempt from the duty of the service of God in their time of old age just because the younger generations stepped up.

Where Did Our Concept of Retirement Originate?

Historically, people worked as long as they were able due to economic necessity. It was common for several generations of a family to live under one roof so that they could pool resources and look after each other. Their life span was shorter. If people could no longer work, they usually died not long after.

^{Photo by Abbilyn Zavgorodniaia on Unsplash}

Retirement originated mainly in the United States around the 1950s and is predominantly an American concept. As America gained wealth and developed better medical care, increased food supply, and more accessible transportation, the elderly lived longer. Hence, their kids eventually purchased their own homes.

As Americans entered retirement age in their later years, they initially had five to ten years to enjoy travel and various relaxing pursuits before health issues (whether theirs or family members) slowed them down.

What Does 21^st Century Retirement Look Like?

Due to modern medical improvements, a person may actually live in retirement as long as they worked during their career. It is not uncommon to hear of a person being retired twenty to thirty years or more. There is not a universal retirement age.

Modern-day retirement usually focuses on hobbies or pleasures that people did not have the time or enough money to pursue during their working and family-raising years.

The mindset shifts from contributor to consumer where monitoring retirement accounts becomes a sport. Social security benefits may begin.

In June 2021, I accepted early retirement from the law firm where I had worked for thirty years. At 53 years old with a six-month retirement package in hand, I had two choices: (1) tuck that away into savings and find another 9-5 job, or (2) leverage everything to follow God’s clear calling to establish a full time 501(c)(3) non-profit ministry.

God clearly led me to walk through door #2 and I have not looked back.

Embarking on this good work of “retirement” (I prefer to call it my encore career) meant that I needed to understand God’s perspective about retirement for Christians. My research process began. Hence this post.

A Biblical Perspective of Retirement

The Bible was written long before retirement existed. According to the Numbers passage above, retirement focuses on a shift of work responsibilities not an end to them.

The Bible never instructs us to stop working. However, it also does not mean that we make bricks for the rest of our days. Our workdays simply look different in our golden years.

Today’s understanding of retirement as a permanent vacation is a cultural, not a biblical concept. As Christians, our goal is to serve the living God with gladness as long as we are able.

Our encore years are the time we can use our gifts, honed skills, and experiential wisdom to serve God differently than when we worked full time.

Now that does not mean that we shouldn’t play golf or travel. However, if pleasurable pursuits fill our agenda, we can miss out on so much joy that God still has for us.

Adjusting Our Focus

Christians never truly retire – we merely adjust our focus and adapt our duties as we age. After all, gray hair does not equal diminished capacity!

My days are now filled with researching, writing, and teaching new Bible studies, speaking at retreats and conferences, mentoring the next generation, and creating new biblical literacy materials in line with Artesian Ministries’ mission statement.

As an aside, I thoroughly enjoy not getting up at 5:00 a.m. on weekdays to catch the bus going downtown. It is a delicious blessing to finally embrace my night owl tendencies and wake up naturally without a blaring alarm clock.

I have always loved to travel, but now much of it has a primary focus: leading tours to the Holy Land to walk where Jesus walked, to Germany to trace Martin Luther’s footsteps, or to Greece and Turkey to see where God used the Apostle Paul.

How Do We Seek New Opportunities to Serve?

1. Pray Through and Set a Plan.

Being good stewards of our encore career is important in all areas: time, talent, and treasure. Many older people today face difficult times and need to remain in the workforce as long as possible.

If God has provided financial security so that you can fully retire or only work part-time, it is a privilege that historically was only available to the wealthy.

Prayerful planning provides the godly purpose and focus so that we can serve the Lord with excellence. Setting a plan reveals patterns of available time in your relaxed schedule to consider new ministry opportunities to serve in different ways. I created a personal weekly planner that you may find useful at the end of this post.

The retirement planning process encourages us to seek counsel and wisdom from Christians who have already walked that path. I have learned first-hand the infinite value of their wise decisions gleaned from years of experience.

2. Schedule Your Time.

Like younger children, God’s older children benefit from structure. Retirement means flexibility, but I learned very fast that no plan often results in many purposeless days.

In those initial retirement days, I needed that schedule-free rest. However, living a life of any value that honors God means utilizing the time He has given us to help others and point people to the hope of salvation in Christ Jesus.

It is important to find activities that engage us spiritually, mentally, and physically. They keep our facilities sharp instead of suffering atrophy. For the first time in my life, I have embraced vegetable gardening. How satisfying!

This Fall I will be attending a daytime women’s Bible study at my church. Not to teach, just to participate, learn, and soak. Intentional soaking time in the Word is a crucial element for Christians in every stage of life.

3. Be Open to Serve in New Ways.

Perhaps that openness looks like care for others, such as transporting elderly neighbors or family members to medical appointments, mentoring a college student, or volunteering on a mission trip.

I have dear friends who now spend their days building homes for the needy. Other friends volunteer their time to train and deploy LCC’s K-9 Comfort Dogs to disaster relief areas. My church regularly goes on mission trips to Honduras and Kenya, where everyone is welcome to join.

Stepping out of the 9-5 rat race invites us to breathe deeply, slow our pace a bit, and open our eyes to see God’s blessings afresh. Investing time to seek God’s will and plan for our encore years is an invaluable endeavor.

The Shift from Consumer to Contributor

Resisting that cultural mindset shift from a contributor to a consumer can be challenging indeed. We can certainly choose to play the retirement card, languish in unending free time, and engage only in social functions.

However, our retirement years are both a gift and a responsibility.

There is still God’s great big mission field of good work to be done with no age limit before we receive our crown of glory.

Armed with our Bibles and these godly principles for retirement will enable us to understand on a deeper personal level what the Apostle Paul meant in 1 Corinthians 15:58:

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

A quick closing thought: your retirement years may well be more spiritually significant than any other time in your life. Trust God to guide your steps and watch Him move!

Weekly Retirement Planner Download

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Tag: wisdom

50 Motivational Bible Verses About Aging Gracefully

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