I was watching a TV Commercial the other night and it really got my attention. It was talking about such interesting things as Human Growth Hormones and the Pituitary Gland. It shared the fact that when you are in your late twenties or early thirties your Pituitary Gland decreases its production of Human Growth Hormones and, as a result, the “aging process” begins. “Wellll,” the commercial went on to say, “not to worry” because their product would “kick your Pituitary Gland back into gear” and the results of the increase in Human Growth Hormones would make you young again!”

It was at this point that I realized something pretty obvious: “Our Society revels in youth, and will do anything to retain it.” Let me offer the following in evidence to this fact:

• In 2016, $16 Billion was spent on Cosmetic Plastic Surgery.
• Women surveyed who said they routinely spend money on their appearance spend an average of $3,756 a year (or $313 a month), which adds up to $225,360 throughout their entire lifetime (ages 18-78).

Somewhere along the line, we have lost sight of the fact that aging is a fact of life, and should be looked forward to and not dreaded! We see this in Proverbs 20:29 – The glory of young men [is] their strength: and the beauty of old men [is] the gray head. While vanity and the pursuit of beauty is not new, a society-wide abhorrence of old age is. In my humble opinion, it all began when the parents of the Baby Boomers decided it was more important to treat their children as friends and equals rather than the children they were!

Now – – the result of this situation is that the respect that earlier generations had for their parents was, on a very wide scale, lost. This has perpetuated itself down through later generations, and now the consensus is that if you are old you are useless. That’s why folks don’t want to age – – they are afraid of losing their usefulness!

 Is there an answer to this dilemma? Of course! Where can it be found? Why, where all the answers for life are found: In the Word of God! Take a gander at the following verses and you’ll see what I mean:

• 1 Timothy 5:1-2 – Rebuke not an elder, but intreat [him] as a father; [and] the younger men as brethren;
• Proverbs 23:22 – Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
• Leviticus 19:32 – Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I [am] the LORD.
• Psalms 71:9 – Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
• Exodus 20:12 – Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

You see, I don’t dread “growing old,” for my family and friends, of all ages!, adhere to the doctrine of respecting and honoring their elders. As a result, my gray hair represents wisdom, not frailty; my wrinkles represent the etchings of time, not the scars of aging; my slower gait allows rose-smelling time, not the need to drop out of the race of life! I can only hope that you, like me, are enjoying the army of hours, days, and years as they continue to keep marching on, knowing that we only have to worry when time stops marching on!!!