Faith and Aging

The fact of aging is undeniable and (ultimately) unpreventable. In the 90th Psalm, Moses (who lived to be 120 years old) tells us that wise people “number their days.” Wisdom admits mortality.

Procedures, pills, and potions may keep us looking (and even feeling) younger for a while. But time moves forward at the same rate no matter what we do. That is, after all, why we need the pills and potions to begin with.

But once the efficacy of these treatments wane or, for many becomes financially foolish or unsustainable, the effects of aging become more obvious – and more ominous. A previously minor knee injury becomes a daily battle not to fall. A little less energy to do things progresses to an inability to do things. A couple of extra trips to the toilet each night becomes full-blown incontinence. And we’re left to wonder, “what’s next? Does it just get worse from here?”

It is no wonder, then, that fear is a common companion for the elderly. The fear of falling, the fear of losing bodily control and personal freedom, the fear of being alone, and of course, the fear of dying is all at work in the heart and mind of the aged and aging.

The fact of aging is undeniable. But the fear of aging does not have to be. There is no antidote to aging in this life. But there is an antidote to fear, which is, in a word, faith. The fear that plagues the elderly and aging – and everyone else for that matter – is the product of uncertainty. By contrast, faith removes the “un-“ prefix and leaves us with certainty. That is how the Bible defines faith: “…the assurance of things hoped for, the certainty of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

“Assurance” and “certainty” are comforting words. In your younger years when you fell or faced a trial a parent, teacher, or friend put a hand on your back or an arm around your shoulder and told you, “Don’t worry. Don’t be frightened. It’s going to be okay.” Those words from those people assured us in those times.

As we grew, we found other reasons to be assured and confident: promising careers, promising relationships, and personal ability all gave us a measure of confidence. We were certain that if things went poorly, we had the ability – be it financial, physical, emotional, or intellectual – to handle things.

But “assurance” and “certainty” grow increasingly elusive as we age. To be frank, it is just harder to believe that “it’s going to be ok.” Such assurances ring hollow in the face of upcoming surgeries, painful rehabilitation, and personal loss. A slower response time, feeble limbs and joints, failing balance, and a fading memory begin to erode our assurance. What we could once do easily now requires great strain and greater concentration. It seems the only certainty that remains is the certainty that things aren’t so certain anymore.

And yet, the Bible’s definition of faith speaks of “assurance” and “certainty” that are not limited by age. These qualities are not a hoped-for byproduct of faith; they are the very essence of faith itself. When the Bible speaks of “faith” as “assurance” and “certainty,” it is not giving a new definition for faith; it is stating the facts.

That leads us to a remarkable truth. Alongside the fact of aging is the fact of faith. You have it. You can’t live without it. Your previous confidence attests to it. The question isn’t whether you believe, but in what do you believe? If your confidence was in yourself, your talents, your intelligence, or your physique, then it is only natural that your faith will erode at approximately the same rate that you do. Likewise, if your assurance lies in your friends or family or bank accounts, then your faith can only last as long as they do. But the Bible doesn’t merely define faith. It calls us to put our faith in something specific. The Bible knows nothing of faith in the abstract. And it certainly doesn’t have us trust in ourselves. The Bible calls us to put our faith in God and His redeeming love in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the same Psalm we mentioned earlier, Moses begins by acknowledging that God has been the surety and security (the “dwelling place”) for His people. According to Moses, God is “from everlasting to everlasting.” If our certainty and assurance only last as long as things or people in which we place them, then the Bible tells us to place our faith in the One who lives forever.

Not only is He “forever,” but He is forever loving and merciful (Ps. 136). He is forever compassionate, knowing full well that we need His tender care (Ps. 103). He has provided for your redemption and your recreation in Christ, and He has promised not the end of you, but the end of suffering, pain, death, and tears (Rev. 21).

If you are afraid of being alone, Jesus promises, “I am with you always, even to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). If you fear the degradation of your body, Jesus promises the preservation of your soul and the resurrection of your body (Ps. 16:10; Job 19:25-27; Romans 6:5; 1 Corinthians 15). If you are anxious and exhausted with worry, Jesus promises you rest (Mt. 11:28).

“Faith” will not necessarily heal every ailment you have or keep you from losing your balance. But it gives you a foundation that will not erode. It assures you that in the midst of your ailments, or even if you fall, your well-being is not dependent on you, but upon the Lord who does not slumber or sleep, who watches over and keeps His people (Ps.121).

Why do we bother to make such assertions? Our goal at Alva Senior Living is to care for you, but not just part of you, the whole you. That includes not merely the physical, but the spiritual as well. We neither require nor suspect that everyone who lives here will share our faith, but we offer it as a part of our caring for you because we know and have seen that a life without faith is a fearful life. A life with eroded or eroding confidence is a self-limiting life. A life without assurance is a depressing life. Faith, as it turns out, is not just for the places with steeples, but for the activity and enjoyment of every day. Fear keeps us isolated and anxious. It keeps us from making new friendships and engaging in new experiences. Conversely, a biblical faith, a faith that is fixed in the eternal Son of God, Who loves us and gave Himself for us, will give you the courage to face difficult trials and daily tasks, the confidence to meet new people and take healthy risks, and the assurance that your life has not an end, but a goal and a meaning. With this kind of faith, you can live every day more fully and freely – or, as we’d like to say, more faithfully.

Aging is a fact. But it doesn’t have to be a fearful one. It’s simply a matter of where you place your faith.