Is Age Just a Number?

by Cynthia Cummings-Walker

Age is Just a Number

Have you ever heard the saying, “Age ain’t nothing but a number.”? It implies that a person is only as old as they feel.  A person in their 20s can be a couch potato while a 70-year-old still runs marathons.  A younger person’s lifestyle may make them look and feel 20 years older, while an older person’s lifestyle allows them to look and feel 20 years younger.

A person’s physical age does not automatically determine their insights, strength, vitality, common sense, wisdom or how they live their life. 

 Do You Really Know How Old You Are?

The date of someone’s birth does not definitively determine their age. The death date is an indicator of how old a person really is.  If a person is only going to live until they are 25, at 20 they are old.  If a person is going to live to be 90, then at 40 they are young. 

Some people may say: “I’m too young” while others may say “I’m too old.” Neither is correct. The Bible is full of examples of how God used people of all ages to accomplish His purposes.

Never too Young

In I Samuel 2:26 “Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the Lord and with men.”

In 2 Kings 5:1-3 God used a little girl, to tell Naaman, captain of the kings army,  where the prophet Elisha was, so he could get healed of leprosy. After Naaman was healed he said: “Behold now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel..” 2 Kings 5:15a God was glorified through the testimony of a child.

Luke 2:41-50 tells how at 12 years old Jesus was  in the temple with the teachers, listening, asking questions.  “And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.” Luke 2:47  “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (vs 52).   

Never Too Old

As I looked back over my life, I had some regrets about things I did not do when I was younger.  I was thinking that I’m too old.  I don’t have the strength or stamina I had when I was young. My mind is not as sharp as it used to be.  I’ve been through too much.  It’s too late. 

My excuses were contrary to how Scripture addresses the issue of age.  There are many things in life that have to fit into an age category.  God’s promises have no age requirements or limits.    

Moses was 80 years old when he led the Israelites out of Egypt; “Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever.” Deuteronomy 34:7 (NLT)

Sarah was extraordinarily beautiful as an older woman who had to dissuade powerful men from trying to take her away from her husband.  Genesis 12:11.  Sarah also had extraordinary faith. Hebrews 11:11

Anna, a widowed prophetess, was 84 years old and still serving in the temple with fasting and prayers night and day. Luke 2:36–37.

Caleb – “I am eighty-five years old today. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in.” Joshua 14:10–11 (NASB)

 Lydia – a businesswoman and worshipper of God (Acts 16:14-15) who believed the gospel message, she and her household were saved.  She invited the disciples to stay at her home.

What do these Young and Old Have in Common?

They lived by faith and obedience to God.  Like the rest of us, they had trials and tribulations, failures and successes.  What makes the difference in being spiritually productive throughout life is being devoted to the Lord in worship, prayer and obedience to His word.

“…But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.  They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” Psalm 1:2-3 (NLT)

Be Like a Tree

“But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon…They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green,  They will declare, “The Lord is just! He is my rock!..” Psalm 92:12-14 (NLT)

The godly will flourish like palm trees:  Palm trees are beautiful to look at with their plumage blowing in the wind. Yet, in the fiercest of storms Palm trees can withstand winds of up to 145 miles per hour.  They can bend 40 or 50 degrees without snapping.  After the winds and rain have passed, they stand back up again. Like the palm tree, you will bend and not break even though storms of life may be raging.  Have faith in the promises of God that He will never leave nor forsake us.  He will cause ALL things to work out for our good.

Grow strong like the Cedars of Lebanon:  We become strong as we grow in our relationship with the Lord.  We learn to trust His leadership. We will have strength to overcome trials and be victorious in everyday life. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;”  Psalm 28:7 (NASB95)  

Even in old age they will still produce fruit:  Fruit bearing is the outcome of obedience to God through praying for others, evangelizing, discipling, mentoring, giving godly counsel, financially supporting.  

They will stay fresh and green:  The routines of life can become boring and mundane. If we daily seek guidance from the Lord through reading Scripture and praying, God will direct our path by opening our eyes to ways we can accomplish His purposes and live the abundant life He has promised.

They will declare, “The Lord is just! He is my rock!..” As we age, we can be a living testimony, as to the love and faithfulness of God throughout our life. We can share the ups and downs and be specific about how we persevered with the help of the Lord. This can be an encouragement for our descendants to know that they have a godly example to follow. “I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken…” Psalm 37:25 (NASB)

Are You Prepared for your Number to be Called?

Because we don’t know how old we really are, Psalm 90:12 (KJV) tells humanity: “So teach us to number our days, That we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:16-17 (NASB)