Growing Young

What if I told you that we don’t have to grow old, but instead, we can grow young? Instead of growing up to be “cranky old people” we can become “energetic young people.” Well…at least on the inside. Those that are older than we are can definitely attest to what it’s like to get old. Just to name a few: getting a job, paying taxes, aching muscles, and change of hair color are all signs that we are getting old. Making money, driving a car, and buying a house are also common signs associated with growing old. These are all pretty standard examples of describing what it’s like to get old, but they only consider the outside and not the inside.

You may have seen the movie, or read the book, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” The story is about a baby who is born as an elderly man. As a baby, he looks (and acts) like a senior citizen and ages in reverse. While everyone around him is naturally growing older, he is growing younger…both on the inside and outside. We know that this isn’t physically possible, but it makes for a fascinating story. The story of Benjamin Button reminds me of our potential as Christians.

In 2 Corinthians 4:16, the Apostle Paul writes, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Matthew writes in Matthew 18:3, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” I love these two pieces of scripture because they perfectly encapsulate our lives. While we know we can’t be like Benjamin Button and age completely in reverse, we are called to give ourselves a daily faith check and become like little children again. Children have an uncanny ability to believe even before they really understand. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

I’m here to tell you that we can’t escape the external effects of growing old, but we can experience the internal effects of growing spiritually young. I don’t know what heaven looks like, but I surely want to find out.

-Jacob

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