Day by Day - Feb. 23, 2012

Staying Young

by Charles R. Swindoll

I‘d like to offer several tips on how to stay young.

Number one: Your mind isn't old, keep developing it. Watch less television and read more. Spend time with people who talk about events and ideas rather than sitting around a shop talking about people and how sorry this young generation has become. Nobody wants to be around a crotchety old person who sees only the clouds and talks only about bad weather.

Number two: Your humor isn't over, keep enjoying it. I love being around older people who still see the sunny side of life. They see funny things happening. They can tell a great story. They enjoy a loud belly laugh. You look fabulouswhen you laugh. And it takes years off your face.

Number three: Your strength isn't gone, keep using it. Don't let yourself get out of shape. Stay active. Eat right. Watch your weight. Guard against becoming isolated and immobile. And while I'm at it, quit addressing every ache and pain. Quit talking about how weak you're getting and how others will have to do this or that for you. Jump in there. You keep doing it.

Here's a fourth: Your opportunities haven't vanished, keep pursuing them. There are people all around you who could use an encouraging word, an affirming note, a phone call that says, "I love you and believe in you, and I'm praying for you." So go there. Opportunities to help others have not vanished.

The fifth is obvious: Your God is not dead, keep serving and seeking Him. The living God is ageless. The Lord Jesus Christ is timeless and ever relevant. Continue to enjoy some time alone with your Lord. It's so important!

You have lived long enough to know that there is no one more trustworthy than the Lord Himself. Continue cultivating a meaningful relationship with Him. Seek Him diligently and often.

I wish for you a full life, like Job's, marked not by living happily ever after (an impossibility), but by being truly satisfied, fulfilled, challenged, useful, godly, balanced, and joyful.

Yes, for sure, joyful! And don't forget—reasonably sweet.

Reprinted by permission. Day by Day, Charles Swindoll, July 2005, Thomas Nelson, inc., Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. Purchase "Day by Day" here.