Dear Senior Citizens
By S. Bill Jimenez

Beloved Fellow Senior Citizens:

How are you? Congratulations for reaching this glorious stage in your life. I hope and pray that you are all fine and active. May you be alive with faith, hope, and love.

There seems to be stigma on getting old. Nobody wants to get old. However, getting old is inevitable. It’s the natural course of life. We must learn to have the right attitude. Someone has well said, “Do not resent growing old–many are denied the privilege.” William Gladstone, at age 83, observed: “We are always as young as our impulses to discover new experiences.”

With right attitude we can get old gratefully, graciously, and gloriously. History records many famous people who achieved great things in old age: Galileo made his greatest discovery when he was 73; Golda Meir became prime minister of Israel at 72; Benjamin Franklin mediated between different factions at the U.S. Constitutional Convention at 81; Winston Churchill returned to the House of Commons as a member of parliament at 80.

The apostle Paul exhorts people getting old, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

People today live healthier and longer because of better health and medical care. So instead of lamenting and bemoaning the reality of getting old, we should sing with Robert Browning: “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.” Personally, I hope and pray to celebrate my 98th birthday.

Let us be grateful getting old. Accept the inevitability of getting old. Adopt the positive philosophy of Oliver Wendell Holmes: “To be seventy years young is sometimes far more cheerful and hopeful than to be forty years old.” Joshua lived for 110 years. Until the last years of his life, he demonstrated his devotion and gratefulness to God.

Showing gratitude to God is reaffirming devotion, service, and usefulness for him. In a survey by the Barna Research Group, it was found that roughly 22 million churched adults in the U. S. are involved in some type of discipleship. It was reported that 24% of churchgoers (ages 73 and older) and 9% (ages 54 to 72) are involved in discipleship.

These senior citizens live the prayer of the psalmist: “Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to this generation, your might to all who are to come… Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again…. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again” (Psalm 71:17-21).

Getting old graciously should characterize godly men and women. Gracious enough to acknowledge old age with pride and acceptance. They have the attitude of the apostle Paul: “Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me… But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14). Graciousness is expressed in Proverbs 16:31: “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.” Proverbs 20:29 also states, “The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.”

We must also get old gloriously. In China, according to Lin Yutang, the first question a person asks the other on an official call is: “What is your glorious age?” Chinese look forward to celebrate their fifty-first birthday and old people are given much respect. I think this is the general attitude in Eastern culture. In the Philippines, young people kiss the hands of their older folks to show their veneration.

Studies show that generally old people are happier. They have fewer negative emotional experiences and greater emotional control. With confidence they express with Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

People expect much from seniors. However, in old age the inevitability of death is imminent, but seniors must not allow death to preoccupy their time. Human mortality is still 100% but, as someone said: “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.”

Eternity is ahead of us, so let’s now live and enjoy each day. Let’s keep moving and busy doing God’s work and loving our children, grandchildren and others. We can do volunteer work or be involved in ministries. And because death will come sooner or later, we must be comforted by the psalmist: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his godly saints” (Psalm 116:15).

Meanwhile, whatever we are, we should have the attitude of getting old without regrets. We must learn always to get old gratefully, graciously and gloriously!

Mabuhay kayong lahat!

Kabaleyan Bill

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