1 00:00:10,830 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to have you listening. 2 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:20,419 Speaker 1: Today's topic is about the beauty of aging. We'll return 3 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,020 Speaker 1: with the devotional after a brief message from one of 4 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:40,750 Speaker 1: our sponsors. Finding the Beauty of Aging in an Anti-Aging World. 5 00:00:41,590 --> 00:00:47,250 Speaker 1: Written and read by Emily Rose Massey. Great hair is 6 00:00:47,310 --> 00:00:51,330 Speaker 1: a crown of glory. It is gained in a righteous life. 7 00:00:52,350 --> 00:01:02,139 Speaker 1: Proverbs chapter 16 verse 31. Botox and injectables, facelifts, tummy tucks, 8 00:01:02,540 --> 00:01:07,630 Speaker 1: retinol creams, under eye concealer and color correctors, Collagen and 9 00:01:07,670 --> 00:01:12,450 Speaker 1: peptide powders, weight loss products, teeth whitening, and veneer treatment 10 00:01:12,569 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: advertisements bombard us continually through television, magazines, and social media influencers. 11 00:01:21,140 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: There's no getting around it. We live in an anti-aging world. 12 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,980 Speaker 1: This was the topic of a recent women's leadership training 13 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,140 Speaker 1: at my church as we discussed the importance of Christian 14 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: women embracing the high calling of Titus chapter 2. Older 15 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:41,509 Speaker 1: Women Training the Younger Women. Do we try to run 16 00:01:41,590 --> 00:01:46,789 Speaker 1: from the title of older woman, or are we enthusiastically 17 00:01:46,910 --> 00:01:50,250 Speaker 1: embracing it because we know how much the Bible esteems 18 00:01:50,310 --> 00:01:54,380 Speaker 1: growing older in the Lord? The book of Proverbs is 19 00:01:54,500 --> 00:01:58,020 Speaker 1: full of so much wisdom and highlights the beauty of 20 00:01:58,260 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: aging in chapter 16. Gray hair is a crown of glory. 21 00:02:03,740 --> 00:02:09,799 Speaker 1: It is gained in a righteous life. Proverbs chapter 16 22 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: verse 31. The Bible does not tell us to cover 23 00:02:14,260 --> 00:02:17,730 Speaker 1: up those gray hairs. It says that it is a 24 00:02:17,810 --> 00:02:22,869 Speaker 1: crown of honor. We must embrace growing older because that 25 00:02:22,930 --> 00:02:26,609 Speaker 1: gray hair, as a Christ follower, should be a sign 26 00:02:26,710 --> 00:02:30,829 Speaker 1: of a lifelong journey with Jesus. Now, I am not 27 00:02:30,889 --> 00:02:33,209 Speaker 1: trying to create a new law where there is none. 28 00:02:34,050 --> 00:02:36,609 Speaker 1: There is Christian liberty when it comes to matters such 29 00:02:36,690 --> 00:02:39,690 Speaker 1: as this. I dye my roots when I see gray 30 00:02:39,730 --> 00:02:43,970 Speaker 1: hair poking through. But maybe I should pause and ask myself, 31 00:02:44,730 --> 00:02:49,990 Speaker 1: how do I truly see aging? Intersecting Faith and Life 32 00:02:51,190 --> 00:02:54,700 Speaker 1: I enjoy makeup and basic skin care, but I do 33 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,340 Speaker 1: believe it is important to ask the Lord to search 34 00:02:57,419 --> 00:03:00,639 Speaker 1: our hearts that we do not find ourselves running fast 35 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:05,810 Speaker 1: away from bothered time. As Christians, we must see aging rightly, 36 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:10,980 Speaker 1: which should be positive, not negative. How has the world's 37 00:03:11,060 --> 00:03:15,220 Speaker 1: view of aging influenced the church? If we are not 38 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:19,370 Speaker 1: on our guard, we can be swayed by the world's thinking. 39 00:03:21,010 --> 00:03:23,489 Speaker 1: That is why it is so important to renew our 40 00:03:23,530 --> 00:03:27,500 Speaker 1: minds with God's word daily. Romans chapter 12 verses 1 41 00:03:27,500 --> 00:03:33,079 Speaker 1: through 2. I often wonder if the Christian generations before 42 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,930 Speaker 1: me have become entangled by the culture's lies instead of 43 00:03:36,990 --> 00:03:41,990 Speaker 1: standing firm against them. In my own personal experience, I 44 00:03:42,030 --> 00:03:44,510 Speaker 1: have prayed for many years for an older woman in 45 00:03:44,550 --> 00:03:48,530 Speaker 1: the faith to come alongside me. Oh, how I long 46 00:03:48,590 --> 00:03:50,790 Speaker 1: for the wisdom of a woman who has been walking 47 00:03:50,830 --> 00:03:55,430 Speaker 1: with Jesus decades longer than I. Sadly, there seems to 48 00:03:55,450 --> 00:03:59,220 Speaker 1: be a generational gap missing from my own church. which 49 00:03:59,310 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: is very biblically sound. Instead of being tempted to complain 50 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,900 Speaker 1: about this lack, I am reminded that I must go 51 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,060 Speaker 1: to God in prayer, especially when it seems so out 52 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: of reach for me to find a mentor who can 53 00:04:13,580 --> 00:04:16,220 Speaker 1: come alongside me and teach me to love my husband 54 00:04:16,300 --> 00:04:21,130 Speaker 1: and children and love Jesus and His Word even more. But, 55 00:04:21,710 --> 00:04:24,690 Speaker 1: much more than that, I do not want to ignore 56 00:04:24,750 --> 00:04:29,729 Speaker 1: my own call to make disciples. The world may recoil 57 00:04:29,820 --> 00:04:33,950 Speaker 1: from the word older, but the Bible is clear that 58 00:04:34,270 --> 00:04:39,170 Speaker 1: age reveals great wisdom and insight. I may not feel 59 00:04:39,230 --> 00:04:42,729 Speaker 1: like an older woman in the faith, but age should 60 00:04:42,830 --> 00:04:48,830 Speaker 1: never limit us from the Great Commission, Matthew 28. Instead 61 00:04:48,850 --> 00:04:52,170 Speaker 1: of waiting for someone to pour into me, I must 62 00:04:52,270 --> 00:04:55,190 Speaker 1: look for those whom I can pour into and encourage 63 00:04:55,230 --> 00:04:59,870 Speaker 1: in the Lord. I should proudly embrace the title of 64 00:05:00,270 --> 00:05:03,650 Speaker 1: older woman at just 40 years old because it is 65 00:05:03,710 --> 00:05:07,570 Speaker 1: truly a high calling to train the younger generation in 66 00:05:07,589 --> 00:05:11,950 Speaker 1: the Lord. The call for women in Titus chapter 2 67 00:05:11,950 --> 00:05:15,250 Speaker 1: is one that is important within the church and one 68 00:05:15,310 --> 00:05:21,420 Speaker 1: that our society desperately needs. We need godly women and 69 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: men too who are strong in the faith to raise 70 00:05:25,260 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 1: strong godly children with strong godly marriages. Imagine how much 71 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,469 Speaker 1: impact we would have in the culture if we embraced 72 00:05:34,550 --> 00:05:38,310 Speaker 1: the good found in aging and taught our children the 73 00:05:38,390 --> 00:05:43,909 Speaker 1: amazing plan the Lord has for us to grow in godliness, wisdom, 74 00:05:44,130 --> 00:05:47,570 Speaker 1: and righteousness as we live in the here and now 75 00:05:48,050 --> 00:05:52,089 Speaker 1: with eyes and hearts also fixed on eternity with the Lord. 76 00:05:53,210 --> 00:05:58,470 Speaker 1: Families like this could change the world for Christ's Lord, 77 00:05:58,950 --> 00:06:02,150 Speaker 1: help us to see the beauty in growing older in 78 00:06:02,370 --> 00:06:11,250 Speaker 1: age and in you. Further reading Titus chapter 2 Romans chapter. 79 00:06:10,750 --> 00:06:18,650 Speaker 2: 12 Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked 80 00:06:18,670 --> 00:06:20,650 Speaker 2: what you heard today, we want to make sure you 81 00:06:20,690 --> 00:06:24,450 Speaker 2: know about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. When you 82 00:06:24,510 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 2: follow Your Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll 83 00:06:28,140 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 2: get a brand new prayer and devotional each day so 84 00:06:31,260 --> 00:06:34,940 Speaker 2: your days begin in conversation with God. 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