Bible Text: Isaiah 46:4 | Speaker: Darlene Sala | Series: Encouraging Words |

My son, Steve, says there are three stages to life—youth, middle age, and “My, you’re looking well today!”

Like it or not, we eventually get to that third stage of life. The problem is that our world values the new and discards the old. But that is not God’s perspective. He has great promises for our older years, for He says, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he… who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you” (Isaiah 46:4).

How do you age gracefully? You do it by the grace of God! G-R-A-C-E.

G – Get rid of the garbage. Give up your grudges. They take too much of your energy. Deal with the past and let it go.
R – Realize your value in God’s sight doesn’t diminish with age. The Lord says that as believers, we’re part of His body. He says, “Those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” (1 Corinthians 12:21, 22).
A – Appreciate your own life experiences. Share what you have learned. Young people resent advice unless they ask for it, but they appreciate experience.
C – Continue to serve. Many look at retirement as the end of service to others—a new life of leisure and self-indulgence. But Psalm 92 says, “The righteous… will still bear fruit in old age.”
E – Expect God to honor His word. Has God been faithful to you so far in life? He’s not going to stop now. Isaiah 41:10 is still true: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

There you have it: G-R-A-C-E: grace—God’s grace, which is indispensable for our aging years.