Finishing Strong Part One.

Finishing strong is the goal of many mature Christians. Steph begins a six part series where she explores what the Scriptures have to say about finishing well.

Fall and Winter Seasons of Life

While this series was written with women in the fall and winter seasons of life in mind, older men may also be encouraged to finish strong by the six posts in this series.

Choosing Thankfulness as We Age

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 ESV) (emphasis mine).

These verses are familiar to many of us. We know we are to rejoice always and give thanks no matter what we’re going through, but it can become increasingly difficult as we get older. (Mind you, it’s never easy.)

Faced With Challenges

As we grow older, we are faced with challenges we’ve never experienced before. Many of us find our physical health declining. We may even become concerned about our memory and our mental health.

Our adult children leave home, and we may lose touch with them as they become busy with their own lives. More and more friends and family members pass away, reminding us of our own mortality. What we once found easy to accomplish may become all but impossible.

All that said, there are reasons all around us to give thanks. Every. Single. Day.

Gratitude

Beginning each day with gratitude can start us off on the right foot and create a positive outlook. We can thank the Lord that He has blessed us with another day to worship Him and bless others.

We can thank Him for ordinary things like our bed and our pillow. How about indoor plumbing, the food in our cupboard, the wherewithal to move from room to room? The birds singing outside the window, the flowers in bloom, protection from the elements? And of course, there are the “more spiritual” things to be thankful for, things such as access to the Scriptures; sound, biblical teaching; the invitation to talk to God in prayer.

From the big things to the minutiae… Choosing to deliberately and frequently give thanks is almost guaranteed to affect our outlook and serves as a reminder of all God has done—and, of course, is an act of obedience.

Aging Issues

Let’s consider some of the issues of aging we discussed.

How can we give thanks in the face of serious health issues? We can thank God for healthcare professionals and medication that help us deal with these issues. We can thank Him that we don’t live at a time when 21^st century advances weren’t available. And we can thank the Lord for family and friends who come alongside us to offer a helping hand.

And speaking of those with physical challenges…

Physical Challenges

Individuals such as Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic who has suffered countless physical challenges, including tremendous pain, is an incredibly thankful person. The Lord continues to bless thousands through her and her ministry, Joni and Friends.

Joni is only one of countless people who have found God to be loving and faithful, despite what many see as evidence to the contrary. And some of those people may be our own friends and family members. (If we’re not careful, we can find ourselves falling into this category as well.)

Furthermore, what if we have few friends and have lost touch with our family?

The Lord Never Leaves

While we do need human interaction, there is One who will never leave us and is always available. This should cause joy to bubble up inside us. Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross and by rising from the dead, the God of the universe invites us into the Holy of Holies, His throne room. “Mind blown,” as the kids say, and without a doubt, reason upon reason to give thanks.

If we deliberately rejoice in the Lord and give thanks in all circumstances, those that fill us with joy and those that weigh us down, not only will our lives be changed but also the lives of those we encounter day after day.

Recommended Reading: Choosing Gratitude by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

How have you served God differently as you age? We would love to hear from you. Share your comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.