84 and Still Learning

Another birthday has rolled around and I am now 84. If you would like to know how it feels to be old----you'll have to ask some one else. Of course I realize I'm not 18 anymore. I don't pretend to be nor would I like to be. If I were, I wouldn't make the same mistakes but I'm sure I'd make all new ones. Once around is enough.


I am not in denial about my age, I just don't concentrate on it. I take the days as they come and decide what is ,and is not, important. We all have just so much energy and it shouldn't be wasted on things like anger and regrets, envy and worry. All of these are useful to Satan to mess up our lives. Jesus spoke about how we can overcome these negative emotions and reactions by completely relying on Him.

Anger consumes huge amounts of energy and adversely affects our health. There are few things in life worth our anger. There is a difference between anger and irritation. I aadmit there are people whose habits grate on my nerves. I try not to be one of them. But when I am with a person who I find irritating I try to remember how irritating I must be to God because of my many faults. It makes it much easier to abide the other person's company.
When confronted with the temptation of becoming angry, think: Is this worth what it is going to cost me in terms of my health? Will I escalate danger to myself or others? Will I alienate some person or group?

Actually, these and myriad other questions should already have been answered long before situations arise so we only have to ask ourselves, "Is it worth it?" The answer is usually a resounding NO. Yes, Jesus got angry on ocassion but study the situations and see what brought on his righteous anger

The aftermath of anger is mostly taken up with regrets about our actions. Regrets are useful only if we learn from them, repent of our mistakes and then move on. If we set up camp among regrets we will find they are distasteful companions and it will turn out to be a miserable existence. Unfortunately, too many hold onto and mourn over regrets for a lifetime

Worry is a killer. It kills joy, wastes time and inhibits positive production in our lives. Worry conjures up worst case scenarios. The more we worry the worse become the scenarios until it seems screenwriters for Hokeywood horror films must worry a lot. When I am tempted to worry, I think, "Is there something I can do to remedy this situation right now?" If the answer is Yes, I do what needs to be done. If the answer is No, I put it out of my mind. If it later turns out to be something I can still do nothing about, I give it to God. If someone tells me they are worrying about something I ask, "If it helps, please tell me." It never has because worrying has never changed any situation.

Our first defense is faith in Christ; faith that says, "No matter what happens, Christ will be with us." We put our faith in action with prayer. Very useful is a positive attitude which includes a sense of humor. It keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously.

Although Christ has laid out all of this in his Word, it has taken me many years to realize its practicality and to absorb what I've written above. I would like to say I've followed and enjoyed the benefits of these principles 100%. I have not because of my own faults (stupidity). However, I can say when I have followed these principles I find they work 100% of the time and usually in unexpected ways.

Try them for a day and really put them in practice. Then a few more days. Then a week, then: always. Don't wait til you're 84, although that's not too late to start.