I read a funny quip about a rather daring gentleman who asked an elderly lady her age. She responded, “Sir, my age is my business!” The brazen man responded with, “Lady, it looks like you’ve been in business a long time.”

Like you, I was taught a long time ago that you never ask a lady her age. With some, it tends to be a sensitive subject.

Have you ever noticed how personalities change with age—men and women? Some age well—strong and rough personalities will often mellow with time. While others have a tendency to be just the opposite.

Are there any secrets to aging gracefully? Here are a few that I found in the Bible.

#1 Guard your heart. Paul said that the outward man perishes, but the inward man can be daily renewed (2 Cor. 4:16).

So, how do you guard your heart for the later years? Prepare it now.  Here are some verses to meditate on:

“But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Josh. 22:5).

“And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;…Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you” (1 Sam. 12:20,24).

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments” (Ezra 7:10).

“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken” (Prov. 15:13).

#2 Enjoy your life. From the physical viewpoint, we are dying a little every day.

“Each day we pass the brink of the grave, and some of its dust is sprinkled upon us. But we can shake off some dust for awhile by taking time to enjoy the deeper and more meaningful things of life.”

Let’s remember that we all must make a living, but let’s take time to live, and as we live, let’s live for the Lord (Rm. 12:1; Heb. 13:15).

#3 Put others before yourself. Some of my favorite “older people” are the ones who serve until their body won’t permit it any longer. I think for some, it’s their service that strengthens them to live longer.

My Lord said, “But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant” (Mt. 20:26-27).

Let’s keep ourselves in the Lord’s business, and if we do, we’ll age gracefully.

I hope you have a terrific week!

–Neil Richey