God does not want us to stop growing in old age. The idea of retirement is false. The idea of not working to relax and enjoy life is a false ideal. The actions of giving unto others in Christian service actually creates work and brings joy and life to our flesh and bones. The body will age but the spirit can stay young, and that is what God wants us to adopt. God envisions our life as continually fruitful for ourselves and the world around us. We are meant to live abundantly and cultivating life and growth in everything we do. The idea of growth comes from the perspective of giving; the concept of death eminates from the notion of taking from others. The power to grow comes from our decisions to live in accordance to God’s will. As we live in Christ moment by moment, we gain the grace to grow and share that spirit with others. The image of this concept in the Bible is the palm tree: “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”(Psalm 92: 12-15) Even in old age the righteous bear fruit. This is a powerful God-given mentality and consciousness. This passage in Psalm 92 is similar to Psalm 1, where the message is that of trees planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in season and leaves not withering. In Psalm 1, the righteous are blessed as “in all that they do, they prosper.” (verse 3) This is the vision of life that God has laid out for us–to be in constant life-giving mode, being joyful, grateful and living young continually. This is a mindset of giving and sharing with others. This is the mindset of living in the truest sense in the Kingdom of God.
Are We to Grow Old & Wither ?
