Ewald Schmidt

“But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.” Romans 8:10 (NIV)

As time goes by, one thought becomes clearer in my mind. Not one of us is going to survive our parents – Father Time and Mother Nature. Every time I dare to look into a mirror, I find a few more grey hairs. I experience it every year as I prepare for my favourite cycle race. Somehow, Table Mountain’s sides get steeper every year, and the time I need to finish gets a little longer every year. If I look back upon my life, I can remember times when I was younger, stronger, faster, in better shape than today. This body in which I dwell is getting older, slower, and more fragile than before. The reality is that the shadows are getting longer, and evening is on its way. The days of my life are running out slowly but surely. It is not a happy thought knowing that one day it will be my last day on this earth, with my body worn out and spent. But before you get depressed and run off to the gym to try and postpone the inevitable: I also have some good news from our verse today!

The much greater truth that we cannot yet fully understand is that we are destined to LIVE through the Spirit. This whole chapter teaches us about the life that the Spirit of God gives freely to those who are “in Christ”. We have become the children of God, and we walk the path of life with him. Our bodies might be a temporary gift to us, to use to honour God and work in his vineyard whilst we are here. But the permanent gift of God to his children is LIFE, everlasting life. The life that does not end when our bodies reach their end. We do not need to fear the process of getting older, this is not a sign of the end of the journey with God. It is only the beginning of the end of this chapter in our eternal love story with God. Our bodies might get old and weak, but we are safe in the hands of our God, the Eternal One.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, it remains a daily struggle to accept that I am getting older. It is not easy to find peace with the fact that my body is mortal, and I am getting a little weaker every passing year. Help me to trust you, the source of eternal life, as my days go by. Thank you that time and age are no threat to your eternal plans for me. Thank you for life everlasting. Help me to grow older gracefully, always trusting in you. Amen