For My children, faith and love replace the strength of youth. Beauty fades, but in the years of the believer, [something] much better dawns. Youth flees, and the fair face fades as the blossom, but the heart of those who seek My face find far greater than youth. For with youth – arrogance, and in the young – strength and vanity as their god. Do not be as the fool who looks back and longs for what again will never be. Be as the wise, who seek with their years the reward of the obedient, who walk in the way of faith, and love both God and man. In such a one, age brings beauty, and with frailty, the strength of he who rides among heaven’s army. Do not judge harshly the weakness of the body, for the strength of the heavenward soul grows in age, and what is left behind is refuse, as the shell abandoned for wings.
2 Cor 4:16 (ESV) – So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
Bottom Line: Every year the strong are replaced with the stronger, and the beautiful with the more beautiful. In our careers there are those charging into the workplace with more energy and education than we have, and as the years go by, we may be very aware that our own quickness and intellect are fading faster than we expected. For the true follower of Christ, this is not the measure. If we are reflecting Him as we should, the virtues of a holy man or woman should be the focus, and these should be growing stronger year by year. If you don’t see growth, or you find yourself continually looking back in time, seek His face and He will lead you to the next and better version of you.
