Recently we had a chat with an older neighbor who has given up gardening because it is beyond her strength. She knew when to quit and to focus on other things. She is living out the saying, “Old age is the process of losing things, wisdom in letting them go!”

I want to have such wisdom, to willingly, whole-heartedly give up what I can no longer do as I get older. Then I can move on to whatever else the Lord has for me, making my way through the aging process with grace and praise, living in the truth that “My soul finds rest in God alone…” (Psalm 62:1).

Such wisdom will lead us:

Ø to remember our great purpose in life–to glorify God–and do so in the small and the big;

Ø to make praise the keynote of our lives;

Ø to focus on prayer, the Word, and reading good, edifying material;

Ø to lift our souls to God every day, not storing up negatives, especially     bad feelings;

Ø to praise in and for all that comes and goes;

Ø to continue to be teachable;

Ø to let go of what we cannot keep;

Ø to let go of what tends to worry us (what will happen if…?) and let God handle them;

Ø to let go of our small desires and keep our eyes on the bigger picture;

Ø to deal with resolvable pain with available help (meds, diet, exercise, weight loss, etc.)

Ø to accept offered help;

Ø to speak kindly and with patience;

Ø to be generous;

Ø to not fret about waste.

Such “non-self-centered living” will free us to enjoy what God has given us. It will help us to focus on the Joy that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, enduring whatever cross we may have, despising whatever shame we or others may put on us, knowing that we are going to be seated with Him in heavenly places (Heb. 12:2).

Let us embrace this great hope, this great future and this great purpose and rise above every situation.