The glorious gray crown

Posted by Nathan Ho on April 29, 2016

It would seem that our world has something to say about aging, and newsflash: it isn’t very hopeful. Just peruse your local department store, what do you see? Aisles upon aisles of cosmetic products – magical moisturizers to maintain a tight and smooth complexion, shampoos and conditioners for luscious and full hair, creams and lipsticks for vibrant and colorful lips, blush for rosy cheeks, and makeup to make the eyes pop. All of which are intended to cover up the ‘blemishes’ of age and grasp for days past to renew some semblance of youth. Meanwhile, movies and popular music churn out tales that esteem youthfulness and denounce maturity. More often than we even realize, we are entertained by characters who cast off the burden of adult responsibilities for juvenile spontaneity, but when the movie ends and the music dies down, we realize our problems haven’t disappeared and discarding the shackles of age is nothing more than a fantasy.

The narrative world around us would have us believe is growing old holds no upside; it is the unenviable and inevitable fact of life. Having recently hit my mid-twenties, I feel the draw now more than ever to lament growing older. I see everything the world is telling me about aging, and I am tempted to buy into that perspective. Yet I believe it is important for us to consider the issue of aging from a Biblical, Christian worldview. What does God have to say about aging?

For starters, Proverbs 16:31 says “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” I know what you’re thinking: that sounds like a great little proverb but the shiny crown popping out the back of my head is no crown of glory. This proverb is totally backwards to what society says. They say we ought to cover up the grayness with some hair dye because it is a sign of age, so why would God declare gray hair, and by extension aging, a crown? According to the proverb, gray hair is valuable because it denotes a long life of opportunity for a righteous life of obedience – many years of loving, treasuring, and giving glory to God. The sign of aging points to God’s blessing on us of that many more moments to study the Scriptures, pray to Him, evangelize the lost, engage in discipleship, and serve the church. Gray hair is glorious because it is a sign of a long life of righteousness!

Not only does God speak on aging through the Proverbs, but we also find in the New Testament a very special calling reserved for aged Christians. Titus 2:3-4 is a charge for older women to “be reverent in behavior” and “teach what is good” to the younger women, and Paul elsewhere instructs older men to teach younger men that they might teach even younger men (2 Timothy 2:1-2) and calls Christians to imitate him as he imitates Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). God knows His people, so His calling for us as young people is simply to obey Him and follow our leaders, which is more than enough for us to handle. It’s the older men and women who bear the privileged responsibility to call younger Christians to live in a godly manner while acting as a model for imitation. By God’s design, the longevity of the church rests on the shoulders of the aged to give instruction and then to live out what they teach as an example of how to honor God. That’s a high calling reserved for a highly respected people.

From the Bible, we see that God extols age as a token of righteous living, and He esteems the aged by giving them a pivotal role in the church. But even further, Christians need not pine for what is past because He gives us heaven to strive hard after. With each passing day, month, and year we are being made into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18), so we can be confident that our most sanctified years are yet to come. Christians of every age have been freed to run unrestrained into each new year of life. We need not yearn wistfully for the ‘glory days’ of our youth because we know that the greatest glory awaits us in heaven when we will be united with our Heavenly Father for eternity (Romans 5:2-5).

As we grow older, dear Christian, may we treasure every gray hair that crowns our heads as it points us to God’s faithfulness to produce righteousness over the decades. May we follow the examples of Christians before us until the calling reserved for aged Christians becomes ours also, and may we eagerly anticipate heaven by striving hard after Christ while He still gives us life and breath here on earth. And on the last day of our lives, may we be able to say with the good saint, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

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