Are You Aging Well?

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach explores a recent article and study suggesting that aging is not simply a story of decline, but often includes measurable improvement in both cognitive and physical health. He highlights how a person’s view of aging–particularly optimism–can significantly shape their experience of growing older. He then connects this insight to Scripture, showing how believers are called to flourish, bear fruit in every season of life, and steward their lives for God’s glory even into old age.

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Creators and Guests

Host

Zach Weihrauch

Follower of Jesus who has graciously given me a wife to love, children to shepherd, and a church to pastor.

What is Wake Up, Look Up?

Check out new episodes of our daily podcast, Wake Up, Look Up, with Zach Weihrauch as he interprets what's happening in our world through the lens of the gospel.

Hello everyone, and thanks for listening to Wake Up, Look Up, a podcast where we connect events happening in real time to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm Zach Weihrauch, and in today's episode we're asking the question, are you aging well? This is prompted by an article I read recently in the Washington Post. An opinion piece by Leanna Nguyen called most people are thinking about aging all wrong. She's citing a Yale study which was published in the, publication Geriatrics recently, which followed 11,000 older Americans for up to 12 years. So actually creating 12 years of data. And what they found is that aging is not automatically a story of decline. Of all the 11,000 older Americans they followed for 12 years, 32% of them during that time period improved cognitively. That's right. They got smarter, they got clearer. 28% of them improved in walking speed. They actually got faster. And 45% of them improved in at least one area of their life. Researchers, are estimating that more than 26 million older Americans are actually experiencing measurable improvements in physical or cognitive function function rather than decline. And they say, get this, the biggest influencer of whether you age well, of whether as you get older you diminish in physical and mental capacity or you increase in physical and mental capacity, is a positive view of aging. In other words, optimism. If you say, hey, I'm choosing to get smarter, I'm choosing to get healthier, I'm choosing to get, faster, you will, that's what science is telling us. But if you throw up your hands and just say, my life is winding down and I'm coming to decline in all these areas, you also will. It's a self fulfilling prophecy. when I read this, I couldn't help of, think of two things. the first are the examples in my own life. I know people in my life who are aging poorly, who somehow seem like their bodies and, and their minds are getting worse as they get older. But I also know people that are the opposite. You know, I think about my predecessors at Christ Community Chapel, Pastor Jim College, who's in his mid-70s, Pastor Joe Coffee is in his late 60s. And they could probably both beat me up. they really set a great example of how to take care of yourself, of how to continue to grow and continue to develop in old age. I want to be like them as I get older. I want to be someone who can join my kids and hopefully grandchildren in, in whatever they choose to do. I don't want to be in the way I Don't want to be the person who has to stay at home because my body or my mind are not up to speed, at least as much as it depends on me. And believe it or not, the Bible has something to say about this. In Psalm 92:12, here's what it says. Listen to this. It says, 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. Listen. They still bear fruit in old age. They are ever full of SAP and green. I, love that language. They're healthy trees all the way into old age. You know, in 1 Corinthians 10:31, the apostle Paul says, whatever you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God. Paul is saying, even in the minutia of life, find a way to glorify God. Isn't that also true of aging? See, for the Christian, it isn't just about optimism over I will get stronger, I will get smarter, I will get faster in old age. It's also about saying, am I still. Do I still belong to God? Does he still have use for me in his kingdom? Does he still have plans for my life? And if so, am I not still a steward? Do I not still owe it to him to get up every day and. And to chase after whatever he has in front of me? However, I can be a blessing to his people and to his kingdom and to his mission to spread the name of Jesus around the nations. The answer to all those questions is yes. Christians should age the best for two reasons. One is our lives belong to God. He won't waste our old age if we give it to Him. He has purpose for us. But the second is, as I get older, I'm simply only getting closer to being with my Lord Jesus Christ. So every day belongs to Him. And every future day, including the day past my death, also belongs to Him. So listen, brothers and sisters in Christ who are north of 60, you don't have to diminish. You can increase, increase in impact, increase in influence, even increase in your walking speed and your cognitive function. And you can increase in the effect you are having on the kingdom of God. So choose today. Choose stewardship. Choose increase. Choose to improve in old age. Who knows? Maybe even as I age, I'll get better at golf. Wouldn't that be something? Let's age well to the glory of God. Hey, thanks for checking out Wake Up, Look Up. For more content, be sure to visit the Christ Community Chapel app or website cccchapel.com.

Have an article you’d like Zach to discuss? Email us at [e-mail]!