A Biblical Approach to Aging: Help and Hope for Your Journey

By Bill Winscott

A Biblical Approach To Aging presents a panorama of Christian considerations on the subject. This includes a step-by-step analysis of subjects like: analyzing your current status, what the Bible has to say about aging, your future, your calling in Christ, an aging checklist and peace to overcome. The book examines options in aging activities and perspectives for seniors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664273399

Bill Winscott

Bill lives with his wife Carol and two Westie dogs in the Hill Country of Texas. He has a Christian background as a seminary graduate in theology, pastor, student and teacher. Bill's experience also includes being a business owner, business manager, military officer , medical technologist and medical manager. Bill and Carol have five children and eight grandchildren.

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Copyright © 2022 Bill Winscott.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-7338-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-7340-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-7339-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022913594

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/10/2022 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version® Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.http://netbible.org All rights reserved.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

To those who have come before...

But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

(Heb. 7:19)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

(Heb. 13:8)

CONTENTS

SECTION ONE

Now What? A Panoramic View of Aging

1 Where Am I Now?

2 Getting Prepared for the Future

3 What Does the Bible Say About Aging?

4 What Are My Options?

5 Biblical Perspectives for Seniors

SECTION TWO

Aging into the Future

6 Helps along Your Path

7 Be Grounded in Christ

8 The Hope for Christians

9 The End of the Beginning

SECTION THREE

Your Future in Eternity

10 Our Real Home

SECTION FOUR

Aging in this Life on Earth

11 The Practice of Biblical Aging

12 Aim for Your Future that God Intended

13 When Change is Required

14 Stay Healthy, Involved, and Relevant in the World

15 An Aging Checklist

16 Peace to Overcome

Appendix I – How To Give Your Life To Christ

Appendix II – Biblical Aging Reminders

Bibliography

Other Books by the Author

Section One

NOW WHAT? A PANORAMIC VIEW OF AGING

Chapter One

WHERE AM I NOW?

The content of this book assumes that the reader is a believer in Jesus Christ. This may not be the case with every reader. If it is not the case with you, then I urge you to dedicate your life to Jesus Christ. I have included an appendix at the end of this book for you to consider and hopefully utilize in becoming a believer.

Not everyone who calls out to me, Lord! Lord! will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name. But I will reply, I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws. (Matt. 7:21–23)

As I began to write this book, I had previously spent over five years as an author. Before that I spent some years as a pastor and before that spent a few years in seminary where I graduated with a graduate degree in theological studies. Before seminary I had passed age sixty-five and was on Social Security. I had always wanted to study theology and I fulfilled a lifelong pursuit by entering seminary. As I came out of seminary someone asked me, What are you going to do with your training now? I had not really spent much time dwelling on this question before. I was focused on obtaining all the information I could and absorbing everything I was able to study in the time I had. However, I realized that this was a question I needed to answer. Where was I now? What should I do after seminary? After some considerable soul-searching I decided to pursue a potential pastorate opportunity in my church denomination. It was only a few months later when I received a phone call from the regional office. I soon found myself as pastor of a wonderful church with a history stretching back over a hundred years. It was an experience of a lifetime. My spiritual challenges were greatly expanded, I met some treasured friends, and I learned much about putting my education and faith into action.

I now present this same question to you. Where are you now? You have a lifetime of experience and resources that may be applied in some way to help others and put faith into action. This does not necessarily mean employment after you reach retirement age. You are a unique individual and God has given you a providential plan for your life that no one else has. I urge you to review your current situation, your background, and potential opportunities that could positively affect others as you read this book.

There are many things to consider in evaluating where you are now. First, all of us are getting older. Even a newborn baby is going to get older every day and eventually leaves this world. Second, it is important to determine what legacy you want to leave behind when you are gone. Third, everyone brings baggage into old age. This may include any number of things: depression, fear, bitterness, resentment, discouragement, boredom, emptiness, deterioration, and faded hopes. These feelings and concerns are not uncommon. If they are an obstacle in moving forward, they should be reviewed and addressed.

How can I determine where I am now? This could include a review of your life experience, family situation, economic condition, unfulfilled aspirations, employment history, spiritual calling, personal values, and health status. A review of all these areas is helpful to determine where you are now.

Life Experience:

Family Situation:

Economic Condition:

Unfulfilled Aspirations:

Employment History:

Health Status:

Personal Values:

Spiritual Calling:

An honest assessment of the above areas will prepare you to answer the question of where you are now. This exercise alone may be one that opens your life to new directions and opportunities like it did for me and others who have completed something similar in their lives. A key point here is to not just plunge ahead into the future without evaluating future possibilities in light of past experiences and current capabilities. If you are comfortable in your current calling and daily work, you can use this assessment as a review to confirm your situation.

Chapter Two

GETTING PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE

You have now answered the question of where you are now and are ready for the next step. Am I ready to prepare for the future? A wide variety of sources offer advice on what pursuits are available as you age. The list would probably look similar to the following:

A List of Sample Future Options:

The truth is the Bible would offer a Christian a perspective that begins at a more basic and foundational level. None of the above ideas for senior adults are bad. All these ideas can in fact be excellent areas to explore. The preparation process needs to be a positive and constructive journey to a fulfilling providential life. This preparation is part of a journey to a more fruitful and fulfilling life and one that is in alignment with what God desires for you.

As a Christian you are on a totally different time clock than nonbelievers. Some Christians can be disappointed with their lives in old age because they perceive that their lives are approaching an end and they have no future. Of course, this impression is invalid. They may come to the realization that they have not achieved the legacy they had intended to achieve all of their lives. Goals of high position, money, wealth, success, peace, fulfillment, and love may now be beyond reach. Painful thoughts of what they did wrong in life can be haunting and ever-present. There is no need to despair as Christians who have given their lives to Christ. A different time clock applies here. The moment a person gives their life to Christ, a new time clock goes into effect. From that point in time they are on eternity time, which measures an eternal period of future time for the believer. The believer does not need to wait for the experience of physical death and arrival in heaven to be on eternity time. This new measurement of time arrives instantaneously at the moment of rebirth in the Christian conversion process.

For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. (2 Tim. 1:9–10)

Are you ready for a life of humility, dignity, meaning, and significance? A model for this is the life of Christ. Live a life that reflects Christ in your actions and words every day. Age