How can we face ageing and death with hope?

Ageing is an inevitable part of the human condition. As the years roll by wrinkles appear, hair turns grey, memories blur, and mobility slows.

In recent years we have seen people taking radical steps to try and slow, or even reverse, the process. Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson is reportedly spending £1.6 million annually, in the hope of achieving immortality. Although his regimented lifestyle, which includes red light therapy and sleep tracking, may prolong his life, he will be unable to stop the inevitable process of getting older.

So where can we find hope? The Bible points us to a Saviour who defeated death. In the words of the poet George Herbert, ‘death used to be an executioner, but the gospel makes him just a gardener’, planting us in God’s soil, and raising us to a new, perfected life.

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"The Bible points us to a Saviour who defeated death."

As a young person myself, questions around ageing and mortality often seem very far off. Youthfulness can often bring with it a feeling of invincibility. Inevitably you hear the longings of older friends and family wishing they could be ‘twenty-one again.’ However, the reality is that time moves fast.

The brevity and unpredictability of life is encapsulated in the words of James chapter 4, ‘Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.’

Although many of us desire to live a long life, the realities of ageing are not for the faint-hearted. Having witnessed the process in the lives of my own loved ones, you can see the once most simple, daily tasks quickly becoming a laborious struggle. Your mind may cause you to forget those you love the most, and your body will stop functioning in the way you would like it to.

Whether we are experiencing this ourselves or witnessing it in the lives of those we care about, it begs the question, how can we face ageing and death with hope?

"...how can we face ageing and death with hope?"

Here are three ways that we can approach this topic with clarity and wisdom:

We must remember this is not how it should be. When we see the minds and bodies of those we love and care about beginning to fail, it is undoubtedly upsetting. Death is a painful reality that doesn’t feel right. The Bible tells us it isn’t. As the Lord Jesus sat by the tomb of His friend Lazarus, He wept. This weeping was more than just an overflow of emotion, it was a deep anger that this is not how things should be. Death is a solemn enemy whenever it comes.

We don’t mourn as those without hope. These are the words of Paul in 1 Thessalonians. For Christians death is not the end, because Christ rose again, He has promised that we too will rise. For those who feel frail and weary, God promises to renew their strength, and He points to a future time when ageing, pain, and sickness will be no more.

Finally, in a world of consumption and comparison, it is helpful to reflect upon the simple blessings of life. Whether it is family, food, a roof over our head, or the very breath in our lungs, there is so much that we can so easily take for granted. An attitude of gratitude helps breed contentment, so let us live each day giving thanks for what we have.

So often we can live our lives numb to the prospect that one day will be our last. Death is the ultimate enemy of life, but it is a reality that we cannot blind ourselves to. May God equip us to live in the assurance that because of Christ’s death and resurrection we can one day experience the reality of eternal life, untouched by the consequences of sin. Death has truly lost its sting.