Wednesday, September 29, 2021

“When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13: 11, New Living Translation)

             Anybody know what a ‘dotage’ is?

As I turn 70 years old on Friday, if I am entering my dotage (all cash gifts gratefully accepted), I don’t like the sounds of it according to dictionary definitions, I found phrases like “the period of life in which a person is old and weak,” “senile decay,” “decline of mental poise and alertness,” “mental infirmity,” “foolish infatuations.” Let’s just call it a “second childhood” and leave it at that.

Dotage comes from the old English word to dote. Now that word I like – to love dearly, be devoted to, idolize, treasure, lavish affection on, think highly of…   Take note, O children of mine!

Senile decay – sheesh!

Now, where was I going with this? Oh, yeah…

Maturity is very much a part of growing up and getting older. It should mean gaining wisdom from constant practice, knowledge from experience, understanding from gained insights. With maturity comes a deeper appreciation for life, a deeper spirit of patience and grace and a sense of humour about the vagaries of life. Maturity is to celebrate the things we can do and not be overwhelmed by the things we can’t do.

Maturity isn’t being stubborn about the past nor being nostalgic for some mythical “good old days”. It is not complaining about the world and its ways. It is not about shooing people off our lawns, symbolically speaking. Maturity is not some cranky, grumpy, irritable view of the present nor the future.

Maturity should show in our spiritual affairs and living. A Sunday School faith was a very good beginning when we were children but as maturing adults we should be growing up in our Biblical knowledge, finding new depths in our spiritual awareness and broadening our spiritual horizons. “Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.” (1 Corinthians 14: 20, NLT)

Paul’s hope is “that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13, NLT) We don’t stop growing, processing, maturing just because we hit some certain age. Living up to the standard of Christ is a life-long journey.

 Paul notes in Philippians “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.  No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3: 12 – 14, NLT)

So, as I turn 70, I will press on to continue to grow up, to mature, to increase in wisdom and good character, to discover God in all aspects of life and show Christ in all that I say or do. It is a lofty and sometimes hard goal.

“Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11, NLT)

Senile decay – sheesh!

 Dale