What Ageing Has Taught Me
(Part 1)
1 Corinthians 13
KJV
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
It was boxing legend the late Muhammad Ali ( Cassius Clay) who said “If a man is fifty years old but acts and behaves like a twenty-year-old; he has wasted thirty years of his life “. This is similar to what Paul wrote which you’ve read above.
Attitudes and behaviours must be consistent with one’s age. You are fifty yet acting like a twenty-five year old. The question is “Is this true with most of us ?” From how we dress to how we speak and the things we say and how we say them all these show people how old we are. What our birth certificate states is different from how we act and behave.
What most do not know is this, nobody will ask you how old you are; they know by how you dress, talk, act, behave etc and what your desires are.
Some habits and characters of some have not changed, though they’ve been around for years now; they’ve remained the same ever since you knew them!
What accounts for these, one may ask? Many things, the key among which is the inability/unwillingness to grow! Many fail to work on their attitudes and character as they grow, they take them for granted and even boast of them. Be your age.
As you age you must make every effort to re-examine your life. How you appear in public, how you behave in public, how you speak in public, everything about you must sync or be consistent with your age.
Read what Paul said about himself;
1 Corinthians 13
KJV
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Oh, what a man! He said I lived and acted in ways that are consistent with my age. What about you? Have you listened to yourself lately? What about your behaviour how consistent is it with your age?
You’ve heard some tell you “ grow graciously” do you know what they want to tell you? Let your attitudes and behaviours be consistent with your age, this is what they mean!
Ageing is not about grey hair, it is about changes in how we behave; unfortunately, most of our behaviours give us away as we’ve failed to put away “ childish ” ways.
Please pay attention to these. A word to the wise!
John Franklin Tamakloe