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Keys to Spiritual Vitality
 

by Richard P. Johnson, Ph.D.

The Christian psychologist Karl Jung once said that "Attitude is the mind's paintbrush. It can color any situation." Certainly our attitude toward maturation (aging) colors our later lifespan.

Human and spiritual growth can be likened to a process of opening new doors, while closing others. To confidently open the doors to healthy life in our maturing years, we need to gently close doors on our previous stage(s) in life. These doors lead to attitudes in our mind; but, which ones need opening, and which doors need closing?

Doors that say that "being young is good, and being older is not good" need to be closed. Doors that say "older people are irritable, or cranky, or slow, or forgetful," all need to be closed.

Doors that say, "maturation brings new and deeper life in the Spirit," and doors that say that "aging is part of God's 'Good News' because it enhances our spiritual character," and doors that say "maturation is the classroom of life that brings deepened wisdom, patience, acceptance, peace, harmony, trust, truth, gratitude, vision, inspiration, and humility," are all doors that need to be opened.

Maturation, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. How we see aging greatly influences our maturation in all arenas of life, and especially as a believer. Aging is a vital, growth-filled, and even power-packed part of God's eternal plan for our salvation; we cannot shrink from it, we must embrace it with gusto.

In our maturing years we're called to modify our attitudes about a lot of things, but the most basic attitudinal modification of healthy maturation is the realization that aging is a gift of new life, a chance to see ourselves from a new and heightened perspective: fuller, kinder, and deeper. Jesus told us that He makes all things new—aging is one of the tools Jesus gives us to make us new! To learn more about healthy aging, log onto: The 12 Keys to Spiritual Vitality: Powerful Lessons on Living Agelessly