Quinquagenarian. What an awkward word. 

Yet, as cumbersome of a word as it is to write and pronounce, it accurately describes an attribute of my earthly existence. And if I am honest with myself, the connotations of this word are ones that I both praise God for as well as wrestle with in the flesh from time to time.

For those unfamiliar with its definition, it is simply and unassumingly as follows: “A person between 50 and 59” (Britannica Dictionary).

I can all but picture the reactions of you who are reading this. Some of the younger generation may equate my almost 54 years to those of unfathomable Old Testament proportions—like Noah, who was an incredible 600 years old when he encountered the flood (Genesis 7:6). Some of a similar generation to my own may relate more directly, feeling the tension between an attitude of praise and the earthly consequences of an aging flesh. Others of a more seasoned generation may laugh and see my over half a century as, Lord willing, a nice start to a long and purposeful life.

Regardless of how you may view my age, one thing can be said as true: I have aged and that aging has brought change.

Where once stood an athlete, now stands a man showing (and feeling) the impacts of the aging process. What was once thick, brown, and long hair (it was the 80s after all!) has turned thin and gray. Health concerns that were once few, if any, have turned to cancer surgery and auto-immune disease. 

But what is also true of the years that have passed is that a once surface-level interest in things of God has grown into a deep desire to know him more. 

By God’s design, my temporal pursuits of the past have given way by necessity to a more eternal purpose. As a result, I desire less and less to cling to my earthen shell—but let me come back to this later.

In Isaiah 40:6-8, we read the following:

        … All flesh is grass,
        and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
        The grass withers, the flower fades
        when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
        surely the people are grass.
        The grass withers, the flower fades,
        but the word of our God will stand forever.

There are two immutable facts stated in these verses: God and his truths will stand forever, but our earthly bodies will not.

My body is withering grass. My body is a fading flower. But God’s word stands true now and forevermore.

As Christians, our response to this is most likely an emphatic, or at least a sympathetic, “amen!” Yet far too often our quests seem to be to the contrary. Our actions would show that our desire is to prolong and cling to the health of the body, often at extreme costs—financially, committally, physically, and spiritually.

Let me state something clearly. I am not suggesting that pursuit of good health holds no value. If I made that claim, far too many of us might be content to grab a bag of our favorite potato chips, slap on our comfy sweats, kick back on the couch, and wait as we proclaim over and over again, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” This type of response would not be showing good stewardship of what God has entrusted to our care.

Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 4:8 that bodily training “is of some value.” Therefore, we can conclude that there is a context in which caring for our physical health can and should be intentional and purposeful. 

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we are told to remember that our bodies are “a temple of the Holy Spirit within you.” We are not our own. We were “bought with a price.” He closes the chapter with the call to action to “glorify God in your body.” 

While Paul is speaking more directly to fleeing from sexual immorality, it is still true that we are not our own, and we are to glorify God through how we take care of (rather than sin against) our bodies.

Likewise, he implores us in Romans 12:1-2 to “… present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind …” 

The context for caring for our physical health provided by these two passages of scripture is rather straightforward—we are purposed to worship and glorify God. We care for the body because it is a provision from Him, intended to be offered back to Him as we pursue Him.

In other words, we are not to buy into the ways of, and the reasoning for, the world’s pursuits—which include prioritizing and idolizing the care of our physical bodies over pursuing our holiness and a desire to glorify God in all that we do.

If we go back to 1 Timothy 4 and read a little further, we see the following in verses 8 through 10:

        … for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value
        in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the
        life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.
        For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the
        living God …

Our bodies are not intended for our own glory, but rather for God’s. It is in God—not our physical health—that we are to place our full hope and pursuit in this life and the life to come. 

If our desire is simply for the purpose of prolonging our earthly life or attempting beautification of a body intended to wither and fade, we have nothing more than a misplaced hope and pursuit.

Now let me take a moment to return to the idea of our earthen shell. In 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 we read the following:

        But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing 
        power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, 
        but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, 
        but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in 
        the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be 
        manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given 
        over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be 
        manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

        Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been 
        written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also 
        speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also 
        with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your 
        sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase 
        thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

        So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our 
        inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction 
        is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as 
        we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. 
        For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen 
        are eternal.

Our earthen vessels—these jars of clay—are mortal, but they contain a treasure far greater than the vessel itself: the power of the gospel! Yet for whatever reason, so many believers desire to show others a fresh coat of paint slapped on a simple jar of clay rather than show the power of God, who through no ability of our own brought us from death to true life through Jesus Christ.

Our worth is not in our accomplishments. Our purpose is not in lifting the most weights, eating the most organic foods, swimming the longest distances, buying the best fitness equipment, using the right blends of oils, or attending the most early-morning sessions at the local fitness club.

While in and of themselves these things may hold “some value”, we all too often idolize the participation or anticipated result over purposing our health (and our aging bodies) to glorify God.

Allow me to ask a few probing questions:

• Is your pursuit of health for the sake of glorifying God and offering your body as a sacrifice to him? Or is it for your own glorification?

• Would your finances, time commitments, social media posts, etc., show that you value glorifying God over serving yourself through health pursuits? Do you desire people to see Him or to see the things that you have accomplished?

• Is your pursuit of health so driven that you are willing to entertain practices that incorporate ungodly influences, such as Yoga, Tai Chi, or New Age-aligned practices?

• Does your pursuit of health show reliance on a sovereign God, or is it held by fear? Does the desire to chase after health habits, foods, home remedies, etc., impact your ability to fellowship with others and live on mission?

As amazing as the physical body may be, it pales in comparison to God. He is worth our consideration of whether our highest pursuit is the worship of the eternal Creator or an attempt to prolong the physical state of the created.

Be healthy. But be healthy for the purpose of glorifying God. He has purposed and numbered the days in this life for His glory.