Issue 70
Kingdom Knowledge & Practice

About age

【Mood Platter】Series 11

A friend once said: "I always thought that I was the youngest among my colleagues. I didn't expect that the waves behind the Yangtze River would push the waves ahead, and I would grow old in the blink of an eye."

Age as an indicator?

It's quite interesting to say that when I was young, I always looked forward to growing up quickly, and I was as excited as looking forward to getting lucky money every year! But usually after the age of 25, the initial "enthusiasm" for chasing age will gradually be lost... It is common for someone to fix themselves at the eternal "29" and take pride in "frozen age"; once upon a time, as long as you are not old, you will be Will be dubbed as a certain goddess or god. Regardless of whether this is self-hypnosis or a shift in focus, turning 30 is about to happen, and age will not waver. The iron-clad 30 seems to be a milestone of demarcation.

In the Chinese world, special attention is paid to the age of women. In the past, the upper limit was "30" as a warning setting, but it is said that the data has recently been advanced to "27". Even in the modern society of the 21st century, this phenomenon of urging marriage is still common, which naturally brings great pressure to many single women! So the data moved further forward, and the setting of "25" as the standard for marriage came into being. The reason is that if you get divorced and you are still in your "youth", you will still have many advantages even if you remarry.

However, everyone's "marriageable age" is different; some are 19; some are 49. Rather than considering age, shouldn't it be more important to consider whether one's character is mature? Are the values correct? Is self-growth well developed? Or are you just worried about the mother's advanced age giving birth from a medical point of view?

It is undeniable that most people go through the life cycle according to their age: study, find a job, start a family, start a career, retire... Follow the rules and do what you do at a certain age. But there is a saying that says beautifully: "Don't let age kidnap your life." Young people can succeed in their ambitions, and they can also be late in their careers. How you live has little to do with how long you live. People often have a myth: they believe that "age" is directly proportional to "maturity", and the concept of "a hairless mouth means a weak work" often accompanies people's hearts. However, age cannot be used as an indicator of maturity, because young people can be very mature and older people can be very naive.

Can a person be mature and childish at the same time? This is a question worth exploring. In interpersonal relationships, many people tend to be mature and considerate towards outsiders, while they appear willful and childish towards those close to them, often acting recklessly.

I know a couple. The husband has a humorous personality and is always eager to receive friends. For newcomers who have just arrived, he picks them up at the airport, moves them, takes them shopping, and personally cooks and invites them to dinner... He is what everyone thinks of as a warm and welcoming big brother. When I was alone with my wife, she said to me quietly: "Do you think Brother X is the same at home? He always runs out to help others and ignores things at home. In fact, he rarely speaks at home because he You spend all your energy outside." The husband replied: "Because there are big things at home that can't be solved, then go out and solve some small things!"

Maturity and innocence in the same frame

The human heart is like a wave, inevitably ups and downs. Maybe it’s due to hormonal changes in the body, maybe it’s due to other emotional entanglements, whether it’s “youth grows old” or “you get older”, sometimes the boundary between your inner age and your actual age is really confusing. Time is easy to throw away people. The cherries turn red and the bananas turn green. It is the accumulated days that have made you and I the age we are now. Regardless of whether the sun is in the middle of the day or when the sun is setting, you can't look back in life, you can only cherish today. Don’t sigh about running out of time, but appreciate the scenery in front of you, because now is the right age to have neither more nor less.

When the pockets of life contain more and more yesterday and less and less tomorrow, can the phenomenon be reversed? good news! As a Christian, there is another age - "spiritual age". Life in Christ also has a process of growth from childhood to adulthood, which is called "spiritual life."

In the process of spiritual growth, the degree of spiritual maturity is not necessarily directly proportional to the physical age or the time since one has believed in the Lord. The key lies in pursuing and thirsting for the truth. Many so-called senior Christians may have remained consistent in their faith for forty or fifty years, and they have remained unmoved. As in Matthew 11:16-17:"How can I compare this generation? It is like a child sitting in the market greeting his companions,explain: We played flutes to you, but you did not dance; we mourned for you, but you did not beat your breasts. "On the road to being yoked with the Lord, one should return to the original emotion. At this moment, adults and children coexist, and there is no conflict between maturity and innocence.

What can be used as an example? It's like appreciating the works of Fauvist master Henri Matisse, especially paper cut-out. No matter in color or shape, there is a kind of purity that has been washed. The maturity of the master and the innocence of the child are in the same frame, which is thought-provoking!

▲The paper cut-outs of Fauvist master Henri Matisse have a kind of purity in both color and shape. The maturity of the master and the innocence of the child are in the same frame, which is thought-provoking!

Spiritual growth is a wonderful and unique personal building process. One needs to experience walking in the wilderness. On the way, whether the pursuers are forced to cross the Red Sea, or they advance to cross the Jordan River; the former sees that God has opened a way, while the latter has to step into the river to find a way. Both require faith to move forward. Every step forward is a growth ring, helping spiritual life to take root deeper!

For those who are children of God, spiritual life belongs to eternity; the years in this world will gradually fade away, but spiritual age can only grow, not age!

Only with "spiritual age" can we truly not be kidnapped by "age"!


Miao Huitian, older and single, with money to travel but no money to take a walk. You can be lazy, diligent, active and at home; you can appreciate beautiful scenery, beautiful things, and beautiful things, and like good food, beautiful articles, and beautiful music.