Am I old?

On the night of my 40th birthday I asked my little man, "Do you think mom is old?" He looked at me with that are you crazy look and simply stated, "No, you still new." I tucked him in, gave him an extra kiss and said, "Good night."

Initially, I was grateful he didn't think I was old, but in the last few days I've thought more about his statement. You see Friday morning I woke up and one of the first verses I read was, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:16) The words were comforting and a reminder that age is simply a number.

Throughout the day I had calls and facebook posts welcoming me to the club and assuring me it was all downhill from here. A high school classmate even told me I still looked 18, but I responded saying, "I wish I felt 18." Clearly, things are different with each passing year and there is no denying the truth...I'm getting older and my body is no longer what it use to be.

Friend, there is another more important truth you and I must cling to as the days and years go by - Isaiah 46:4 says, "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." No matter our age, our looks or ability God is with us and He will sustain us to do what we need to do.

These promises are real and provide comfort, but I want to get back to a truth we must address. Granted Jesse only said "new" because he's 4 and doesn't yet understand that old has another opposite, young. Honestly though, the truth is I'm not young, but friend I am new. Are you?

If you're wondering what this means let me explain...2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come." Regardless of what the calendar says or how your body feels, if you have Christ you're not old. He can and will make you new. It's not necessarily the new we think of when we think of a new car or home, but it's new according to God's standards. And friend, in the end they are the only ones that matter.

If you're reading this now and think I'll deal with that later, let me remind you we are not guaranteed we have later. The morning after my birthday I found out my friend's mom was killed in a car accident. Hard news, hurting hearts and lives forever changed. I talked with Crystal and though she is hurting badly she has peace knowing her mom is with Jesus and she will see her again.

Friend, her mom is in heaven because she was made new. At some point her life, she began a personal relationship with Jesus Christ...she confessed her sins and acknowledged her need for a Savior then she committed to making Him Lord of her life. Have you done that? Have you been made new?

We can try all sorts of things to make us feel younger and maybe even look new...it may work for awhile, but the only way for it to work eternally is to allow God to make the change. God will do His part, but friend we must do ours as well.

If you're feeling old and want to be saved joining me in doing what Romans 10:9 commands, "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." The choice is ours, but the gift is from God...receive it today! Ephesians 2:8 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."

Friend, in our society today nobody wants to look or feel old, but the newness we're talking about here is so much more important! If my turning 40 helps you understand that more I will be forever grateful!! And if you are a fellow disciple, my sister in Christ, join me in being thankful for being "new" today no matter what your age says or how your body feels!!