A few weeks ago, I had a meeting with a client I hadn’t seen in person for about a year. We had spoken on the phone several times, but it had been a while since we had actually seen each other in person. It was great seeing them again and catching up. They’re both in their late 60s now, but you would never know it—they’re aging incredibly well. I mentioned that to them, and the wife very kindly (and not in a rude way at all) pointed out that I seemed to have gained quite a bit more gray hair since the last time we saw each other. I laughed and told them that if they lived with my two youngest kids, they might also get the opportunity to join me in the accelerated aging process.
But in all seriousness, my body is definitely starting to show its age – knees, shoulders, wrinkles, graying hair, and a rapidly retreating hairline. One of my kids was recently trying to figure out how I had managed to make my hairline go so far back. I had to explain that it wasn’t something I did – it’s just what happens with age – I told them it’s called a “widow’s peak”… though I’m not sure they were convinced.
Moments like that – and many others – continue to remind me that this body isn’t meant to last forever. It continues to fail me, and my hope and trust can’t be placed in it – unless I want to be continuously and thoroughly disappointed.
The apostle Paul uses a similar picture when he describes our earthly bodies as fragile containers and temporary tents in his second letter to the Corinthians:
“But we have this treasure in earthen containers so that the extraordinary greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NASB 2020)
And later he writes:
“For we know that if our earthly tent which is our house is torn down…”
— 2 Corinthians 5:1 (NASB 2020)
Toward the end of chapter 4, Paul encourages the Corinthians that even though our outer body is decaying (4:16), our inner person is being renewed day by day through the work of the Spirit. Our focus is not meant to be on the temporary things we can see, but on the eternal things we cannot see (4:17–18).
As a man who has struggled – and at times still struggles – with pride in my strength and health, the Lord continues to chip away at this area of my life. He graciously gives me opportunities to see just how much I need Him, and moments to be vulnerable with the people He has placed in my life.
For example, I get to show my kids that their faith isn’t in their dad – his health, his strength, or his ability to hold things together. Their faith is in the Lord, who isn’t falling apart or slowly weakening with time – He won’t fail them.
And the older this tent gets, the more thankful I am that my hope was never meant to rest in it. Here are some questions to reflect on this week:
- What has the world tried to teach me about what a “real man” looks like - strength, independence, control, success, physical ability, providing for others?
- How does that compare to the picture of manhood we see in Christ?
- As my body ages and my physical and mental abilities change, is the Lord using that to reshape my understanding of what true strength and manhood look like?
- Where am I still tempted to place my confidence in my own strength, health, or ability to hold things together instead of relying on the Lord?
- Am I living with my focus on the temporary things I can see, or the eternal things Paul calls us to fix our eyes on? (2 Corinthians 4:17–18)
- What would it look like this week for my family or those around me to see a man whose hope is clearly anchored in Christ rather than in his own strength?
Written By: Lee Miles
