Life’s promise of continued capability
Recognizing that God’s children are never doomed to decrepitude frees us from age-related limitations, as a woman experienced after she was faced with knee problems.
Age has been a hot topic in the news lately. Many are asking at what point age affects one’s physical and mental health and capabilities. An acquaintance mentioned that this even led her to question her own usefulness and self-worth in society as she grew older.
In thinking about the topic of aging, what’s curious to me is that the Bible records Moses going to free the Israelites from Egyptian slavery at 80 years old. He then gave them the Ten Commandments and guided them throughout their 40-year journey to the promised land. The Bible says that “his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated” (Deuteronomy 34:7). His siblings accompanied him, too. Clearly, those three didn’t let age limit them or their mission!
Mary Baker Eddy, who founded the Pulitzer Prize-winning Christian Science Monitor when she was 87, wrote in her seminal work, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” “Chronological data are no part of the vast forever. Time-tables of birth and death are so many conspiracies against manhood and womanhood. Except for the error of measuring and limiting all that is good and beautiful, man would enjoy more than threescore years and ten and still maintain his vigor, freshness, and promise. Man, governed by immortal Mind, is always beautiful and grand. Each succeeding year unfolds wisdom, beauty, and holiness” (p. 246).
I love the idea of life growing in vigor, freshness, and promise with each succeeding year! God, infinite Life itself, doesn’t have an expiration date. As the spiritual idea, or offspring, of God, man – a term that includes everyone – is always governed by the divine Mind. As we identify ourselves and others through this spiritual lens, rather than as degenerating mortals, we realize more and more the promise of expressing greater abilities and goodness.
These ideas were helpful when I faced a problem with my knees. Climbing stairs had become difficult. I’d had other healings through Christian Science prayer in the past, so I had confidence this could be met with such prayer as well.
I realized that I had taken in the notion that joint problems, and even replacements, are inevitable as one ages. But as I prayed I was inspired by the idea that the only thing I needed to replace was the lie that I was a vulnerable mortal at the mercy of time.
Christian Science teaches that God is Life and is eternal. Our true identity as the spiritual reflection of this eternal Life isn’t governed by body parts with expiration dates. Instead of rolling over and accepting decrepitude as unavoidable, I affirmed that divine Mind, God, good, is the only true cause – the source of all action.
I also prayed with the Bible verse that says, “It is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me” (Romans 14:11). I thought of “bowing” as “bending” and loved the idea that this was a divine command and promise, and so it must be fulfilled, because God knew my “downsitting and mine uprising” (Psalms 139:2). That is, He knew me as He created me – spiritual, capable, and free.
Then I was scheduled to serve a two-week stint as a Christian Science practitioner at a Christian Science camp. Not only was it an active group of campers, but also, it turned out that my room assignment was on the top floor of the dining hall. Every time I went up the stairs, I prayed. The Bible says that we are “joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). Our heritage from God, Spirit, is pure goodness.
By the end of the two weeks, I had complete mobility. The thoroughness of the healing was further proven a couple of weeks later, when I was able to climb the 100-plus stairs at a beach every day for a week, without pain. And in some cases I did it without even needing to sit down for a rest. That was over a year ago, and the problem hasn’t returned.
We don’t need to accept age-related, limiting beliefs that our God-given capability can be undermined. Divine Life is eternal and is forever maintaining our “wisdom, beauty, and holiness.” And that’s a promise!