The Gift of Aging- Encouragement for Today - July 21, 2026

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July 21, 2026

The Gift of Aging
JEN WILKIN

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“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 (ESV)

You and I are not naturally inclined to number our days. We eagerly count many things — steps, calories, grams of protein, years until retirement. But how often do we pause to consider the weight and measure of a single day or of its contribution to a life well lived? When it comes to aging, we are bad at counting.

It doesn’t help that the world around us is determined to distract us from the passage of time. Aging is viewed as a disease to fight at all costs rather than a gift to receive with gratitude, as an adversary to outwit rather than an instructor to embrace.

But the Bible tells us that while aging is indeed hard on our joints and our vanity, it is actually good for our souls:

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

In this psalm, Moses didn't ask God for more days of youthful vigor or attractiveness. He asked to be taught how to rightly consider the days he had been given and to gain wisdom by that process. To number our days is to recognize that they are both finite and purposeful, gifted to us by a sovereign God who Himself exists unbound by time. It means we get better at counting what matters.

Praise God that He promises us more from our gray hair and wrinkles than the death of our vanity. As our ability to recall names or find our keys begins to slip, our ability to see the world with greater clarity begins to emerge. The losses of aging grant the great gain of wisdom: the ability to pour out a life rich in experience in a way that aids those coming after us, to apply hard-won insight to the challenges of those the Lord has entrusted to our mentorship.

Aging isn’t a problem to solve or deny — it’s a process to embrace. But it’s not easy. It’s the ultimate test of endurance, the one that anyone gifted with long life is invited to learn from.

As with all tests of endurance, it can yield much fruit: the fruit of Christlikeness. Aging grants us both the perspective and the physical limitations to allow our focus to shift to the inward disciplines that yield character. Think of it as discipleship through decline, the very kindness of the Lord.

Don’t wait to number your remaining days until their number has grown few. Today is the perfect day to weigh how our calendars prove or disprove our commitment to what matters most. Ask the Lord to teach you to count. He will do it. You can count on it.

Father, thank You for the years You’ve already given me. Help me to learn the wisdom You have designed them to yield. Thank You for whatever time You grant me in this life. Help me to choose well how to spend it for Your glory and for the benefit of others. Help me to embrace aging as a means to show others Your great faithfulness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

For more on numbering our days and combating the false narratives we hear about aging, check out Jen Wilkin’s book Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World.

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You can learn more about Jen Wilkin and her ministry at JenWilkin.net. Or tune in to the Knowing Faith podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Enter to WIN your very own copy of Dust to Dust by Jen Wilkin. To celebrate this book, Jen’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by filling out the form here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and notify them via email by Monday, July 27, 2026.}

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Job 1:21, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (ESV).

How have you seen the aging process both give and take? What wisdom have you already gained from it with regard to your possessions, relationships, and circumstances?

What key relationship in your life would receive the most positive impact from you embracing aging as discipleship versus fighting it as an enemy? What wrong thinking about aging can you confess to God today?

We’d love to hear from you in the comments!

© 2026 by Jen Wilkin. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org