"Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."
I have always had a fascination with what can age a person. We can see it clearly in our lives. Ever notice how much Presidents age during their tenure in office? So often they go in with energy and youth and emerge four or eight years later with deep lines and grey hair.
Being overweight is my personal struggle, along with hypertension; I've had high blood-pressure since I was 17!
Lots of other things contribute to aging you: Lack of exercise, smoking, heavy drinking, avoiding fruits and vegetables. I've seen people who are vital and active at work start falling apart once they retire. They either become couch potatoes or simply check-out because they are no longer driven by the deadlines and positive challenges they experienced at work.
Work so often invigorates people because they feel useful and needed. Once people experience a life-changing event, such as the loss of a loved one, a career change, an unwanted diagnosis, all too often we see them decline rapidly.
Interestingly, there are some people who experience the very same events, but instead of letting things defeat them, they become supercharged and motivated! Michael J. Fox comes to mind: Here is a young man who was diagnosed very early in life with Parkinson's Disease, so severe he had to quit his acting career. But Fox decided to own his malady. He took on the challenge of increasing awareness and fundraising for Parkinson's research. He started his own Foundation to help those with the disease. The fact is, we know so much more about Parkinson's and how to treat it now than we did because of Fox's efforts.
I have seen people defeated by divorce and others who have made it their work to help others. Retirees who involve themselves in the lives of others do far better than those who just opt to do sedentary things. Watching games is one thing. Playing games is a better thing.
My point is for you to take actions to improve your life now before you are unable to later. Exercise your brain by reading, solving puzzles, writing, and discussing issues with friends and family. Exercise your body so that you don't just resign yourself to watching television. Resolve to eat better, instead of "dieting." The latter is a stress inducing temporary fix.
Above all, the secret to living well is to take God up on his offer to give him your burdens. Live invigorated, open, and righteously. That is your best way to spend the remainder of your days, however many or few that lie before you. Praise God in everything.
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