The Second Half of Life

So a few weeks ago Matt mentioned that a man has 3 attributes that make him attractive…tall, dark, and handsome…

Stoked because I think I was the handsome one in the analogy, right?…haha

Well not sure how much being the older one fits into this reality of attraction but I definitely would also be the most attractive if tall, dark, handsome, and old worked…

I actually just turned 58 recently…for some of you that is way old, for some I am just a kid right…My wife and I also just celebrated our 31st anniversary on Wednesday…

But there are some things we are facing as we get older…yea some physical things but also some loss…we lost her father last year and he mother broke her hip a couple months ago and the recovery journey has been tough…

This might sound kind of weird but Today we are going to talk about the second half of life…I want to start off right at the beginning telling you what I hope to get us to consider together today…

The Second Half of Life: Celebrating, accepting, and finding peace during our decline

I was talking to my sister this week, who is 3 years older, and told her the title. She instantly said I hate the word “decline” use something different…

I wanted to use this world because physical and mental decline is inevitable…
experts actually say that our peak year is 39…

so if you think today is about old people think again…
If you are 40 you just might already be declining, if you are 20…haha you don’t have much time left to progress before you start to decline…and if your like me, 58, its real my friends oh my its real…And if your older then me yea you get it right?

Just last Monday I surfed with a couple of 30 year old buddies for about 3 hours. Got woken up that night with my shoulders burning…haha the decline is real…

We need to accept that when it comes to life your either at the end of it or moving rapidly towards it…

I know that isn’t the most upbeat positive idea to start with but it true…

James 4:14
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

So there you have it, we appear for a while and then were gone…period, it’s the reality…

I think this is for all of us, the younger first half of lifer’s all the way to the older at the end of their second half of lifer’s….

So you who are young, enjoy your youth, take advantage of the professional, physical, and mental incline that is before you…but also understand that you are building into what the decline might look like…so just be aware and consider that…

Ecclesiastes 11:9
You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.

Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

And for you that are in that second half of life, wether like me 20 years into it, or maybe way further along and at the end of it…

Don’t let what you once had cause you too much sorry for where you now are…

Ecclesiastes 7:10
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.

So classic right…If you are young pay attention to what is coming, if you are old stop looking back….

“God made today-enjoy it and have a great time” Psalm 118:24 SDT version

So with this accepting in mind I want us to consider a second thought…

Celebrate the second half of life-don’t look down upon it, fear it, or try to avoid it

I think one of the biggest struggles in our American culture is trying to hide and avoid age…

“Hey it’s my birthday”
“Awesome how old are you?”
“Im 29”.

No you are not…Your way older then that and that is not a bad thing…its way better that I am 58 then 29….

“Don’t ask someone their age”. WHY NOT?

Why not celebrate age, why not celebrate their wisdom, contribution, and valuable place in our societies and lives?

Why not be proud and confident that I am 48, 58, 78, 88?
That is something to celebrate!

We throw these crazy parties for a 3 year old and then don’t want anyone to know I am 40 or 50, or 70….I tell you 3 years old is not that impressive…

So let’s recap…first we need to accept that we can’t avoid the second half of life, and second lets start celebrating the second half of life more…
Don’t dread it if your young or be ashamed of it if your old…I think we can all learn to celebrate it more…

That is kind of the precursor stuff to get to the most important stuff today…

Finding peace during our second half of life…

This week I listened and read so much about this subject, it was so rewarding and enriching…and one thing I am pretty convinced of

Finding peace during our second half of life is more of a mindset than anything else.

what you believe about it, how you choose to see the world around you is such a key as we move into the second half of life…and here is the most amazing part about this reality…

The older you get, the more wisdom you gain, helps you understand what matters most, what is of greatest value, and what is worth wanting.

And I think that is a great privilege of moving into the second half of life…
so much of the first half of life’s desires, pursuits, and dreams (which are so important to go after) start to slowly fade away, and a bit more clarity can begin to happen that I really believe can result in a deep and profound joy/happiness…

I want to show you a chart I walk my 11th grade student through at the beginning of the school year, it comes from a book called a life worth living….trying to stimulate deeper thought about our lives journey…

Trying to get young people to really consider what’s worth wanting can be a daunting task, because the reality is we didn’t really know… until we start pursuing things and realizing they aren’t worth it after we get it….Fun part of the first half..

But how many of you, because of the journey from the first half of life to the second, feel you can better answer the question “what’s worth wanting?”…Simply because you have lived what isn’t worth it and have experienced what is…

Are healthy relationships worth wanting?

How many say yes because of suffering through difficult ones, or losing beautiful ones?

Is living for the benefit of, or positively impacting, others worth wanting?

How many can say yes because of what you have experience through selfishness when you were younger that you realized wasn’t actually getting you what you want?

Is finding true deep inner peace worth wanting?

How many of you discovered that this didn’t come through attaining more stuff, getting bigger promotions, or working longer hours?

And that is why moving from the first to the second half of life isn’t always easy, because so often what transitions us is hurt, loss, pain, suffering, failure, sacrifice, and often realizing that what I thought was of such great worth really wasn’t…

“My conviction is that some falling apart of the first journey is necessary to thrive in the second,

so don’t waste too many moments lamenting poor parenting, lost jobs, failed relationships, physical challenges, economic poverty, or other tragedies. Pain is part of the deal.”

How many during the second half start finding joy and happiness in more simple things in life…

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

How different someone in their first half journey might think about from this passage than someone in their second half…

Like serving others, spending time with your family, friends, or just “being” instead of always “doing” or trying to “become”…

Having the wisdom you have now to now pass on to others to
mentor, advise, and teach.

No longer needing to amass worldly rewards like money, power, or prestige…and even if you have those things its not as much of your identity as earlier on…

So I can’t answer for you about what is worth wanting, only you can really do that…But

If you are in the second half of life there is peace available because through your first half journey you have learned, more than you realize, about what is truly worth wanting

And that is something to accept, celebrate and focus on…

And I tell you so far the older I am getting the more I am seeing this shift from the first half to the second half….

When I was younger surfing with my buddies and did something stupid or embarrassing I hoped nobody saw me, now I hope everyone sees it and that is so freeing…

But finding this joy and happiness in the second half of life is going to take some focus for some of us to begin to experience it…and that is what I want to encourage you and your life plan…

How can you focus more on what you have now not what you don’t have anymore?

Physically, mentally, professionally, etc. No doubt we have lost a lot moving from the first half to the second half…But how do I find gratitude in what I have…

Proverbs 20:29
The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.

I might not be strong but I am grey…heck yea

Yes I am wearing orthotic shoes now because of my achilles tendinitis and a bunion…And the kids at the HS aren’t rushing out to buy them…But it has helped I am still able to surf and be active…and yes I walk more now then doing burpees…

How can you focus more on what you have gained over the years not what you have lost?

And according to the Bible gaining wisdom is far greater than almost anything else we can attain, and handing it down…

Proverbs 4:6-7
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

For so many that have lost a lot they have also gained so much wisdom that is what makes the second half of life so valuable and rewarding.

How can you focus more on where you are not what is to come?

I know in ways my decline will be greater down the road…and watching my mom sometimes makes it tough for me to think about what my journey is going to be…but where I am today is the most important day…

Matthew 6:33-34
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.…

With the second half of life comes wisdom and the profound privilege of seeing what is really worth wanting…

How can you focus more on the eternal peace in the kingdom of God than the temporary pleasures of this world?

Here me now…I am not talking about focusing on after we die, but while we are living the kingdom is here, the amazing beauty of it is all around us, God is with us now and forever more helping us to see more clearly the kingdom of God as we move from the first to the second half of life…

I can’t wait to keep moving into this second half,

I believe that what we see in the Second Half Life’s Journey is the fog moving away the the kingdom of God becoming clearer…

Because in reality that is what we have been talking about this whole time…seeing more clearly in the kingdom of God.

John 14:27
(For you in the second half of life)…Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

Lets pray….