Richard Hollerman

We know that when we say “young” many people may wonder. Isn’t it true that some die young and some die old? Of course, we know that young and old are relative terms and this can mean different things to different people. In reality, we know that some will die at age 15, others will die at age 30, and others will die at 50, and a few will die at age 95. But all will die!

We have addressed this recently and know that all will eventually die. We realize too that we may be around for 1,000 years or 1 million years, or eternally. Surely you and I want to live forever, with God in a Better Place! As for our physical life, we realize that we do die, whether this is 70 or 80 years (cf. Psalm 90:10-12) but perhaps longer.

When I was younger, a friend of mine went swimming after school and died. (He drowned and eventually they found his body.) John was 15 years old and I was one of his pall bearers. Another died perhaps in his early twenties from a car crash. Another friend (from the neighborhood) died at perhaps 26 to 30 years of age. But whenever it may be, we know that we all are to die and this comes by God’s design. As Scripture says, “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). We don’t know when this death will occur but we know that it will.

But we know that of the nine billion (9,000,000,000) people on earth, very, very few really give much thought to death and how to live longer physically. We realize that we can do the following:

  1. Exercise regularly, mostly aerobic exercise.
  2. Eat good food, particularly a balanced diet of fruit, vegetables, and grains.
  3. Stay away from junk foods or fast foods or unhealthy foods.
  4. Sleep well, each night, sufficiently for our bodies.
  5. Eliminate bad habits, such as smoking, drugs, and the like.
  6. Add medications as needed.
  7. Even take supplements, as needed.
  8. Have healthy genetics, according to our family history.
  9. Deal with unhealthy illnesses or diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and the like.
  10. Care for your weight and shape.
  11. Keep your brain active.
  12. Get regular medical checkups.

Yet, with all of these principles, we know that people do age differently. They are born with certain preconditions and must face a lifetime of either good health or poor health.

We realize that not only can we look to the future with interest, with care, and with some involvement, but we need to look to ourselves and our physical makeup. For example, we realize that the average black may live for a certain number of years, the average white may live for a few longer years, the average Hispanic may live for a certain number of years, and the average Asian may live for a few more years. But there are a vast amount of difference. Why is there this difference?

We do know that certain factors may be involved, besides our physical background and genetic makeup. We must see differences between the practices of the different cultures. Some may work harder and others not so much so. Some may eat better while others may eat the “SAD” (standard American diet). Some may be more physically active while others may be more sedentary. And some may be involved in health-conducive habits while others may be more normal. All of this must figure in to our longevity.

Much more could be written about this and we have discussed such things in other contributions at other times. For now, please keep these thoughts in mind as we proceed. While we may live for different lengths of time, physically, we know that only God can give eternal life through Christ Jesus and His saving death and life!