I received a review copy of this book; all opinions expressed are mine.

“I firmly believe that we should enjoy all the years that God gives us,” writes Joyce Meyer in her new book, How to Age Without Getting Old (hardcover, FaithWords). In her conversational, easy-to-read style, she shares practical advice, inspiration, encouragement, and experiences from her own life and the lives of others. She asks her readers this question at the beginning of the book: “Will you simply let yourself ‘get old,’ or will you age gracefully, purposefully, and wisely, allowing God to use you in every season of your life? If you will, I believe your latter years can be absolutely wonderful.”

Throughout her book, Meyer addresses both practical and spiritual topics in her chapters: Learning from Experience, Slowing Down the Aging Process, Finding Your New Normal, A Healthy Understanding of Stress, Staying Strong Spiritually, Aging Gracefully, Discerning God’s Will, Learning How to Rest, Fear of the Unknown, Listen to Your Body, and It’s Never Too Late to Do Something Great.

Meyer points out that as we age, it’s important for us to recognize our limitations and make adjustments as we need to. In her own life, as she has grown older she travels less, delegates work and responsibilities more, and gets the rest she needs. And throughout her book she shows us practical ways we can make adjustments and better take care of ourselves. For example, in her chapter on Slowing Down the Aging Process, Meyer writes about the importance of having a healthy mindset, taking care of yourself (getting enough rest, drinking enough water, exercising, caring for your skin and teeth, and eating healthy), laughing and having fun, keeping your brain active by continuing to learn, and maintaining social connections.

Here are some “words of wisdom” Meyer shares in her book:

• There are always things we cannot do, especially as we age, but there are also things we can do, and we should focus on those things. We can let the loss of things we were once able to do depress us, or we can decide to be happy with what we can still do.
• Laughter has been scientifically proven to improve our health. The Bible states, “A merry heart does good, like medicine” (Proverbs 17:22 NKJV).
• We should embrace where we are in each stage of life and enjoy our journey toward the finish line…new and even better days are ahead if we will embrace them.
• I had to learn that the fact that I can no longer do things the way I once did does not mean I am old and incapable. It simply means I need to change and adapt. Stopping something you should no longer be doing is just as important as starting things you should be doing.
• The older we get, the less stress we can manage well. This is one reason we should really pay attention to our bodies and God’s voice speaking to our hearts and make changes.
• I don’t thing we can have a problem for which God’s Word does not have the answer. His Word encourages us, strengthens us, heals us, corrects us, enlightens us.
• Aging can be challenging, because it involves changes in our bodies, our strength, and our abilities. But we never need fear that life will become too much for us, because God will always give us all the strength we need.
• We can learn to age gracefully by enjoying our journeys through life and living graciously with a good attitude.
• As we age, God’s will for us changes, but with proper discernment we will be able to always make the changes graciously. Perhaps it is in the latter years of your life that you will have the time to do what has been in your heart all along.

While I enjoyed reading and found the entire book helpful, I especially liked the last chapter, It’s Never Too Late to do Something Great. In this chapter, Meyer writes, “God has plans for your life that you cannot even imagine, but you have to believe that all things are possible with Him (Matthew 19:26). You don’t have to be especially talented, you just need to love God. He will guide you and enable you to do things in your latter years that others couldn’t do even in their youth.” That’s something we can all find encouragement in!

In her closing comments, Meyer reminds us to take good care of ourselves, follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance in both practical and spiritual aspects of life, always keep God first, and remember His promise in Isaiah 46:4: Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He…. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you. No matter what age we are, we are very important to God and He has a purpose for us. Knowing that, we can confidently look forward to each new day because His plans for us are good!

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