Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life (Proverbs 16:31).

I think you could say that I am now officially middle-aged.  Steady career, homeowner, three kids, mid-30s -- the categories are pretty telling.  But even without the categorical stuff, my body has been making its age clear:  predisposed to more aches and pains, paunchy mid-section that just doesn't want to go away, thinning hair with patches of gray starting to come in... I'm just not as young as I used to be.

"That's OK," I tell myself.  Age is not a bad thing.  It brings a sense of perspective and peculiar joys which cannot be had in youth.  The Bible talks about gray hair being a man's glory -- a "crown of splendor" that can be worn only by those who have earned it.  At the same time, even while recognizing all this, I've got to be honest:  I sometimes feel conflicted about how to manage the whole aging thing.

I mean, doesn't the Bible also say that my body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)?  Wouldn't that suggest that it's worth maintaining?  Wouldn't that suggest that it's good to take lots of vitamins to ward off those illnesses and injuries, work hard to keep that paunch to a minimum, and do whatever is necessary to make sure that the "roof" of the temple is full, strong, and maintained?  If we're living in a culture that prizes youth and vitality, wouldn't the Bible suggest that we become all things to all people for the sake of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:22-23)?  Wouldn't this seem to suggest that there's some value in fighting against the effects of aging, in order to best assimilate with our culture?  Maybe I'm just grasping at straws here -- trying to avoid the inevitable, like so many other middle-aged people have done -- but I'd be lying if I didn't fess up to the fact that I genuinely wonder about these things.

To me, I think there has to be some kind of middle ground for those of us who are middle-aged.  We're in between the strength of the young and the gray-haired splendor of the old (Proverbs 20:29).  So it's not entirely bad to step up efforts to maintain our bodies -- lessening the aches and pains, losing some of the paunch... But more than anything, I think it's important to pursue godliness.  "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:8).  The older we get, the more we can appreciate wisdom and righteousness.  And if we continue in wisdom and righteousness -- we will attain the crowning splendor of old age.

So for me, I'm going to watch what I eat.  I'm going to exercise and maintain what strength I can.  But as for the hair, I'm going to let it run its own course.  The patchy, mottled mop may not be the most desirable crown for the time being, but when my crown of splendor comes in, I want to be able to see it and celebrate it.