Fading Into The Background: How Our Finite Nature Glorifies The Eternal God

One day, I just woke up and looked in the mirror and thought, “Wow… I look tired today”. I figured I had better get some extra sleep or eat a few more vegetables in order to be looking sprite the next day. Wrong-o... That was just a little introduction to the process of aging.

As you know, aging is a process by which you wake up morning after consecutive morning and, guess what, you still look tired! Your hair grows thinner. Your body gets wobblier. The little area underneath your eyes darkens. And while there are things you can do to nourish and energize your body each day, the fact is that we are all going to go from 15-to-75. There will be changes. We will grow older.

Now, this might sound like bad news if we didn’t have such a good God. As Christians, we don’t need to be afraid of the truth because we can trust in the goodness of God in all circumstances. The truth is that we do age. We, and all of creation, go through this process. And there is good purpose in this.

Sometimes, we wish aging weren’t so. Just this morning, I found myself praying for just a little more beauty. I realize this might sound like a weird thing to pray for, but this week, it was like I could see my youth fading before my eyes.

Fading lillies

I had purchased some lillies earlier this week, and I watched them transition more each day—fading from red to cream. In the same way, I could see the vibrancy of my own features fading. My heart wasn’t feeling ready for that. “Just a little more youth, God?” But as soon as my heart had asked this, his gentle spirit reminded me that this is the way it is. This is the nature of our time on earth.

The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:7-8 NLT

As you see in the Scripture above, we fade beneath the breath of God. He is over this process. And while our pride may be pricked by this notion, Psalm 90 helps to bring a gentleness and ease to the idea.

We find true comfort when we gain a better grasp of our own lives in orientation to the eternal nature of God. This beautiful psalm opens with the proclamation that God has been a safe place for mankind from the beginning of all time.

“…you have been our dwelling place thoughout all generations…” (90:1)

“…from everlasting to everlasting, you are God…” (90:2)

We remember who God is as the psalm transitions into the reminder of who people are. It describes how God turns mortals back into dust. People are constantly being swept away while new creation springs up. (90:3-6) And God tells us that considering this process can actually bless our time on earth.

Paying attention to the true reality of our numbered days gives us a heart of wisdom: we are able to seek the Lord with fervor, knowing that while we are fading away, his unfailing love is renewed with each passing day. (90:12-14)

We are able to sing songs and find gladness when we turn our attention on the eternal nature of God’s love.
It is this truth—that we are finite and God is infinite—that can cause us to turn to him each day asking him to determine what we are to do and how we spend our time. We get to surrender ourselves to him, asking him to establish the work of our hands. (90:17)

We have always been created for a greater glory. For the glory of God. It is in our fleeting state that our lives, while short and imperfect, might point to the majesty of an all-loving and all-powerful God.

There is actually a deep sense of peace that can be ours when we stop striving to be more than we are and find rest in the God who is so much greater.

When we remember that we exist for God’s glory, it takes the pressure off. We can turn our hearts to him and commit our daily work to him, and trust that he will accomplish his purposes through us.

We find love and meaning, joy and peace. And it colors all of our days.