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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for November 20, 2009
“Symptoms of a Midlife Crisis”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
The midlife crisis.
That’s what a friend and I were discussing. We talked about people we knew who had gone off the deep end at some point, slipping into a midlife crisis.
Then he said, “I wonder why we never went through a midlife crisis.”
Well I think it’s because we are both very solid in who we are in Christ. We know who we are and we know where we are headed.
What exactly is a midlife crisis? For that answer I turned to a woman who counsels people going through it, Karen Knott, and she said there are various symptoms to look for.
One of them is, you look in the mirror, and you don’t know that person staring back at you. You feel like you lost yourself somewhere along the way.
When I heard that my first thought was, “So stop looking in the mirror and get out there and do something!”
Then I asked myself, “When I look in the mirror, as a middle-aged man, what do I see?” Well for one thing, I look right past the face. I pay no attention to aging. I never think, “Oh, gee, what happened to that young man?”
My mind is focused on the Lord and my relationship with Him and living a life worthy of Him and coming clean with Him. I want to follow Him and do His work and be the man He wants me to be.
I want to carry out the mission He has for me. I want to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. I want to run the race and keep the faith.
And I want to minister to people, to love them and help them and teach them.
These things all flow from my relationship with God, and they are so all-occupying that I don’t have time for “navel-staring.”
Plus, when I look at myself I actually look past the exterior. I am more concerned with my mind and heart and soul, the real me, the part that God is looking at, and the part that I am accountable for.
I have never looked in the mirror and felt like I lost myself. I look in the mirror and see someone who was found by the Lord, found and redeemed and rescued. And now He defines my life and my goals and my purpose.
Karen says another symptom of a midlife crisis is “worrying about where your life is going.”
Well Jesus told us not to worry. I know that’s easier said than done, but I know who holds the future! When you serve the Omnipotent One, you don’t have to get too strung out about the future. And when you fully believe in eternity, and that death is far from the end of the road, you just don’t get all cramped up about the next 10 or 20 years.
Another symptom of a midlife crisis is having feelings of regret. That’s another great thing about being a Christian – the past is taken care of. Sins are forgiven. We are clean before the Lord. And you know what? Our errors and missteps can be redeemed! God can yank our foolishness right out of the fire and do something with it.
Faith in the Lord overpowers our regrets! We can simply trust in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Another symptom of a midlife crisis is a sense of loss, that time is slipping away and your best years are behind you. Well I say that’s ridiculous. And I guess I say that out of my keen sense of the eternal. I see life going way beyond death. Yes, this old body won’t make it for the long haul, but oh my goodness, there is so much more ahead for us – a little bit now, then a whole lot in eternity! And I’m looking forward to all of it, knowing that the Lord will guide me through both the rough and peaceful waters.
Another symptom of a midlife crisis, according to Karen, is “feeling almost invisible.” I could say a lot about that, but one thing that comes to mind is that in a loving church family, no one is invisible. The church is a community of love. Yes, in the world you might be invisible if you aren’t one of the young and beautiful or rich and powerful. But in the church it’s a different ball game. This is one thing I like about having small group meetings within the church. It helps to make sure that no one is invisible.
Another symptom of a midlife crisis is feeling trapped. You are stuck in a deep, boring rut and that’s where you will die. Well my experience as a Christian has never felt that way. Serving God may not always be a sunny day at the beach, but He has a way of making things exciting and challenging, and bringing new adventures and opportunities into your life. Following the Lord is a great adventure, the exact opposite of a deep, boring rut.
Well, those are just a few symptoms of what some people call a midlife crisis. And maybe you are feeling some of those things today. Maybe you do look in the mirror and feel your life slipping away and that it’s all downhill from here.
Well the good news is, God loves you! And His work in your life is far from over. This adventure has only just begun!
So get in with the Lord. Spend time with Him in prayer and worship. Draw near to Him, and dive into His Word. See how you can put His precepts into practice in new and exciting ways.
And just watch – as God begins to stir more and more in your life, soon all those symptoms will drop off the radar and it won’t even cross your mind anymore. You won’t even think about such a thing as going through a midlife crisis.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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