Finishing Our Course with Joy: Guidance from God for Engaging with Our Aging
Overview
Thinning hair, failing eyesight, and arthritic hands reveal an inescapable truth: we’re only getting older. But that doesn’t mean we should simply sit back and take it easy. In Finishing Our Course with Joy, renowned theologian and author J. I. Packer challenges us to embrace old age as an opportunity for continued learning, careful planning, and heartfelt discipleship. Packer’s pastoral words and personal stories encourage us to press on toward the upward call of God with endurance and grace—that we might continue to glorify God in our aging and finish our lives with joy.
Top Highlights
“First, live for God one day at a time. Whatever long-term plans we may have, we need to get into the habit of planning each day’s business in advance, either first thing each morning or (better, I think) the day before. Glorifying God should be our constant goal, and to that end we need to acquire the further habit of reviewing before God as each day closes how far we have done as we planned, or whether and why and how far we changed the plan to fit new circumstances and fresh insights, and in any case how far we did the best we could for our God, and how far we fell short of doing that.” (Pages 22–23)
“British professor of theology once described to me the world to which believers will go as ‘an unknown country with a well-known inhabitant.’ When Jesus Christ the courier has already become well known to us through the Gospels and Pastoral Letters of the New Testament, the prospect of transitioning with him into a world in which we shall see him as he is and be constantly in his company will be something we find alluring rather than alarming.” (Page 26)
“Second, live in the present moment. Get into the way of practicing God’s presence—more specifically, Christ’s presence, according to his promise to be with us always (Matt. 28:20)—and cultivate the divine companionship.” (Page 23)
“In this they behave as though spiritual gifts and ministry skills wither with age. But they don’t; what happens, rather, is that they atrophy with disuse.” (Page 64)
“So the way of wisdom is to be ready for whatever comes, whenever it comes.” (Page 25)
- Title: Finishing Our Course with Joy: Guidance from God for Engaging with Our Aging
- Author: J. I. Packer
- Publisher: Crossway
- Print Publication Date: 2014
- Logos Release Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Older people › Religious life; Aging › Religious aspects--Christianity
- ISBNs: 9781433541063, 9781433541070, 9781433541087, 9781433541094, 9781783590896, 1433541068, 1433541076, 1433541084, 1433541092, 1783590890
- Resource ID: LLS:FNSHNGRCRSJY
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-06-08T17:28:29Z
J. I. Packer (1926–2020) is regarded as one of the most influential evangelicals in North America. He was Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, and his writings include books such as Knowing God, A Quest for Godliness, Growing in Christ (Crossway) and Rediscovering Holiness. He preached and lectured widely in Great Britain and North America and served as general editor of the English Standard Version of the Bible published in 2001, and theological editor of the Study Bible version. In 2014, Packer was named Author of the Year by the Association of Logos Bookstores. He was a frequent contributor to and an executive editor of Christianity Today and wrote numerous articles published in journals such as Churchman, SouthWestern Journal, Reformation Revival Journal and Touchstone. He received a BA, MA and PhD from Oxford University.