Growing older is not for the faint of heart. The physical challenges are self-evident,

but sometimes we allow aging to steal the joy from our daily life. We're tempted to indulge in self-pity.

Perhaps we feel sidelined or overlooked at times, and were

tempted to withdraw from others choosing isolation rather than engagement. Today, on Insight

for Living, Chuck Swindall describes an elderly man who refused to let his age define his

value. Caleb was a vibrant and influential leader well into his 80s.

Chuck titled today's message, Strengthening Your Grip on Aging.

When you stop to think about it, growing old is not much of a challenge.

All you have to do is keep on breathing.

You don't have to think or exercise or read or take courses or travel around the world or even get out of your own house for that matter.

Just exist.

It'll happen automatically.

Trust me, we will grow old with zero effort. Growing up,

however, is another matter. Growing up is an uphill climb. We have to give it all we've got.

To begin with, we can't let our attitude have its way. If we do, we'll get negative and crotchety. Also, our sense of humor will be squeezed out of us between the

vice jaws of bad news and opinionated views. We'll find all kinds of people our age who have opted for a granite

face that reflects suspicion, discouragement, monotony, resentment, and a fear of risk. So let's

don't go there. There's a wonderful, albeit brief biography of a man in the Old Testament who aged well.

His story is in the book of Joshua, chapter 14, recorded in verses 6 through 14.

This is a brief story of Caleb, who is the perfect example of our message today.

I want you to listen carefully now to Joshua 14 in the New Living Translation.

You'll hear about a man you'll never forget.

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