Its fairly safe to say that half of us know from first experience what a mid-life crisis is all about. The other half knows from second-hand experience and can only anticipate this joyful state. The further I get beyond mid-life the more resolute I’ve become about daily exercise. I’m becoming more diligent about what I eat and drink, more intentional about work outs in the gym. I’ve tried my hand at extreme sport (once and never again), and I confess that I would like my next car to have only two seats…. Apparently all signs of someone well and truly in mid-life.

Yesterday I completed a detailed health survey provided by my insurer in the hope that it might reduce my premiums. They compared me with hundreds of other 57 year olds and worked out when I am likely to need medication or surgery based on my diet, weight and fitness regime. Its designed to motivate me to lose the extra pounds by walking the extra miles and avoiding the extra calories.

According to a recent survey by Virgin, half of all 35-64 year olds resort to a personal trainer at some stage. One in four takes a sabbatical from their career to contemplate their future, and up to a third will turn to Botox or plastic surgery in an attempt to turn back the clock. Last year British men in their forties spent £2 billion on cosmetics and fitness products – from moisturisers and hair colouring to exercise bikes and weights – why? to put off the inevitable and retain their youth. And that’s just the men…. These are some ways we cope with a midlife crisis.

There’s another way to handle growing old. We discover it in the story of Caleb and there’s a very good reason for doing so. The Apostle Paul indirectly refers to Caleb when he says,

“For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.” (1 Corinthians 10:1-6)

So what lessons can we learn from the story of Caleb? Here are three from Joshua 14 (please turn to it with me).

1. You are never too young to develop convictions about the purposes of God.
2. You are never foolish to exercise trust in the promises of God.
3. You are never too old to demonstrate courage in the power of God.

Read more here stephensizer.com/2010/08/wholehearted-caleb/