Unexpected Flourishing

Scripture – Psalm 92:12-14 (NRSV)

The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
+++and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the LORD;
+++they flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they still produce fruit;
+++they are always green and full of sap,

Devotion

If you were to ask the average person on the street, “When in life do people flourish the most?” it’s likely that you’d hear about what happens in the second third of life. Beginning in the late 20s and extending into the early 50s, many people enjoy significant fruitfulness. They’re building and thriving in their careers. They’re making babies and raising children. They’re using their talents with growing wisdom and productivity. Their lives are often full to overflowing with good things. Flourishing seems to fit perfectly in the second third of life.

Plus, we rightly understand that the first third of life is mainly a time of preparation for what lies ahead. Though younger people can certainly thrive in the right circumstances, they are only beginning to flourish, especially if you understand flourishing with the biblical emphasis upon fruitfulness.

Then there’s the third third of life, when people are older. We might assume that their times of maximum flourishing have passed. Their children have been harvested, so to speak, and flown the coop (at least for a while). Their careers are being wrapped up, with retirement either looming or present reality. Older adults lose physical strength and certain types of brain functionality. Flourishing, especially the biblical variety with its emphasis on fruitfulness, might seem to be a thing of the past.

But then we come upon Psalm 92. We learn that “the righteous flourish like the palm tree . . . . they flourish in the courts of our God. In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap” (Psalm 92:14). Isn’t that something! Quite unexpected, I think. Flourishing, with its crucial aspect of fruitfulness, isn’t reserved for the young or the middle-aged. It’s something to be experienced by folks “in old age.” (For personal reasons, I’m particularly fond of the literal Hebrew original of this phrase: “in gray hair.” What hair I have left is mostly all gray, a suitable complement to my all-white beard.)

Now, if you’re in the third third of life, you may easily share my appreciation for this passage from Psalm 92. It offers so much promise of a life filled with meaning and fruitfulness. If you’re younger than I am, in the first or second thirds of life, you may wonder if this passage has much to say to you. Let me be clear. It does, for at least three reasons. First, the Hebrew could be translated, “They bear fruit even in old age [with gray hair].” It’s assumed that flourishing will happen for younger people who are righteous. So, you’re included implicitly in the flourishing and fruitfulness of Psalm 92.

Second, the biblical vision of third third flourishing can make a huge difference in the lives of younger people. If you’re 25, for example, it can transform how you think about your life. And it can help you to live now in ways that will maximize your flourishing in the third third.

Third, the biblical vision of third third flourishing can help those who are younger to be invaluable encouragers and supporters of flourishing older adults. Rather than buying into the cultural vision of third third irrelevance and uselessness, first and second thirders can uphold the promise of Psalm 92. They can build their lives, families, businesses, churches, and communities in a way that draws upon the invaluable assets of older adults, which benefits those adults even if it contributes to the flourishing of others.

It should come as no surprise that the biblical vision of third third flourishing is increasingly demonstrated in academic studies of older adulthood. For example, drawing upon a wide range of research, in his book The Happiness Curve, Jonathan Rauch shows that, on average, people become happier as they get older. Researchers looking into entrepreneurship found, contrary to popular wisdom, that older entrepreneurs have a much greater chance of success than younger ones. An article in the MIT Technology Review has this intriguing title, “Meet the next generation of entrepreneurs. They’re all over 65.”

Now, I don’t mean to glorify aging or to minimize the losses and challenges that come as we get older. The third third of life has its distinctive challenges, to be sure. But the culture in which I grew up and in which I currently live tends to see the third third of life as a time of diminishing fruitfulness and decreasing joy. We who are in this season of life – as well as those who are younger – need to reclaim the biblical vision of flourishing, not just in midlife, but throughout life.

I’ll have more to say about this in Monday’s devotion. For now, you may wish to consider the following questions.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. An article on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Transitioning Into the Third Age

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