Who will take care of me?

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, it’s estimated that seniors will make up around one-third of each state’s population by 2051. With longevity increasing and an aging population, governments in Australia and elsewhere are wrestling with the question of who will care for older citizens in the future.

Discussions about this are often built on the expectation that most people will become unwell and incapacitated as they age. As a result, many individuals are asking, Should I remain on my own, live closer to younger family members, move into retirement accommodation, or reserve a place in a nursing home? Will I be able to care for myself?

The Scriptures encourage me to remember that our well-being is maintained by God. For example, in speaking of a God-given ability to remain alert and active, the Bible says in Psalms: “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.”

Based on this line of reasoning, we can reject the notion that accumulated years must bring about ill health and a loss of independence. Because God is Love, He is constantly caring for us. This spiritual understanding strengthens us and enables us to be more useful and productive at any age.

Mary Baker Eddy, who worked tirelessly to help people find health and freedom, explained the mental approach that is important for a long and active life. “Never record ages,” she said in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. “… Except for the error of measuring and limiting all that is good and beautiful, man would enjoy more than threescore years and ten and still maintain his vigor, freshness, and promise. Man, governed by immortal Mind, is always beautiful and grand. Each succeeding year unfolds wisdom, beauty, and holiness.... Let us then shape our views of existence into loveliness, freshness, and continuity, rather than into age and blight.”

These insights give me the confidence to:

• refuse being fearful about personal well-being,
• reject concerned speculation about what might happen in the future,
• decline adding up the number of years lived and associating them with an inability to care for one’s self,
• look forward to a long, healthy, and productive life.

When I hear media reports about elder care concerns, I affirm that no matter what stage anyone is at, God is caring for each person. Whatever the individual need is, through God’s grace that need can be met.

We can be proactive and pray for our continued well-being by affirming that God has made us in His image. That we are His spiritual likeness. This means that what God is, constitutes our existence. For example, as God is eternal Life, we are ageless. As God is Spirit, we are vigorous and active. As God is Soul, we are harmonious and happy. As God is Mind, we are wise and capable.

I myself have been praying daily along these lines: “Thank you, Father, that You are loving and caring for me always. You have made me well and strong. I will not accept the notion that I can experience declining energy and resourcefulness. You created me whole and complete. I cannot lose the ability to care for myself, nor can I become a burden to others. As Your child, I am fearless and full of vitality. I expect to be fresh and flourishing now and always.”

This kind of prayer is not simply an exercise in positive thinking or having a good attitude toward life. It’s much more than that. Spiritualized thinking is the practice of scientific Christianity, which Christ Jesus demonstrated in his healing ministry. Through his words and more importantly his works, Jesus showed how truly we are loved by God. In restoring the health, sight, hearing, and mobility of others, he confirmed that it is never too late for anyone to be healthy and to live a full and rich life.

The cry from the heart—Who will take care of me?—is answered by this life-enabling truth: God never tires, never wears out, never ages, and so neither can His children. God is perpetually supplying each of His sons and daughters with sparkling energy. Affirming this for ourselves in our daily prayer is effective in maintaining strength and freedom in years to come.

Beverly Goldsmith is a practitioner and teacher of Christian Science living in Brisbane, Australia.

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