Health Message (November 22, 2025)

Happy Sabbath Saints!

Living Solo: older Americans are embracing independence and redefining what it means to age alone. This is also becoming more prevalent in our Christian communities. Many older Christians are becoming more active in evangelism, stating it’s a risk to marry again when afterwards it may be too late to discover the new spouse has a different agenda spiritually. This can cause depression and hinder health aging.

Older adults who live alone are generally healthier, more cognitively capable and more socially connected than the broad group of older people living with their spouse or adult children because they have to be. The other side of the coin is they're more vulnerable when anything happens because they don't always have the support of others.

Living alone is growing fast. It’s healthy when health issues don't interfere. Older adults must be honest when they need help and ask for it. Independence doesn't call for staying away from others in a healthy way. Regular checkups, attending doctor visits when things seem to be different in the body, calling friends and/or relatives, and attending church to stay in contact is key. Spiritual growth at any age depends on being social with others as well as pursuing 'closet' time with God!

In the course of regular daily routines schedule time with others to evangelize together. Living longer and healthier today still calls for persistence in being safe at all times. It is also good for younger adults and children to acknowledge the experience of older adults and be kind and respectful. They in turn will do the same and advise with warmth. Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves."

God reassures us of His presence and support as we age. Isaiah 46:4 says, "Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He, I am He who will sustain you." This emphasizes that God remains faithful throughout our life.

Happy Living in God!

Sandra Jackson