Episode 55: Faith, Fellowship, and the Mind of Christ: The Real Secret of Superagers

Jacob Paul: Welcome to the Truth in Love podcast with your hosts Kimberly Faith and John Mac. The Truth in Love podcast seeks to present God’s timeless truth through the lens of his remarkable love.

Kimberly Faith: Well, this is a special podcast. Mom, you’re kind of in charge.

Lynn McLarty: No way.

John McLarty: She was talking about how excited she was.

Lynn McLarty: I don’t want to be in charge of anything anymore.

Kimberly Faith: Well, you know what, mom? You’ve earned the right to say that. When I was first inspired to write this, the devotional, which we’re now doing a podcast on about the secrets of SuperAgers, I immediately thought of you. And it was kind of interesting. This podcast, well, the devotional was kind of inspired by an article I was reading in the news. I think it was a National Geographic study or something that they did for twenty five years. Just studying people who were over 80. Now we understand that you’re just barely, you’re just barely an oxygenarian.

Lynn McLarty: Yeah, don’t get me over it. It’s barely there.

Kimberly Faith: But when I was reading this article, I thought what a great spiritual application. So, first of all, mom, what’s your biggest secret to you being such a super ager where you’re just, you’re not sitting in a rocking chair at home. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but you’re acting

Lynn McLarty: That would be boring. Just serving God keeps you young because you have a ministry. You’re thinking about others and not yourself. And I think that’s important to just be other focused rather than self focused and all your aches and pains and grumping about stuff. So serving God, staying close to the Lord, and I really can’t imagine life at 80 without the Lord.

Kimberly Faith: You know, it’s really interesting that what you have identified as your secret because in this purely secular study they did, the scientists that studied people in their eighties and beyond whose memory, mental acuity, was that of someone decades younger, they identified, I mean, they studied their brains and they found out that there was one thing they had in common and that was, and I was shocked when I thought about that. I didn’t have a clue. And it was gregariousness, which is what the secular identification of what they all had in common was they were all very gregarious. And, when I’ve been kind of sharing this with people, because I’ve had a lot of people respond to this, the devotional and say, This was a great podcast. This is what I mean, a great devotional. This is what I didn’t know that being gregarious was such a great secret to keeping your mind sharp. I immediately thought of both of you because

John McLarty: And we think of you being forever young.

Kimberly Faith: Well, I appreciate that, dad. But I thought immediately of what you just said, mom, because you’re like my friends, they say, your mom acts like she’s in her fifties. And I said, well, she lives a very selfless life and she’s very busy. And not just with things that are, you know, busy work, it’s eternal things.

Lynn McLarty: That’s really all that’s important is where somebody’s going to spend their eternity. So we’ve been given such a great purpose in life that I think if you don’t know the Lord when you reach 80, there’s no purpose to keep going.

Kimberly Faith: That makes a lot of sense.

Lynn McLarty: No goal. 

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Lynn McLarty:  So, you know, a lot of people in eighties just give up and think, well, you know, I could just sit back on a couch and

Kimberly Faith: Watch TV.

Lynn McLarty: Watch TV. But there’s people all around us that need Jesus.

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Lynn McLarty: And so that’s what keeps me going.

Kimberly Faith: Well, you know, I think you’ve kind of hit the nail on the head. I mean, people that I know, I have a lot of older clients who are in that bracket over the age of 80. And the one thing I notice is that they’re  really entertaining themselves to death because they don’t have a purpose beyond just themselves.

Lynn McLarty: Right.

Kimberly Faith: And so what else is there?

Lynn McLarty: Well, how about dancing with your husband? I think that’s important too. 

Kimberly Faith: Yes.

John McLarty: That’s been a learning experience for me.

Lynn McLarty: Is to keep just a good relationship going with your mate.

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Lynn McLarty: And because we encourage one another. 

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Lynn McLarty:  I’ve got half a brain and he’s got half. Together, see, we really make things work.

Kimberly Faith: And you know, serving each other is a big part of that.

Lynn McLarty: It is.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. Whether you have a spouse or you don’t have a spouse, you’ve got family, you’ve got neighbors. 

Lynn McLarty: Right. 

Kimberly Faith: You can find somebody to serve.

Lynn McLarty: That’s right.

Kimberly Faith: What do you think, dad?

John McLarty: Yeah. Well, I’ll add to that. Lynn mentioned serving God, staying close to God. And then in addition to that, think of rather than going off in an isolated log cabin or monastery in a very isolated way. And I think of the brilliant plan of God to add us to create and then add us to a church. Because we serve God, we spend time with him, that personal time, but then the church causes us to socially interact. And Lynn and I go Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night.

Kimberly Faith:  Right.

John McLarty:  So that’s three times a week. We have something to do.

Kimberly Faith: Well, and then you’re also bringing people into your home. You’re having bible studies. Mom still hosts dinners

John McLarty: Right. 

Kimberly Faith: With people centered around Christ.

John McLarty: And our church is very interactive. We really like each other. So after church, Lynn and I’s car is usually among the last in the parking lot to leave. Because we will stay after church for thirty minutes just refreshed in the saints and talking. And I think this is really great. Not to just people in our age group, but way different than that. People you know, Paul and Shelley Harden came up to us just they’re in their, what, thirties. And they said, John and Lynn, we want to have Paul’s retirement party at your house. What do you think?

Lynn McLarty: So they came today to check out our house. We were gone. Hannah was there and they said, it’s going to work. So talking about, she said about a 100 people who will come through.

Kimberly Faith: To your house.

Lynn McLarty: To our house.

Kimberly Faith: And they just invited themselves over and you were okay with that. 

John McLarty: And thought our house would be great. We would be honored. What a thing to think of us.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. Yeah. And that’s such a different attitude, you know, because when we understand that nothing that we have belongs to us, it belongs to God. And I think about the verse Psalms 92:14, where it says, They shall still bear fruit in old age. They shall be fresh and flourishing.

Lynn McLarty: It says fat and flourishing.

Kimberly Faith: In the King James, it says fat? Okay, well.

John McLarty: Think so.

Kimberly Faith: Well, neither of you are fat. You’re both-

John McLarty: Well, Lynn can be pretty fresh.

Kimberly Faith: Well, was going to say, kind of like that fresh word when applied to mom. She can be a little-

John McLarty: We like that better.

Kimberly Faith: Feisty. But I think what you’re describing is how when Christ is on the throne in your heart, then your life is about Him and about others. And so in secular culture, if somebody were to do that, oh, we’re going to have a 100 people come to your house. Well, without God on the throne, you’re on the throne. So you get very territorial. Like, well, I’m not going to have a 100 of your friends over at my house, but because they’re brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s like, oh, wow. You want to come to our house? That’s great.

John McLarty: We felt very honored, actually. And we’re excited about the event as long as they’re in charge of it.

Kimberly Faith: Right. Well, and the other thing I’m kind of thinking about too, dad, you mentioned all different ages. I was thinking about how the 16, 17 year old girls came up to mom and wanted her to teach them a bible study.

Lynn McLarty: Right.

Kimberly Faith: And

John McLarty: That’s great. 

Kimberly Faith: You know, be, like, be their group leader.

Lynn McLarty: Yeah.

Kimberly Faith: Because what they see in you is something they want.

Lynn McLarty: And I said to them, I’d be glad to host it and I’ll invite Kim to teach it.

Kimberly Faith: Well, I would be honored. Well, it’s just, as I kind of read this study about the secular characterization of what makes people’s brains function longer with acuity. There were so many spiritual parallels. I just thought everybody wants to stay young. This is what and it’s kind of crazy because I had a lot of feedback on the devotional. Because if you think about our culture, we’re all geared towards, you’ve got to look young, you’ve got to act young, you’ve got to do activities that keep you young, you know, all these things. But God’s Word has the prescription for keeping the part of us that matters young. And that is our soul and our heart and our mind that are in Christ. 

So, I don’t know, have you guys kind of thought about some other things that you’ve done that would have spiritual application that would be helpful for people who are wanting to age the right way according to the Bible standard. I hate to say age gracefully. I think it’s bigger than that. It’s aging in God’s strength and His power and His wisdom and His joy, the fruit of the spirit. Right?

John McLarty: What’s kind of interesting, you said that we do have a body that ages and our physical brain is a part of that. And then you have this whole thing we’ve been talking about, the mind, once we’re born again. And I would say that’s the key to this spiritual staying young and fresh and flourishing, is you’ve got to be born again. You’ve got to have that new nature, that mind of Christ. And then you have this soul in you that is eternal. 

And even though it resides in this body that’s aging, our soul is then getting strengthened in the Lord and maturing and just getting stronger and stronger, not weaker and weaker, but in a body. That’s kind of an interesting little paradox there.

Kimberly Faith: I’m glad you brought that up because actually this weekend, I’ve been working on a section of that concept study workbook under human design. And I’m adding a section called the mind and then also a section called the heart. Because people ask when we’re teaching body, soul, and spirit, like, what about the mind? What about the heart? And so, you know, in this section on the mind, I’m just emphasizing that we have one of two minds we can think of, the natural mind or the mind of Christ.

John McLarty: Right. 

Kimberly Faith: And people who are not born again can’t tap into the mind of Christ because their soul and spirit are dead to God. And then but the saddest thing I mean, it’s sad that a person isn’t born again. Obviously, that’s very sad because it’s an eternal consequence, you know, right? Then people who are born again who say they’re Christians, but are still living after the natural mind instead of the mind of Christ, they’re stuck in that selfishness rut.

John McLarty: Right. Which the Bible would call carnal.

Kimberly Faith: That’s right.

John McLarty: It’s just being led of the flesh continually because then you have this once you’re born again.

Kimberly Faith: Right.

John McLarty: If you’re not born again, you don’t have a choice. 

Kimberly Faith: Exactly. 

John McLarty: Just every aspect of your being is carnal.

Kimberly Faith: Stuck in the physical.

John McLarty: But once we’re born again, then we have the freedom. We can choose that victorious life to the degree that no one can be perfect. But we have, you might say, a fighting chance every day to live for Christ.

Lynn McLarty: And to think about fighting, it is a fight. And I was thinking about that because lately in my time with the Lord in the morning, my prayer has been, Lord, help my mind to be renewed and to be like yours today. And help me to think on those things that are pure, holy, and true. And even at 80 years old you go to you know, you think, oh, little grandma, you know, she’s just so sweet. No. Everybody has a tendency to be pulled to selfishness and self centeredness.

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Lynn McLarty: And sin. So we’ve got to constantly be asking God, Lord because every day is a new day. Lord, renew my mind today. Help my mind to stay on the things that are pure, holy, and true. And, you know, and that’s it’s a battle. You never can say, well, I’ve achieved at 80 okay. I’ve come to this.

Kimberly Faith: Arrived.

Lynn McLarty: Arrived. But another thing I was thinking about when dad was talking about this on the way up here was young people are I thought about a church building. They’re building the church. The old people aren’t building the church. The young people are building the church. John and I have got to experience that ourselves in a physical way, but I thought about young people, even if the church building is built, they’re building the church, they’re building the ministries, they’re building the children’s church, the different aspect. And I thought about myself and kind of what I’m discovering is the older people are encouraging the young people to stay in the work to you can do it, to be the cheerleaders of this younger generation. 

Kimberly Faith: But you’re also coming alongside. I think it’s more than being a cheerleader.  I mean, maybe you don’t recognize this just because you’re in you know, you’re the one doing it, but sometimes somebody looking from the outside can say, you know, like, I’ll just give you an example. Like when you guys had done your major tracks, right? And I was able to observe you all handing those out to people, that inspired me to make my tract. And it was like, wow, that is such a great ministry tool. And I kind of saw how you organically would engage somebody in conversation.

Well, when I was in Colorado last week with a couple of my friends who don’t have their own tract, and we’re in Sherwin Williams talking to the paint guy because I want to paint the gate. We’re having I’m engaging a conversation with him just like you all did and asking him about his life. And then I said, you know, would you like to have my story? And so they got to see the fruit of your labor in me. And I think that there’s it’s bigger than just being a cheerleader. You’re still in the fight.

Lynn McLarty: I guess you might. I kind of totally agree with what you’re saying. That we are in the fight to win souls and to bring people to the Lord and 

Kimberly Faith: Disciple.

Lynn McLarty: Have people over our house for bible studies. But at our age, I’m not going to go teach children’s church.

Kimberly Faith: Right. No. No.

Lynn McLarty: But I look at Krystal and I say, Krystal, you are doing a fantastic job. Right. So that’s what I’m saying. It’s not that we’re not doing any of the work. 

Kimberly Faith: Okay.

Lynn McLarty:  But our work is changing.

Kimberly Faith: It’s different. Yeah.

Lynn McLarty: It’s different.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. Sure.

Lynn McLarty:  So we’re not getting out there with the hammers and nails and building the children’s church.

Kimberly Faith: But you’re still using the gifts that you are able to use And that is a huge deal. I mean, it’s such a great example. And going back to the secular study, you know, about people who have this gregariousness are involved in their communities. They have a friend circle.

They may have a, you know, a group they walk with. And in the spiritual application, well, we have you’ve talked about the church. You know, you have been a member of this church for fifty years and you’ve seen it morph into a very young group of people. And now you’ve got now you’re the older people in the church, but you’re still encouraging and coming alongside. And I think that’s what keeps you two so I mean, ageless. I mean, people want to know the secret to not growing old. Well, in a spiritual respect is keeping the mind of Christ and the heart of Christ.

Lynn McLarty: Right.

Kimberly Faith: Because that’s going to take you into the servant role instead of expecting to be served role. And that’s where we get stagnant. We quit using our mind. We expect and selfishness makes us dark.

Lynn McLarty: Yeah. 

John McLarty: Yeah. And that really shows the magnificence of God to not just stay in the social status of your age group. And I just really thought of that on the way here. Lynn and I were discussing this podcast, how the church gives you this multigenerational 

Kimberly Faith: Opportunity. 

John McLarty: Opportunity. That’s  the word.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah.

John McLarty: To engage and be alongside with and you’re alongside doing the ministry with. But then there is a passing of the baton.

Lynn McLarty: Right.

John McLarty:  But it’s not just this, oh, we passed it, and now we’re

Kimberly Faith: Retiring.

John McLarty: We’re retiring on our front porch. We’re still involved, but there’s a slow passing of the baton. That’s the discipleship.

Kimberly Faith: It kind of reminds me too, the one little phrase from this devotional that kind of is so appropriate here is the superager your life isn’t just about adding years. It’s about adding life to your years. You know, you think about that.

John McLarty: Life meaning

Kimberly Faith: Life to your years. It’s not just adding years to your life, it’s adding life to your years.

John McLarty: That’s a good phrase.

Kimberly Faith: Because you’re out interacting with other lives. That’s very, there’s been this whole cultural shift where we dehumanize people, right? We’ve got this whole thing called dehumanization where people have, you know, especially after COVID, they kind of isolated themselves and then they get behind the keyboard in their, the cap lock cowboy, right? Where they’re just disrespecting people and saying things and doing, and they’re doing things that just devalue human life. And then they commit suicide, because what’s their life about? If humans are not important, if they’re not created in the image of God, then they’re fungible, right? They’re expendable, they’re not important. But by doing what you all are doing and investing in people’s lives, it’s giving you more life. 

Lynn McLarty: Right. 

Kimberly Faith: You know, a broader, richer, more satisfying life. And as a result, mom, you don’t look a day over 55.

John McLarty: I agree completely.

Kimberly Faith: Dad, you look pretty good too. 

John McLarty: Still my lovely wife.

Kimberly Faith: So we kind of talked about the superager lifestyle that God prescribes starting with being born again, right? Being in a church and not just being in the church, but being an integral part of the church. Mom, you mentioned really making God the center by spending time in his word and praying.

It kind of reminds me of Hebrews 10 where it says, and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as in the manner of some, but exhorting one another so much more as you see the day approaching. And I think about the people that I, when I walk in the park at night, there’s all these people out there doing sports with their kids. That’s a great thing. But when it becomes your church, when it becomes your community, when sports or the pub or whatever becomes your strongest community or even your job, you’re really missing out.

Lynn McLarty: Oh, yeah.

Kimberly Faith: Because the church is a spiritual force.

Lynn McLarty: Sounds incredible. It’s a place where you can really see fruit and grow and encourage somebody else to grow. And you see them grow. Like, this person that is bringing this fellowship to our house now. The Lord has given me the privilege to be her encourager.

And I see so much potential in her. 

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. 

Lynn McLarty: And I tell her. And she says, miss Lynn, you just think I’m more than I really am. And I’ll say, you are.

Kimberly Faith: As a man thinketh, so is he, right?

John McLarty: Yeah. I mean that’s how our pastor, brother Brian, was to us.

Lynn McLarty: Was to us.

Kimberly Faith: And you guys  are that way to me. You guys are always encouraging. You know, it’s just like, like my heart breaks. One of our dear friends died last night. And I just think about his wife and his boys and think how devastating it must be to lose your father, you know, and such a man as he was. Matter of fact, he a talented violinist, godly man. And so now the church picks up the mantle and surrounds the people who have lost. You know, that’s because it’s such a, I hate to use the word deep magic, but I think that conveys what I’m trying to say. It’s not just taking a meal to somebody, it’s feeding their soul. You’re feeding the person’s eternal parts. And that lasts longer than a meal that you might use to satisfy their hunger.

John McLarty: I’ll just repeat that verse. Consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. So that does that. It’s not just a meal. You’re stirring up love and good works in them.

Kimberly Faith: Right.

John McLarty:  You want to live up to what people expect of us or say they see in us, it’s like, Oh, wow, I need to step up a little bit.

Kimberly Faith: Well, and I’ll tell you, we were talking about this in my Bible study group. One of the groups that I teach weekly, how that you know, when you have God pouring in the fruit of the spirit into your life because you’re spending time with him daily, you really want to know who he is for who he is.

Lynn McLarty: Right.

Kimberly Faith: Not who you make him, not who the world says he is, but for who he is. You have so much of the fruit of the spirit in you that you cannot keep it to yourself by definition. If you have God’s love, then if it’s God’s love, you can’t keep it to yourself. You have to share it because that’s what love is. It is giving. It is selflessness. And you can’t keep that to yourself. If it’s God’s joy and satisfaction, you cannot keep that to yourself. Just like you get a you know, you have a grandbaby and you can’t shut up about it. Well, you have God’s love, you can’t shut up about it.

Lynn McLarty: Yeah.

John McLarty: That kind of goes back to Lynn’s spending time with God and how she I think the word popular today is intentionally. We intentionally do whatever, diet or body build or learn a new skill. But don’t have that to give. I mean, like, you can’t just put on that act forever. You have to have that relationship with God or that love’s coming into you through his word and spirit, and then it pours out to others. So you kind of cultivate the mind of Christ within us. And then it’s him. It’s his love coming out, not ours. 

Lynn McLarty: That’s right.

Kimberly Faith: When you’re talking about intentionally feeding your soul with God’s word, with, you know, with worship, with being in an active church, you know, it’s impossible. It’s impossible for us to keep that to ourselves and maintain the presence of God. And so, you know, if you’re when you know, and that like you said, mom, it applies to all ages. You know, if you claim to be a born again believer who’s growing closer to God, but you’re not bringing people in, you’re not reaching out, you’re not actively pursuing souls and discipleship, then I think you need to really question which god are you studying? Because the very nature of God is love and love is selflessness. So does that make sense? And I think we can’t help but do that and be gregarious in our faith.

Lynn McLarty: Yeah. 

Kimberly Faith: When God is truly pouring into us and we’re rooting out the things that keep his love constricted.

Lynn McLarty: I just thought of another important thing for just life. I’m 80, and this is something I’ve learned. And even this morning when I was having my quiet time, the Lord gave me some words, and I’ll tell you in a second. But something I’ve learned is that everybody has certain gifts. And sometimes we can spend a lot of time wanting to be like somebody else that we see that we admire.

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Lynn McLarty: So we need to all kind of, the Lord will show you. It’s not like you have to figure it out.

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Lynn McLarty: But kind of settling into what your gifts are, knowing where your strengths are

Kimberly Faith: Yeah.

Lynn McLarty: And using those for the Lord is I think it’s so important because this morning, in my quiet time, I was thinking about Charlie Kirk.  And there’s everybody’s saying, I want to be I’m Charlie Kirk.

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Lynn McLarty: So we can’t all be Charlie Kirk because he had a certain talent.

John McLarty: His debate skills.

Lynn McLarty: His debate skills. I’m not a debater, I have some gifts to give. 

Kimberly Faith: Right.  And they’re very organic.

Lynn McLarty: And they’re organic. 

Kimberly Faith: Right. 

Lynn McLarty: And we can’t just force something. 

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. 

Lynn McLarty: I can’t think you know, like, watch some news and come up with a debate and then go try to debate somebody.

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Lynn McLarty: That’s not what God has for me. 

Kimberly Faith: Well, and when we yield our life to Christ and put him in the throne, those gifts are revealed. You know, I kind of jokingly when I’ve had to hire people and fire people in my law office because they just don’t the round peg doesn’t go in the square hole. I always bring up the fact I said, you know, I got fired from one job and it was and I’ll just tell you, I was really bad at it, and it was the job that you’re not working out well for. I said it and what’s worse is it was my dad’s company. I was so bad at being a secretary that

John McLarty: Sorry about that.

Kimberly Faith: That they had to let me go.

John McLarty: It was the office manager not me.

Kimberly Faith: Yes. Oh, well, you know, whatever. 

John McLarty: That fired you.

Kimberly Faith: But I was so grateful though because here I was thinking that I was going to be this great, whatever they call it now, used to be a secretary. And if I had done that, I would have never been doing what I was born to do, which is to be a lawyer and to be doing what we’re doing like, know, the lawyer was a practice for my podcast, really. You know, I get paid actress. 

John McLarty: That is a great story. What you thought maybe was devastating at the time led you into what God had for you.

Lynn McLarty: No, we knew from a child that you were a great actress. And we knew that somehow that skill was going to be incorporated in your life.

John McLarty: Maybe not so much a great filer, right.

Lynn McLarty: Yeah.

Kimberly Faith:  Or typist. Clueless. No. Well, I want to say this too, for people who are struggling to find a church they can serve in, because this is something that a lot of my clients who come in, who I’m having these spiritual conversations with will say, well, I just can’t find a good church. My reply to that is, who is the god that you’re serving, first of all. Is he capable of giving you a church to make better?

John McLarty: That’s a good point.

Kimberly Faith: The answer is always yes. You could take a church with four members and you can make it an on fire body of Christ if that’s where the Lord puts you. And I understand that struggle because coming from the church I grew up in and now trying to be a missionary to other churches to help them build their discipleship, sometimes I just want to go home.

 But what a gift it is to, like you said, mom, use the talents, the organic talents that God has given not to worry about, well, I want to  be the singer on the stage or whatever that might look like. Because it’s, you know, dad, we always talk about walking the path of peace. And that is, we actually had a sermon about the gifts this morning. That was just so funny that you had a quiet time about such a path of peace to figure out that I don’t have to do this, this, and this. I can do exactly what God’s got me doing and I feel so good at it. Only because that’s the gift he gave me and he’s powering me. It’s not my gift, it’s the gift he gave me.

John McLarty: There’s kind of a phrase that living our divine purpose, but learning what that looks like for each individual. I mean, we’re all it’s about souls. And serving God, but it looks different for individuals.

Lynn McLarty: And realizing

John McLarty: It Makes God so great.

Lynn McLarty: Realizing what Kim just said. It’s not our gifts aren’t something that we somehow conjured up and got better at. It’s God working actually through us. 

Kimberly Faith: Yeah.

Lynn McLarty: Because really

Kimberly Faith: Without Him, our gifts are

Lynn McLarty:  Without Him, we can’t even 

Kimberly Faith: Breathe. 

Lynn McLarty: Do anything or say anything right.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. One of the things you’d said earlier about spending time with God. It kind of reminds me of, yeah, well, number one, you know, we need to guard our heart and mind against the enemy because, you know, Proverbs warns us to keep our heart with all diligence because out of it springs the issues of life. We’re talking about, this is Proverbs 4:23, talking about sharing life with people, really. You’re sharing life, but you have to, I don’t know about y’all, I’m sure this happens to you, but you have somebody who just wants to burn your time because something’s important to them, but they have zero interest in serving the Lord. They’re just looking for the path of least resistance. And by guarding our heart and mind, we’re able to be kind, but also limit what kind of trash they’re going dump into our mind. Do you know what I’m talking about? Because there are people who just will vomit their trash all over you and because you’re a Christian, expects you to just listen to it all. And a lot of times I’ll be listening and I’ll just say, Lord, show me what to say.

And then I’ll just ask a question like, so are you interested in learning how to fix this or are you just talking about it? And that will start a different conversation. And really that path when you’re walking with God so closely that he gives you that wisdom to discern what’s actually being put into your mind. Does that make sense? Really helps us know.

John McLarty: Guarding our mind. We’ve had a great friend, a member of the church come give us a devotion on Nehemiah building the wall and how important that was. Just the whole it’s too much to go into here, but the symbology of the temple, they’d rebuilt the temple, but then they had established worship again in Israel, but then they had to build the wall that’s guarding the city because there’s enemies. And we have enemies. One of the enemy is us, our own mind of the flesh.

Kimberly Faith: We’re sleeping with the enemy every night.

John McLarty:  And another is it’s literally Satan. And then just the worldly culture. 

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. 

John McLarty: It’s just

Lynn McLarty: Our cell phones. 

John McLarty: Right on, I was going to say that right on our cell phones. Turn on the TV.

Kimberly Faith: And even people who are Christians who are so darkened because they have let their mind just go into the world system for so long. You know, we have to have discernment, but you can’t have discernment if you’re not in the light.

Lynn McLarty:  Right. 

Kimberly Faith: You’re then it’s all going to be different shades of gray.  And you’re going to be one then you’ll be floundering, right?

Lynn McLarty: For those people though that have been caught up in the world, it is one choice. They’re one choice away from changing that. And I just want to say that because, you know, you kind of think you’re caught up in the world and you’re stuck. No. You can make the choice. Every day is a new day, and God’s right there waiting for us to make the right choice, and He’ll help us.

Kimberly Faith: That’s right.

John  McLarty: That’s a great thought.

Lynn McLarty: He’ll help us out of that hole. 

Kimberly Faith; Yeah. 

Lynn McLarty: And we can’t get out of the hole by ourselves, but God, boy, he makes the path light right out of that hole.

Kimberly Faith: He sure does.

Lynn McLarty: And he’ll direct your path, and he’ll make it fruitful again. So there’s nobody that’s beyond hope

Kimberly Faith: That’s right.

Lynn McLarty: To make changes in their life even if they’re my age.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. That’s a good thought.

John McLarty: It’s a decision away.

Lynn McLarty: It’s a decision away.

John McLarty: You did bring up Charlie Kirk. And when they had his memorial, a lot of his people that loved him. His colleagues mentioned one of his favorite phrases was courage. It’s not something you have to train for and study for, and you’ll achieve it someday. It’s one decision away.

Lynn McLarty: Yeah. 

John McLarty: It’s just courage is a decision. And a lot of life is like that. Getting right with God is just a decision.

Kimberly Faith: I appreciate you saying that, mom, because we all get discouraged because we all fail and we think, you know, sometimes I go, God, I’m so sorry for doing this. And what blows me away is that He knows I want to do it again tomorrow, but He still forgives me today. And that’s, you know, even though like Romans Chapter Seven, Paul says, when I would do good, evil is present with me. And we have to remember that God understands that we have this flesh. 

And that, you know, rather than judging someone who is so out to lunch, we need to give them hope. But the best way to do that is showing them what it looks like in our own life. Being transparent enough to say, look, dude, I failed yesterday. Here’s my failure. It’s no different than your failure. The difference is I woke up this morning and repented. I went to bed last night repenting. And I woke up this morning saying, Lord, help me.

Lynn McLarty: Yeah.

Kimberly Faith: You know, every day. Every day and sometimes every hour of the day. 

Lynn McLarty: That’s right.

Kimberly Faith: Oh, my goodness. 

Lynn McLarty: But if we start our day wanting that renewal and wanting God’s will, then throughout the day, it’ll be easier because you’ll be thinking upon the things that are what he wants you to think upon.

Kimberly Faith: And what’s interesting is, you know, all the emphasis by our culture to kind of go along with what you’re saying, to stay young is focused on our body, right? Exercise, eat right, do all these other things that we focus on. But what’s so interesting is that when we start putting Jesus Christ on the throne every hour of the day, guess what? He makes our day so much more efficient and effective that we have time to go walk in the park or shop for the right groceries or prep our food or and maybe we’ll bring somebody alongside and say, hey, this is how I stay healthy. You know, mind, soul, body, you know, all the emotions, all those things work together. And they work better when we have the mind of Christ.

John McLarty: Right.

Kimberly Faith:  We’re constantly reiterating that the mind of Christ, you know. Well, I really appreciate mom that you’re such a good example. I really and dad, you too.

John McLarty: Well, thank you.

Kimberly Faith: But I think mom is extraordinary because

John McLarty: She is extraordinary.  I will agree with that.

Kimberly Faith: Well, everybody that meets her just, like, you know, can’t believe number one that she’s 80. And I

John McLarty: Remember, just barely 80.

Kimberly Faith: Just barely 80. Right. And number two, falls in love with her. You know? And I

John McLarty: I did.

Kimberly Faith: But I think, really, mom, the person they’re falling in love with is Jesus.

Lynn McLarty: It’s Jesus because it’s not me. 

Kimberly Faith: That’s right. 

Lynn McLarty: Because if it weren’t for Jesus, I don’t even know if I’d be here.

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Lynn McLarty: So it’s all the Lord.

Kimberly Faith: What a great legacy though, that when people meet you, they meet Jesus. And, you know, he’s the real key to SuperAgers. Right? It’s having his mind, his heart and being able to show people what he looks like inside your body.

Lynn McLarty: And you don’t want to end up being 80 in a grumpy old woman. That really makes you ugly. You know what I’m saying?

Kimberly Faith: It ages you too.

John McLarty: It does age you.

Kimberly Faith: You see people walking around, they’ve got the permanent frown, the permanent frown.

John McLarty: Let others see Jesus in you.

Lynn McLarty: That’s right. So you have to stay

John McLarty: Yeah. Jesus is loving.

Lynn McLarty: Not being grumpy. You have to stay close to the lord.

Kimberly Faith: Because the aches and pains and the reality of your body deterioration

Lynn McLarty:  It does. 

Kimberly Faith: It is what it is. You know, it’s not fun to creak and pop and crack when you walk up in the chair. 

Lynn McLarty:  Yeah. Or not be able to move furniture around anymore. I don’t like that.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. I know you don’t want to be like

John McLarty: You still do it though.

Lynn McLarty: I still do it.

John McLarty: I call them illegal activities.

Kimberly Faith: : Well, I was worried about the, you know, the 100 pound rocks that she was moving in the yard. 

Lynn McLarty: I stopped that. 

Kimberly Faith: Well, mom, thanks for sharing your wisdom with us and just about 

Lynn McLarty: Thanks for being you. Thanks for loving the Lord because that is what a heart of a mother cares about is to see her children walking with the Lord.

Kimberly Faith: Well, praise God for it all, right?

John McLarty: And thank you, Kim, for the Lord showed you to take on these podcasts, and we’ve had one every week for over a year now.

Kimberly Faith: It’s insane.

John McLarty: So God is good.

Kimberly Faith: God is so good.

Lynn McLarty: I don’t know you do it Kim.

John McLarty: All the time.

Kimberly Faith: I don’t. It’s all God.

Jacob Paul: You’ve been listening to the truth and love podcast with your hosts, Kimberly Faith and John Mac. To discover more answers to the big questions in life, visit us at gofaithstrong.com.