Loving and Living With Strength Through Every Season
When the Israelites were preparing to enter the Promised Land, Book of Joshua tells us about a remarkable man named Caleb. At 85 years old, Caleb stood before Joshua and boldly declared:
“I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.”
— Joshua 14:11 (NIV)
The story of Caleb can be found in Joshua 14:6–15, with the original account of the twelve spies in Numbers 13–14. Caleb was one of only two men who trusted God fully and believed the Israelites could take possession of the land God had promised them.
Now, realistically speaking, Caleb probably did not look the same at 85 as he did at 40. His body had aged. His experiences had shaped him. Time had certainly changed him physically. Yet his spirit remained strong. His passion was still alive. He had not surrendered his purpose, his faith, or his willingness to fight for what mattered.
It reminds me of the country song lyric: “I’m not as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was.” There is something both humorous and deeply truthful in that statement. Aging may change our bodies, our pace, and even our routines, but it does not have to diminish our heart.
As life becomes more complex and responsibilities increase, it is easy to slowly lose energy and excitement for life. We become cautious. We become tired. It gets easier to say “no” to opportunities, adventures, and connection. It becomes easier to isolate ourselves emotionally. In marriage, it can become easier to stop dating, stop pursuing one another, or stop prioritizing physical and emotional intimacy.
Rarely does disconnection happen overnight. More often, it happens gradually through exhaustion, disappointment, busyness, or simple neglect. We stop laughing together as much. We stop dreaming together. We settle into routines that maintain life but slowly drain passion from it.
But Caleb’s story reminds us that growing older does not have to mean growing cold.
There is another way to live.
Scripture reminds us that God is the source of renewed strength:
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles…” Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
When we continually return to the well that never runs dry, we can live refreshed even in difficult seasons. We can remain spiritually alive, emotionally engaged, and relationally connected. Passion is not sustained by age; it is sustained by intentionality and by remaining close to God.
This is especially true in marriage. Healthy marriages are not built by accident over time. They are cultivated through daily choices: extending grace when it is hard, serving when it feels inconvenient, sacrificing when selfishness would be easier, and continuing to pursue one another even after decades together.
The greatest relationships are not the ones that avoid hardship; they are the ones that refuse to stop loving through hardship.
As the years pass, may our marriages continue to increase in grace, sacrifice, service, creativity, fun, and love. May we never stop pursuing one another. May we never stop growing. May we never stop fighting for connection and intimacy.
One of my mentors, while dying of cancer, made a statement I will never forget:
“I want to live as long as I can still love.”
What a powerful picture of the Caleb Principle.
Not simply surviving.
Not merely aging.
But remaining fully alive in heart, faith, purpose, and love until the very end.
