A lot of people are concerned about looking young, staying young, or being youthful.

This can be true for teenagers, middle-agers, or seniors—and for both women and men.

And wow, there sure are a lot of books and blogs about it!

I’m sure that, to a certain degree, people have always wanted to be at their best. But the obsession with looking or staying young has accelerated, and many people seem to be saying that you can only “be at your best” if you “stay young.”

But the two aren’t the same. It’s kind of like we’ve turned youthfulness into an idol.

That’s why I’d like to say that youth isn’t tethered to your age, but to the beauty of your heart.

And a beautiful heart is bathed it wonder:

-It wonders at the miracle of creation all around us
-It wonders at the uniqueness in every person
-It wonders about a world that is more truthful and loving
-It wonders in moments of laughter and spontaneous joy
-It wonders about eternity

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart…”

Today, as you try to find your way in a world that often confuses youth with perfection, and which often passes over true beauty for fake substitutes, remember this:

Youth isn’t tethered to your age, but to the beauty of your heart.

By Matthew Ruttan

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.