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Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World
In This Biblical Meditation, Jen Wilkin Offers Christians a Compelling and Hopeful Perspective on Aging and the Aged
The world tells us at every turn that aging is a steep descent into irrelevance, one to be avoided at all cost. This false story diminishes not only us but our elders and the time God gives us. But Scripture reveals a markedly different pattern of life, one of increasing value, that calls us to embrace our age and number our days rightly.
In this extended exploration of aging, Jen Wilkin draws poetic parallels between the first half of life and the second. Exploring the changing realities of caregiving, abilities, and potentiality, she helps us to trace God's give-and-take design at every stage, drawing us toward a vision for a whole-life pro-life ethic. Wilkin offers practical insights on body image, honoring the elderly, the essential value of family, and more. She urges us to trade an anti-aging mindset for the pursuit of biblical wisdom, encouraging believers to lean into—not fight—their place in the true story of the arc of life.
A Biblical Perspective on This book is a thought-provoking resource for those in their 20s, middle age, and beyond Using the metaphor of a chiastic poem, Wilkin explores the symmetry of life and helps us find value in each stagePractical Invites Christians to reject the world's lies about age, pursue wisdom, steward their time well, and serve others as image bearers of GodWritten by Bestselling Author Jen Author of None Like Him; In His Image; Women of the Word; and more PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
The world tells us at every turn that aging is a steep descent into irrelevance, one to be avoided at all cost. This false story diminishes not only us but our elders and the time God gives us. But Scripture reveals a markedly different pattern of life, one of increasing value, that calls us to embrace our age and number our days rightly.
In this extended exploration of aging, Jen Wilkin draws poetic parallels between the first half of life and the second. Exploring the changing realities of caregiving, abilities, and potentiality, she helps us to trace God's give-and-take design at every stage, drawing us toward a vision for a whole-life pro-life ethic. Wilkin offers practical insights on body image, honoring the elderly, the essential value of family, and more. She urges us to trade an anti-aging mindset for the pursuit of biblical wisdom, encouraging believers to lean into—not fight—their place in the true story of the arc of life.
A Biblical Perspective on This book is a thought-provoking resource for those in their 20s, middle age, and beyond Using the metaphor of a chiastic poem, Wilkin explores the symmetry of life and helps us find value in each stagePractical Invites Christians to reject the world's lies about age, pursue wisdom, steward their time well, and serve others as image bearers of GodWritten by Bestselling Author Jen Author of None Like Him; In His Image; Women of the Word; and more PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Audible Audio
First published July 1, 2026
About the author
Jen Wilkin
72 books1,676 followersJen Wilkin is a speaker, writer, and teacher of women’s Bible studies. During her thirteen years of teaching, she has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. Jen and her family are members of the Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas. She is the author of Women of the Word.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 467 reviews
July 13, 2026
This book is amazing. I laughed. I cried. I stopped constantly and texted friends snippets.
My husband got many snippets from the book as I paused to read whole sections to get his opinion.
I have been longing for a book on aging. It’s just something that I don’t hear talked about often from a Christian perspective, the tension of knowing that we die and how we live our lives now.
I may be a little biased since Jen Wilkin is my favorite author, but this book is the book that we’ve all been wanting and I am glad she took on the topic.
She is careful, she is biblical, and she’s encouraging.
We live in a society that kind of wants us not to talk about aging, not to talk about death. It is something that we run from instead of embracing our elderly.
We often see the elderly as a burden, as “problems to solve”, but not as people made in the image of God with dignity and to joyfully serve.
As a result, we rarely see ourselves, if we are younger, as people who are aging and need care in our later years. This book makes you face that reality.
She so eloquently put together a framework that helps us understand aging in a way that is easy to follow and thought provoking. The reader journeys through the arc of life and it’s chiasms (example: First Years and Final Years)
She includes research and statistics, many that had my mouth wide open, and I was in shock. As we become a society that has more elderly than youth, we can no longer escape this conversation about aging. Especially as the Church.
This isn’t just a book that you read and move on from. It changes how you live. Those nights when my little one is asking for one more hug, one more kiss to avoid going to sleep, became sweeter because I am more aware of my humanity and the brevity of this life.
I admit that I don’t really think about aging much as being so close for me. (I’m in my early 30s)
I have assumed that I have all the time left in life. I have not been considerate of how I would want to be treated as an elder, and I have slipped into the thinking of caring for the elderly as being a burden. I have clung tightly to my autonomy.
This book has put aging in the front of my mind, and I hope that I continue to meditate on these truths as I navigate the rest of my days, no matter how they are numbered.
This book also became my whole personality. It is the book you and your friends will be talking about over coffee. This is the book that you want to sit down with your Titus 2 mentor and discuss. This is the book that I hope women in churches will gather around to share wisdom and glean wisdom.
I joked with my husband that if I die first, to give out copies of this book at my funeral.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, young and old. It is a gift to us.
Thank you to the publisher for my copy.
My husband got many snippets from the book as I paused to read whole sections to get his opinion.
I have been longing for a book on aging. It’s just something that I don’t hear talked about often from a Christian perspective, the tension of knowing that we die and how we live our lives now.
I may be a little biased since Jen Wilkin is my favorite author, but this book is the book that we’ve all been wanting and I am glad she took on the topic.
She is careful, she is biblical, and she’s encouraging.
We live in a society that kind of wants us not to talk about aging, not to talk about death. It is something that we run from instead of embracing our elderly.
We often see the elderly as a burden, as “problems to solve”, but not as people made in the image of God with dignity and to joyfully serve.
As a result, we rarely see ourselves, if we are younger, as people who are aging and need care in our later years. This book makes you face that reality.
She so eloquently put together a framework that helps us understand aging in a way that is easy to follow and thought provoking. The reader journeys through the arc of life and it’s chiasms (example: First Years and Final Years)
She includes research and statistics, many that had my mouth wide open, and I was in shock. As we become a society that has more elderly than youth, we can no longer escape this conversation about aging. Especially as the Church.
This isn’t just a book that you read and move on from. It changes how you live. Those nights when my little one is asking for one more hug, one more kiss to avoid going to sleep, became sweeter because I am more aware of my humanity and the brevity of this life.
I admit that I don’t really think about aging much as being so close for me. (I’m in my early 30s)
I have assumed that I have all the time left in life. I have not been considerate of how I would want to be treated as an elder, and I have slipped into the thinking of caring for the elderly as being a burden. I have clung tightly to my autonomy.
This book has put aging in the front of my mind, and I hope that I continue to meditate on these truths as I navigate the rest of my days, no matter how they are numbered.
This book also became my whole personality. It is the book you and your friends will be talking about over coffee. This is the book that you want to sit down with your Titus 2 mentor and discuss. This is the book that I hope women in churches will gather around to share wisdom and glean wisdom.
I joked with my husband that if I die first, to give out copies of this book at my funeral.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, young and old. It is a gift to us.
Thank you to the publisher for my copy.
July 12, 2026
“Bodies decline, people develop.”
I haven’t cried through a Christian nonfiction book in a long time. The topics of aging, figuring out how to care for aging parents and really, mortality in general, are ones I tend to avoid… and I think most of us do. What a complete *gift* this book has been to me and will be to followers of Jesus everywhere. It was enlightening, sobering and deeply humbling.
In Dust to Dust, Jen Wilkin approaches the topic of the cycle of life and aging in a chiasmic structure (picture an arch that goes up and comes down, nearly parallel but descending). I read this book on e-ARC so I didn’t have the graphs, but I got the gist of the imagery. With this image in mind, Jen walks us through this perspective of life’s progression (and regression) in light of the truth of God’s Word and refutes the false narrative fed to us by the world about aging and the aged.
Man, did I need this book. As I write this review, I’m still on the earlier side of my 30s and have only mildly felt the beginning realities of an aging body. And yet as I currently occupy this “early caregiver” stage of life, as mentioned in this book, I had never once contemplated what I would desire for myself in old age, should I be given the grace of living that long. For those of us who are young, Jen challenges us to care for the aging and elderly members of our communities in a way we’d wish for ourselves to be treated in old age. “Do as you would wish,” is the mantra repeated in this book, and I won’t be able to view it any other way now.
And maybe this wasn’t the intention of the book exactly, but as I consider my present stage of life on the brink of middle age (but not quite there), I’m confronted with how I can live with contentment and joy in this stage of life with young children, because none of us will be young forever. God willing, my little ones will grow older, but so will I. As we continue to approach our eternal timeline, may we live each day in a way that reflects a spirit of thankfulness, purpose and meaning as we live for Christ in every age and stage.
What a difference this book has made in my life. I wish I could include all my highlights here, but that truly would be half the book. So thankful for this work, Jen. Highly recommend to everyone 🤍.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Crossway for an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I haven’t cried through a Christian nonfiction book in a long time. The topics of aging, figuring out how to care for aging parents and really, mortality in general, are ones I tend to avoid… and I think most of us do. What a complete *gift* this book has been to me and will be to followers of Jesus everywhere. It was enlightening, sobering and deeply humbling.
In Dust to Dust, Jen Wilkin approaches the topic of the cycle of life and aging in a chiasmic structure (picture an arch that goes up and comes down, nearly parallel but descending). I read this book on e-ARC so I didn’t have the graphs, but I got the gist of the imagery. With this image in mind, Jen walks us through this perspective of life’s progression (and regression) in light of the truth of God’s Word and refutes the false narrative fed to us by the world about aging and the aged.
Man, did I need this book. As I write this review, I’m still on the earlier side of my 30s and have only mildly felt the beginning realities of an aging body. And yet as I currently occupy this “early caregiver” stage of life, as mentioned in this book, I had never once contemplated what I would desire for myself in old age, should I be given the grace of living that long. For those of us who are young, Jen challenges us to care for the aging and elderly members of our communities in a way we’d wish for ourselves to be treated in old age. “Do as you would wish,” is the mantra repeated in this book, and I won’t be able to view it any other way now.
And maybe this wasn’t the intention of the book exactly, but as I consider my present stage of life on the brink of middle age (but not quite there), I’m confronted with how I can live with contentment and joy in this stage of life with young children, because none of us will be young forever. God willing, my little ones will grow older, but so will I. As we continue to approach our eternal timeline, may we live each day in a way that reflects a spirit of thankfulness, purpose and meaning as we live for Christ in every age and stage.
What a difference this book has made in my life. I wish I could include all my highlights here, but that truly would be half the book. So thankful for this work, Jen. Highly recommend to everyone 🤍.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Crossway for an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
August 13, 2026
I think this will be the most important book I’ll read this year. I’d give it 100/5 stars if I could. The value of life. The importance of seeing aging through a biblical lens. Celebrating development (bodies decline, people develop)
The importance of and blessing of caring for our families and learning from those who have gone before us.
Seeing people to love rather than problems to solve in those who need us.
And the value of modeling growth, aging and seeing our bodies as useful and not ornamental.
I could not recommend this more to all. Especially those who are mid thirties to late forties. I’ll buy you a copy.
The importance of and blessing of caring for our families and learning from those who have gone before us.
Seeing people to love rather than problems to solve in those who need us.
And the value of modeling growth, aging and seeing our bodies as useful and not ornamental.
I could not recommend this more to all. Especially those who are mid thirties to late forties. I’ll buy you a copy.
Read
July 25, 2026Thankful for this little gem to remind that aging is a gift and caring for the aging an even greater gift!
August 27, 2026
Every woman should read this book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Whew, this is the book we all (people of any age) need to be reading.
We've bought culture's obsession with anti-aging hook, line, and sinker, and it has devastating implications for all of us.
This was different than I was expecting, but in a good way. I thought there would be more of a focus on resisting cosmetic anti-aging strategies, but for such a short book, Jen Wilkin did a great job giving us a bigger picture of a biblical view of aging.
"The false story of anti-aging says: Outward decline signals loss of identity and fear of suffering and death. To age is to diminish. The true story of aging says: Outward decline yields inward growth of spiritual and resurrection hope. To age is to deepen."
There were SO many good thoughts on how aging is a privilege, how elderly people are people to be loved and not a problem to solve, how to honor our aging parents, and yes, how to think about outward signs of aging. The message of the book is counter-cultural, but it gives me hope where culture only gives fear.
It may be helpful to note that I am reading this as a 35-year-old, so I'm not even to the "midlife" stage as she defines it in this book. But what a gift to have more time to, by God's grace, apply some of the lessons shared here, not just in my own mind, but also in relationships with others.
I will be recommending this to every woman I know, and think it will be the start of many good conversations.
Thank you to Netgalley and Crossway for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.
We've bought culture's obsession with anti-aging hook, line, and sinker, and it has devastating implications for all of us.
This was different than I was expecting, but in a good way. I thought there would be more of a focus on resisting cosmetic anti-aging strategies, but for such a short book, Jen Wilkin did a great job giving us a bigger picture of a biblical view of aging.
"The false story of anti-aging says: Outward decline signals loss of identity and fear of suffering and death. To age is to diminish. The true story of aging says: Outward decline yields inward growth of spiritual and resurrection hope. To age is to deepen."
There were SO many good thoughts on how aging is a privilege, how elderly people are people to be loved and not a problem to solve, how to honor our aging parents, and yes, how to think about outward signs of aging. The message of the book is counter-cultural, but it gives me hope where culture only gives fear.
It may be helpful to note that I am reading this as a 35-year-old, so I'm not even to the "midlife" stage as she defines it in this book. But what a gift to have more time to, by God's grace, apply some of the lessons shared here, not just in my own mind, but also in relationships with others.
I will be recommending this to every woman I know, and think it will be the start of many good conversations.
Thank you to Netgalley and Crossway for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.
July 22, 2026
Pray with the Psalmist: “Teach me to number my days, that I may gain a heart of wisdom.” (90:12)
Then move this book to the top of your list. ❤️
As I’ve come to expect from Jen, the book made me laugh and cry. I was encouraged and challenged by how God’s Word speaks about the arc of life. And I ended my reading with a better calibrated relationship with time and a renewed sense of purpose.
(If you have access to the audiobook, I highly recommend it, as it’s read by the author and carries a poignancy not found in print.)
Then move this book to the top of your list. ❤️
As I’ve come to expect from Jen, the book made me laugh and cry. I was encouraged and challenged by how God’s Word speaks about the arc of life. And I ended my reading with a better calibrated relationship with time and a renewed sense of purpose.
(If you have access to the audiobook, I highly recommend it, as it’s read by the author and carries a poignancy not found in print.)
July 27, 2026
This book will have me thinking for a while. Convicting, helpful, and probably one of Jen’s most personal books. I loved how she structured the book. It’s especially helpful as I start a new decade of life and prepare to care for aging parents.
October 25, 2026
I almost didn’t read this book because I didn’t think it applied to me, and I’m so glad I was wrong! This book was such an encouragement and a helpful reminder of how we can age well and care for those around us who are aging.
I especially loved Jen’s perspective on learning to savor growing old for the ways it grows us in wisdom and self-forgetfulness. Rather than viewing aging as something to fear or resist, she encourages us to see it as part of God’s good design for a life lived to His glory. As she writes, “decline and death are part of God’s roadmap for a life lived to the full.”
This book reminded me that we can age without fear, trusting God as our lives count up to midlife and down toward the end of life, all for His glory. A perspective I didn’t know I needed, and one I’m so grateful to have been reminded of!
I especially loved Jen’s perspective on learning to savor growing old for the ways it grows us in wisdom and self-forgetfulness. Rather than viewing aging as something to fear or resist, she encourages us to see it as part of God’s good design for a life lived to His glory. As she writes, “decline and death are part of God’s roadmap for a life lived to the full.”
This book reminded me that we can age without fear, trusting God as our lives count up to midlife and down toward the end of life, all for His glory. A perspective I didn’t know I needed, and one I’m so grateful to have been reminded of!
September 13, 2026
This was such a beautiful read. I cried but I also laughed at times. It was insightful and truly eye-opening to help you look at aging through the biblical lense but also about our elders and caring for those who are aging as well. This brought me comfort and grace through a time I started to begin dreading aging and what that meant for me and my future. Its a must read! I highlighted SO many things to reference back and share with friends/family!
August 19, 2026
Jen is brilliant (chiastic structure of life, geez girl) and this is a book everyone needs to read. I want to give it to DG girls for sobering perspective. I need it for looking toward aging parents and my own aging process. My parents need it to deeply understand their irrevocable relevance and permission to age.
Christians must age in light of grace, and treat the aged with honor. It is one way we will shine light in this age.
Christians must age in light of grace, and treat the aged with honor. It is one way we will shine light in this age.
October 28, 2026
This should probably be required reading. Things I wish I would have considered as a young adult and things I mourn as I don’t have biological parents to honor. Hard questions to consider as I think of honoring those that I can in the years to come.
October 3, 2026
I have never read a book like this. She had me thinking of things I’ve never considered. I was so blessed by each and every chapter. I feel excited with a fresh perspective of aging as one who is in Christ.
July 30, 2026
I just love Jen Wilkin! Her writing is so easy to digest and understand, something I look for when picking non-fiction books.
I think this book will definitely resonate more with a generation or two older than me but there was still so much wealth and worth in her words. It opened my eyes to the ways we should care for elderly and aging and had me thinking of how I can get more involved with those ways in my church.
I listened to this but plan on purchasing a copy so I can re-read and underline!
I think this book will definitely resonate more with a generation or two older than me but there was still so much wealth and worth in her words. It opened my eyes to the ways we should care for elderly and aging and had me thinking of how I can get more involved with those ways in my church.
I listened to this but plan on purchasing a copy so I can re-read and underline!
August 19, 2026
4.5 🌟 This is a really important read for everyone. Not just those my age and seeing twds the end, but younger adults too. It is a great perspective and helped me as I faced some weaknesses this summer that required extra help. As of my 66th birthday on 8/4/26, I’ve lived 20,090 days. I have 5,110 days to 80 if I make it that long. Sobering. How am I living? A live of self-forgetfulness and serving others? Or a life of fear, which is the false story.
September 6, 2026
Leaving this book invited toward repentance, nudged toward Christlike action, and reminded of reality for the believer. Sounds like quintessential Jen Wilkin to me. So thankful she’s urging the Church toward this discussion.
October 22, 2026
This book is so important. So practical, so rich, and so extraordinarily helpful for any age. I laughed and cried and was led to both greater worship and longing for eternity.
“We have an appointment with the end of our sin.” <— Truly something to celebrate and anticipate with deep joy.
Commend it for everyone (males included).
“We have an appointment with the end of our sin.” <— Truly something to celebrate and anticipate with deep joy.
Commend it for everyone (males included).
October 26, 2026
Just wonderful. As much a book about grief and loss as it is about personally aging. Great mix of biblical instruction, correction, and hope.
August 14, 2026
All of Jen Wilkin’s books feel like the hard-fought truths of a wise older sister, and Dust to Dust follows that same familiar and welcome pattern. More than ever as a reader, I value her ability to engage both the heart and mind.
“Bodies decay, people develop,” she reminds us. The world teaches us to fight tooth and nail for youth, to attempt to appear “ageless”, that “50 is the new 30”, and that aging necessarily means loss and obsolescence. But what does God’s Word say? That while our outer self, our earthly tent, is wasting away, God is renewing our inner self daily and preparing us for another life and another body that looks like His Son’s. It says I came from dust and to dust I will return. It says my days are as fleeting as grass and flowers; the wind blows and I am carried away. It says I should number my days in order to gain wisdom. It says that aging is a gift. Wake up, church! We need a better story.
I look forward to picking up this book again in the years to come. The midlife chapter spoke volumes to me, but I couldn’t relate as much to chapters beyond my current stage. But I know I will.
“Bodies decay, people develop,” she reminds us. The world teaches us to fight tooth and nail for youth, to attempt to appear “ageless”, that “50 is the new 30”, and that aging necessarily means loss and obsolescence. But what does God’s Word say? That while our outer self, our earthly tent, is wasting away, God is renewing our inner self daily and preparing us for another life and another body that looks like His Son’s. It says I came from dust and to dust I will return. It says my days are as fleeting as grass and flowers; the wind blows and I am carried away. It says I should number my days in order to gain wisdom. It says that aging is a gift. Wake up, church! We need a better story.
I look forward to picking up this book again in the years to come. The midlife chapter spoke volumes to me, but I couldn’t relate as much to chapters beyond my current stage. But I know I will.
September 16, 2026
“The false story of anti-aging says: outward decline signals loss of identity and fear of suffering and death. To age is to diminish. The true story of aging says: outward decline yields inward growth of spiritual, and resurrection hope. To age is to deepen.”
I was very intrigued when I saw Jen Wilkin’s latest book coming out on anti-aging as I don’t see much about that from a biblical perspective. I am on the cusp of midlife and I was just having a conversation with a friend about how I don’t have a skin care routine and it seemed like something someone my age probably should have figured out by now.
I tend to avoid most trends (or ‘routines’) so I figured I would be on board with what Wilkins was going to say in her book, but more than that I wanted to consider a biblical view of aging as I know I will continue to feel the pressure to conform to the world’s view of how I should look and I want God’s truth to be my truth.
Wilkins does offer her comments on all of that later on in the book, but she begins by looking at the chiasm of life. A chiasm is a literary device with the main point being in the middle with points leading up to it and reversing back down.
[I have a picture of this in my original post]
Her hope for the book is to grow our wisdom when it comes to “self-awareness, submission to God, and service to others” in the particular space of aging.
I really liked looking at it through this poetic lens. In a world that treasures self-sufficiency and independence, it’s always good to be reminded of God’s counter-cultural standard of interdependence and community.
God has designed life from beginning to end to include weakness and require us to depend on others and ultimately on him. We were never made to be self-sufficient creatures. We don’t always see it this way, but it is a mercy and a blessing that God allows us weakness. Not only because we need him but because it allows us a looser grip on this earthly life as we prepare for something better.
The verse Jen kept coming back to was Psalm 90:12 that admonishes us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
How do we number our days? That is the question she seeks to answer with each chapter at each stage of life. Numbering our days requires us to confront the reality of death and illness, but also to recognize the joys and the growth that comes from hardship.
A mantra she uses in the book is ‘Bodies decline, people develop.’ Even if our bodies are wasting away, our minds and our souls are being shaped to look more and more like Christ. Numbering our days means looking at the development of our character and the way we use whatever bodies we have to worship God and serve others.
I have lived 13, 345 days. If I live until the age of 80 I have 15, 864 more. What will I do with those days?
Another thing I loved about how Jen laid things out in her book was the continual exposing of the false story of anti-aging and discovering the true story of aging. This is how discernment works; we look at what story is being told and we hold it up to God’s truth to see if it aligns.
Wilkins takes us all the way to beginning:
There are all kinds of false stories touted by our culture that skew the way we see God, ourselves, and others, and not just in the realm of aging.
Some of the false stories she exposes are the ones that say: the earlier years matter more than the later years; don’t be a burden to your family; aging only leads to irrelevance; it’s not wrong to want what doesn’t belong to you and make it your own; the choices you make about your body don’t affect anyone else; nothing good comes from aging.
None of these are true.
Another mantra Wilkins uses in her book is ‘as you wish.’ Meaning— treat others as you would wish them to treat you. How would I want my family to treat me when I am in my last years? Her last pages detail her personal wishes for herself and her family and she encourages readers to make their ‘wish’ lists as well.
One other thing that resonated with me was when Jen thought about the ‘cost’ of living the false story of anti-aging. In a ‘my body, my choice’ world, we are told to not consider anyone else when we make choices, but there is always an impact, a cost somewhere.
She says,
Our choices send a message. And they can rob others of opportunities to grow or to see us develop through our own challenges.
She says, “Thankfully, we believe in a storyline bigger than our lifetime.”
Our lives and our choices matter, but we’re also just a few pieces in the bigger story that God is weaving about himself and his plan to redeem a dying people. We are not the main characters. But what a joy to embrace weakness and dependence if it points others to his glory!
I don’t know what aging will look like for me or how many years I even have left, but I pray that I can live the true story of aging during whatever time I have left.
Recommendation
“To seek to eradicate death by human means is, while perhaps well-intended, an act of defiance.”
Anti-aging tells a false story that rejects God’s design and treats this earthly life as the end-all, be-all. While death is unnatural and a penalty for sin, God’s solution for this is not a serum, a cream, or a gene-editing program. It’s a heart transformation, and trusting in the One who wants to bring us into a place of true restoration and life eternal.
Dust to Dust is a convicting but encouraging book that should bring us out of the clouds of death and aging avoidance and give us a better lens to view the expanse of our lives. It should help alleviate the fears of aging and inspire you to see caregiving as a way to honor others, not treat them as a burden or a problem to solve.
The pressure will continue to increase for us as new technologies develop and many around us buy into the narrative that old age is a disease to cure, so I hope that this book can help my future self and others remember the true story.
**Received a copy via Crossway**
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I was very intrigued when I saw Jen Wilkin’s latest book coming out on anti-aging as I don’t see much about that from a biblical perspective. I am on the cusp of midlife and I was just having a conversation with a friend about how I don’t have a skin care routine and it seemed like something someone my age probably should have figured out by now.
I tend to avoid most trends (or ‘routines’) so I figured I would be on board with what Wilkins was going to say in her book, but more than that I wanted to consider a biblical view of aging as I know I will continue to feel the pressure to conform to the world’s view of how I should look and I want God’s truth to be my truth.
Wilkins does offer her comments on all of that later on in the book, but she begins by looking at the chiasm of life. A chiasm is a literary device with the main point being in the middle with points leading up to it and reversing back down.
[I have a picture of this in my original post]
“If life is a chiasm, and if chiasms teach, what might the chiasm of life teach us? I suspect that God in his kindness designed it to be such that we might gain a heart of wisdom… Realizing that seasons follow a patterned order helps us recognize and inhabit the season we are in and discern how to live that particular season out of God’s true story. It can also help us prioritize how to use the time we are given.”
Her hope for the book is to grow our wisdom when it comes to “self-awareness, submission to God, and service to others” in the particular space of aging.
I really liked looking at it through this poetic lens. In a world that treasures self-sufficiency and independence, it’s always good to be reminded of God’s counter-cultural standard of interdependence and community.
God has designed life from beginning to end to include weakness and require us to depend on others and ultimately on him. We were never made to be self-sufficient creatures. We don’t always see it this way, but it is a mercy and a blessing that God allows us weakness. Not only because we need him but because it allows us a looser grip on this earthly life as we prepare for something better.
The verse Jen kept coming back to was Psalm 90:12 that admonishes us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
How do we number our days? That is the question she seeks to answer with each chapter at each stage of life. Numbering our days requires us to confront the reality of death and illness, but also to recognize the joys and the growth that comes from hardship.
A mantra she uses in the book is ‘Bodies decline, people develop.’ Even if our bodies are wasting away, our minds and our souls are being shaped to look more and more like Christ. Numbering our days means looking at the development of our character and the way we use whatever bodies we have to worship God and serve others.
“Those older than us are not still valuable. Our elders in age and experience are not clinging to an eroding value. In a culture that fetishizes youth and views aging as a journey into irrelevance and uselessness, God’s family takes the view that our elders possess an ever-developing value, one that renders their contributions essential and indispensable— with increasing relevance not irrelevance.”
I have lived 13, 345 days. If I live until the age of 80 I have 15, 864 more. What will I do with those days?
Another thing I loved about how Jen laid things out in her book was the continual exposing of the false story of anti-aging and discovering the true story of aging. This is how discernment works; we look at what story is being told and we hold it up to God’s truth to see if it aligns.
Wilkins takes us all the way to beginning:
“Ever since Genesis 3, humanity has been wooed toward the lure of false stories and away from the one true, beautiful story. The sin of Eden was essentially a choice by Adam and Eve to reject God‘s true story and live in a false story. It’s a false story about the character of God (God withholds what I need), the nature of image bearing (I should aspire to be like God in ways I am not meant to be), and the nature of our relationships with one another (I should invite others into the false story I have chosen).”
There are all kinds of false stories touted by our culture that skew the way we see God, ourselves, and others, and not just in the realm of aging.
Some of the false stories she exposes are the ones that say: the earlier years matter more than the later years; don’t be a burden to your family; aging only leads to irrelevance; it’s not wrong to want what doesn’t belong to you and make it your own; the choices you make about your body don’t affect anyone else; nothing good comes from aging.
None of these are true.
Another mantra Wilkins uses in her book is ‘as you wish.’ Meaning— treat others as you would wish them to treat you. How would I want my family to treat me when I am in my last years? Her last pages detail her personal wishes for herself and her family and she encourages readers to make their ‘wish’ lists as well.
“I wish to age gracefully, not as the world does but as someone who understands grace as unmerited favor. I wish to use the unmerited favor of good health and long years in service to others. I wish to treat my body as worthy of honor, but not as ultimate. I wish to pass along the generational wealth of wisdom and experience that is being passed along to me. I wish to practice self-forgetfulness versus self-absorption… I wish to live the true story.”
One other thing that resonated with me was when Jen thought about the ‘cost’ of living the false story of anti-aging. In a ‘my body, my choice’ world, we are told to not consider anyone else when we make choices, but there is always an impact, a cost somewhere.
She says,
“Is it possible that God, in his kindness, intends for our souls and the souls of those around us to develop as we face the very real challenges to our bodies that the gift of aging brings?…
What might it cost a marriage to rob a husband of the opportunity to grow in wisdom and gratitude as he watches his wife’s body change? What might it cost the watching children in the home whom we steadfastly assure we love them just as they are? What might it cost our unbelieving next-door neighbor who is searching our life for signs of the true story of the world?”
Our choices send a message. And they can rob others of opportunities to grow or to see us develop through our own challenges.
She says, “Thankfully, we believe in a storyline bigger than our lifetime.”
Our lives and our choices matter, but we’re also just a few pieces in the bigger story that God is weaving about himself and his plan to redeem a dying people. We are not the main characters. But what a joy to embrace weakness and dependence if it points others to his glory!
I don’t know what aging will look like for me or how many years I even have left, but I pray that I can live the true story of aging during whatever time I have left.
Recommendation
“To seek to eradicate death by human means is, while perhaps well-intended, an act of defiance.”
Anti-aging tells a false story that rejects God’s design and treats this earthly life as the end-all, be-all. While death is unnatural and a penalty for sin, God’s solution for this is not a serum, a cream, or a gene-editing program. It’s a heart transformation, and trusting in the One who wants to bring us into a place of true restoration and life eternal.
Dust to Dust is a convicting but encouraging book that should bring us out of the clouds of death and aging avoidance and give us a better lens to view the expanse of our lives. It should help alleviate the fears of aging and inspire you to see caregiving as a way to honor others, not treat them as a burden or a problem to solve.
The pressure will continue to increase for us as new technologies develop and many around us buy into the narrative that old age is a disease to cure, so I hope that this book can help my future self and others remember the true story.
**Received a copy via Crossway**
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August 13, 2026
This book could have been a blogpost. She makes about three good points, and stretches it out into a book.
A lot of the book is grounded in “common sense” rather than theology. For example, she explains what a chiasm in scripture is, and then says our life is a chiasm because we become dependent on others in old age just as we were as infants. This point is repeated over several pages, as if this is some groundbreaking revelation.
The book could have been more grounded in scripture. God spoke to Abraham about leaving Haran at age 75. Moses had his burning bush moment at age 80. The Bible doesn’t act as if the first half of life is what matters most. Yet, Wilkin doesn’t use any examples like this.
The small size of the book should have been my first sign that it would be disappointing. It’s not that anything she says is wrong; her message isn’t very substantial.
A lot of the book is grounded in “common sense” rather than theology. For example, she explains what a chiasm in scripture is, and then says our life is a chiasm because we become dependent on others in old age just as we were as infants. This point is repeated over several pages, as if this is some groundbreaking revelation.
The book could have been more grounded in scripture. God spoke to Abraham about leaving Haran at age 75. Moses had his burning bush moment at age 80. The Bible doesn’t act as if the first half of life is what matters most. Yet, Wilkin doesn’t use any examples like this.
The small size of the book should have been my first sign that it would be disappointing. It’s not that anything she says is wrong; her message isn’t very substantial.
September 23, 2026
I am so thankful for this book! I think it will do much spiritual good as people read it and I hope the Church will be pushed to seek out and love the elderly in our midst.
I am also sobered by my youthfulness and need to learn a lot.
I am also sobered by my youthfulness and need to learn a lot.
October 15, 2026
Thank you to Jen Wilkin and Crossway Books for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I originally picked up this book because, as I started having children, and especially since I entered my thirties, I've started thinking more about what it looks like to age wisely. I want to honor God with the body He's given me, and I want to set a good example for my children, particularly my daughter, in how I view aging. I've also been considering recently what it will look like to move into a caregiver role for my parents and in-laws in the next few decades. How can I do so in a way that honors them?
This book has been so incredibly timely for me. Jen Wilkin calls us to reflect on the words of Moses in Psalm 90:12, "Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." She teaches us that the wisdom of numbering our days is "trusting God to help us unlearn the original sin of self-reliance as the aging process gradually, even faithfully, reteaches us dependence." What was particularly profound in this book is the view of the arc of life as a chiasm, with the beginning of life mirroring the end in our dependence on others. As we grow up, we slowly gain independence, then gradually move back to a state of dependence as we age. We are born in a state of dependence on our parents and we end our lives with dependence on, hopefully, our own children, if the Lord has given them to us.
One thing that was immensely moving to me was Jen's words to her own mother as she was entering her last stage of life: "You are a person to love, not a problem to solve." This was not only insightful in regards to how I'll care for my own parents one day, but it was also deeply convicting as I contemplated the ways in which I am called to care for the elderly in my own church community right now. Are we treating the elderly as burdens because they require more help? I was reminded of the beautiful truth that "the imago Dei does not fade with age. It is worthy of nurture for all of life."
If I'm honest, I have always had a fear of aging (even now at the ripe age of 31!). The loss of control and fear of being a burden on other people fills my heart with dread. Dust to Dust challenges that mindset with a different perspective: aging is actually a privilege. While our bodies will decline, our souls continue to develop. We are sanctified more into the image of Christ. Growing old is actually "a journey into deeper wisdom and self-forgetfulness."
This book is for you, whether you're in your twenties with your whole life seemingly ahead of you, or if you're approaching the final stages of life. May you, along with me, "remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
I originally picked up this book because, as I started having children, and especially since I entered my thirties, I've started thinking more about what it looks like to age wisely. I want to honor God with the body He's given me, and I want to set a good example for my children, particularly my daughter, in how I view aging. I've also been considering recently what it will look like to move into a caregiver role for my parents and in-laws in the next few decades. How can I do so in a way that honors them?
This book has been so incredibly timely for me. Jen Wilkin calls us to reflect on the words of Moses in Psalm 90:12, "Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." She teaches us that the wisdom of numbering our days is "trusting God to help us unlearn the original sin of self-reliance as the aging process gradually, even faithfully, reteaches us dependence." What was particularly profound in this book is the view of the arc of life as a chiasm, with the beginning of life mirroring the end in our dependence on others. As we grow up, we slowly gain independence, then gradually move back to a state of dependence as we age. We are born in a state of dependence on our parents and we end our lives with dependence on, hopefully, our own children, if the Lord has given them to us.
One thing that was immensely moving to me was Jen's words to her own mother as she was entering her last stage of life: "You are a person to love, not a problem to solve." This was not only insightful in regards to how I'll care for my own parents one day, but it was also deeply convicting as I contemplated the ways in which I am called to care for the elderly in my own church community right now. Are we treating the elderly as burdens because they require more help? I was reminded of the beautiful truth that "the imago Dei does not fade with age. It is worthy of nurture for all of life."
If I'm honest, I have always had a fear of aging (even now at the ripe age of 31!). The loss of control and fear of being a burden on other people fills my heart with dread. Dust to Dust challenges that mindset with a different perspective: aging is actually a privilege. While our bodies will decline, our souls continue to develop. We are sanctified more into the image of Christ. Growing old is actually "a journey into deeper wisdom and self-forgetfulness."
This book is for you, whether you're in your twenties with your whole life seemingly ahead of you, or if you're approaching the final stages of life. May you, along with me, "remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
August 8, 2026
I have been waiting for this book to come out for a long time. I have been curious about how little women in church have spoken about the anti-aging conversation, especially when it comes to medical cosmetic procedures. Jen Wilkin’s book is as eloquent, piercing, and edifying as anything I’ve read from her so far!
The thrust of the book is to talk about aging with wisdom, learning to number our days (Psalm 90) and to reject the fleshly narratives of clinging to youthfulness and vanity. There was a lot of great theological reflection and application in this book.
I think there are a lot of really important questions that the church will soon need to begin answering about the elderly, especially as the ratio of elder people needing care continues to grow. What will the church do not just for its own parents, but the elderly (and “widows” James 1:27) of our communities? Jen brings up many of these conversations but leaves them for the church to answer. There are a lot of difficult complexities here, what if our parents are terrible, distant, or abusive? What political conversations need to be had about the communal protection of the elderly? Lots of important things to think about, but I’m really thankful Jen Wilkin wrote this book.
One note, she leans pretty heavily on chiasms, which is objectionable at times. It does sometimes feel like people get into chiasms the same way they get into multi-level marketing schemes, or numerology, or stuff where you see patterns and then see them everywhere. Not harmful, just amusing at times. Probably not as useful of a hermeneutical key as she and others make it out to be.
5/5! Would recommend.
The thrust of the book is to talk about aging with wisdom, learning to number our days (Psalm 90) and to reject the fleshly narratives of clinging to youthfulness and vanity. There was a lot of great theological reflection and application in this book.
I think there are a lot of really important questions that the church will soon need to begin answering about the elderly, especially as the ratio of elder people needing care continues to grow. What will the church do not just for its own parents, but the elderly (and “widows” James 1:27) of our communities? Jen brings up many of these conversations but leaves them for the church to answer. There are a lot of difficult complexities here, what if our parents are terrible, distant, or abusive? What political conversations need to be had about the communal protection of the elderly? Lots of important things to think about, but I’m really thankful Jen Wilkin wrote this book.
One note, she leans pretty heavily on chiasms, which is objectionable at times. It does sometimes feel like people get into chiasms the same way they get into multi-level marketing schemes, or numerology, or stuff where you see patterns and then see them everywhere. Not harmful, just amusing at times. Probably not as useful of a hermeneutical key as she and others make it out to be.
5/5! Would recommend.
August 29, 2026
My Dermatologist recommended this book to me…
September 8, 2026
Fantastic theology around aging and numbering our days well. Provided great conversation with friends and I bought several copies to give away which is always a sign I think it’s worth your time!
My only caveat is that Jen had a good relationship with her mom, and the end of her mom’s life was really special and sweet for her. I think she can talk about this in a prescriptive way, when in reality, a majority of us won’t have her same beautiful experience losing our parents.
My only caveat is that Jen had a good relationship with her mom, and the end of her mom’s life was really special and sweet for her. I think she can talk about this in a prescriptive way, when in reality, a majority of us won’t have her same beautiful experience losing our parents.
August 5, 2026
This is a gem. Made me laugh, made me cry, made me grateful for a God who numbers our days. So much to reflect on as a daughter who cared for a Dad, a healthcare worker who serves older people, a childless 44 year-old & a follower of Jesus. I’ll be reading this again & again.
August 10, 2026
I listened to the audiobook because the author herself, Jen Wilkin, was the narrator. I find that hearing the author read the book as intended makes the words even more meaningful. The words and wisdom in this book are a gift! I will be purchasing a written copy to work through the discussion questions. Wilkin walks us through aging and the human life using a chiastic structure. As someone in “early adulthood” with “senior adulthood” parents this book has provided me with questions to consider regarding caregiving. It is a gift and honor to care for my parents the way they cared for me so selflessly as a child.
I highly recommend!
I highly recommend!
Did Not Finish
October 3, 2026Did Not Finish. For someone who has never read a book about aging or who is unfamiliar with what the Bible says about it, the content of this book may be insightful. I enjoy revisiting topics so my reason for deciding not to finish it has more to do with writing style than content. Both the message and the manner of delivery matter to me. I was put off by the tone as well: the author says the questions at the end of each chapter are not optional. Comments like that make it seem like the author doesn’t trust the reader. I skimmed the book and decided not to finish it. I personally prefer a book like Living Life Backward by David Gibson. I’m finding that Christian Living books are not really meeting me where I am at lately. I guess I’ve changed as a reader.
August 20, 2026
“The false story of anti-aging says: Outward decline signals loss of identity and fear of suffering and death. To age is to diminish. The true story of aging says: Outward decline yields inward growth of spiritual and resurrection hope. To age is to deepen.” | I loved this book. This is by no means a text targeted towards older individuals or just those obsessed with anti-aging; it is a book for all Christians to consider deeply that “from the dust we came and to the dust we will return.” I am numbering my days in a different and more beautiful way after encountering this book.
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