Reluctant Retiree

Keep going! You won’t win the race unless you finish the race. If you don’t periodically save your computer files, you may lose them and have to start all over again. If we don’t charge our phones as needed, then we may not be able to use them when we want. Personally, I have many health issues that are kept under control through medication. We all know the implications of not doing these things and what happens if we fail to persevere and move forward in these areas.

Ephesians 6:18 says, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” Prayer helps us persevere through struggles as it calls upon God’s power. If we fail to persevere, we lose at least some of the progress that we have made. If we don’t endure through our struggles with God’s strength, then we won’t bear the good fruit that endurance helps us produce in our lives.

The presents are opened and celebrated. The wrapping is thrown away. Maybe the decorations are taken down and stored for another year. Family members have returned home. Some have returned to work or school. The glory of Christmas is fading. Now what?

Philippians 4:4-5 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be know to everyone. The Lord is at hand.” Those who trust in Jesus Christ have reason to rejoice at all times. He is always near to us and has given us gifts of eternal value. Forgiveness of sins, salvation, redemption, and justification all belong to the one who has given his/her life to Jesus Christ. The glory of Christmas doesn’t fade for the believer because our Lord is always near.

We know the benefits of hard work and persevering through trials in may areas of life. Muscles are built through the struggle of exercise and resistance. Job skills are learned through training and trial and error. Trade skills are obtained through dedication to working through designs and application.

James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Trials will surely come our way in this new year. The one who steadfastly trusts God can have joy in the midst of trials, knowing that the end result will be that God is making them perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Are you the type of person that people respond to your presence with unbounded joy. Frankly, I am not one of these people and I really don’t know anyone who is. People do not cheer when I enter the room, like they used to when Norm entered the bar on the TV program, “Cheers”. I generally receive polite acknowledge and handshakes, but no unbounded joy when I come into the room.

Zephaniah 3:17 says, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” What an extreme joy it is to know that God rejoices over His children with gladness and exults with loud singing when He sees us! Rest comfortably in His love. Be still and know that God is cheering you on.

Have you ever had an intrusive thought that bothered you throughout the day, only to wonder why you wasted so much time thinking about that concern? Sometimes we can’t get certain ideas out of our heads but thinking about these ideas adds no benefit to our lives. In fact, certain thoughts can derail us from where we want to go and what we want to become.

Romans 8:6-8 says, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” If we set our minds only on what the world offers, we cannot gain anything good or lasting. But when we set our minds on godliness, we gain life, peace and joy everlasting. Pursuing godly thinking leads us to living godly lives. Pursuing thoughts of love and compassion leads us to living compassionate and loving lives.