Reluctant Retiree

We hate it when people spread lies about us, and rightfully so. But what about the lies we hear from inside our own heads and hearts. The lies about our lack of value, just because we didn’t do something right. The internal falsehoods about our bleak future because we failed at something. We all hear these internal accusations and they discourage us.

II Corinthians 10:5 says, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” Evil will try to discourage, accuse, frustrate, and get you off track with wrong thoughts. Don’t believe them, but rather destroy them with the truth of who you are according to God’s Word.

When I was a kid I was always outside playing sports with the neighborhood kids. Every day we would choose sides. Besides the tension of hoping I would get picked, there was the stress of wanting to be selected for the best team. I didn’t just want to play, I wanted to win.

Matthew 25:31-32 says, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Some day soon we will see Jesus sitting on His glorious throne. Those of us who have trusted in Jesus for salvation will inherit the kingdom of God. But those who never trusted in Jesus for salvation will receive eternal suffering. We all get to choose which team we will be on. Choose the winning team by trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Salvation, redemption and eternal life depend upon your choice.

We have all known employees who tend to slack off when the boss is not watching. They survive by only doing the bare minimum, but seem to be able to impress the supervisor. Our job is made more difficult by this type of worker and the company suffers.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the story of three employees. Two are faithful in their work although their responsibilities differ. One does nothing of profit to the employer. The faithful Two are rewarded and the unfaithful worker is punished. Matthew 25:11 recounts part of the story; “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'”

No service before the Lord is too small. Our faithfulness to God is tested in all of our service before Him and we will be rewarded based upon our faithfulness. I long to hear Jesus say to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Each of us has our morning routine to get ready for the day ahead. We eat breakfast, brush our teeth, shower, shave, and put on our clothes. All these essentials make for good preparation. But aren’t we missing something? We got ready on the outside but didn’t give attention to our inner selves.

Jesus is quoted as saying in Matthew 23:25-26, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”

God is more concerned with what is in our hearts than how we look to others on the outside. Keep your heart and mind pure and your actions will also become pure. Starting the day with prayer and reading God’s Word sets our minds and hearts for righteous and fruitful actions.

Sometimes I think that our culture thinks about things in the exact opposite way of the truth. We are told if you work hard enough you can achieve anything. Or if you want something strongly enough you can get it with the right amount of focus. I believe these statements put unrealistic expectations on people, leading to disappointment and frustration. They also downplay the efforts of the millions of people who have worked hard and not achieved their goals.

In Matthew 23:11-12 Jesus says, “The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Jesus’ statement is the exact opposite of what our culture tells us. We are told to work hard and promote yourself before others, taking what you believe is yours with no consideration of others. Then we will be able to reach to pinnacle of success. Jesus tells us that to be a leader you must serve others first. Why would He say such a thing. It is because thinking yourself to be important is the opposite of trusting God. It is only when we trust God that we can expect His blessings, which include love, hope, and peace. These inner qualities are the attributes that make life enjoyable and fruitful. Not trusting God leads us down a path that is ultimately unsatisfying and destructive.