Reluctant Retiree

What do you see when you look into the mirror? I am not just thinking about your personal appearance. What kind of person do you see? Do you see a confident and positive person? Or rather, do you see someone who is negative and discouraged? At one time or another we will see both types of people when we look into the mirror. But one habit, that of constantly judging others, will affect our attitude and the way we see ourselves.

Luke 6:37-38 says, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.” We need to go easy on other people, forgiving them rather than complaining about them. After all Jesus has forgiven us in His act of great mercy on the cross. When we refuse to judge and condemn others, we are less likely to judge and condemn ourselves. When we forgive others, we are more likely to forgive ourselves and see the positive person in the mirror. Let’s work on forgiving others as Christ has forgiven us. The world and our relationships will benefit.

Have you ever felt like you were invisible. I sure have and often. I can be in a group situation and feel like no one values my presence or contributions to the group. I am an introvert and also have difficulty hearing, especially in group settings. So I contribute to my own feelings of invisibility. But it sure is nice when others ostensibly put effort into including you.

Luke 8:37 says, “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” Nothing we do is hidden from God, as He even knows our thoughts, attitudes, joys, struggles, hopes, and dreams. He is deeply interested in us and understands us in more ways than we know. He wants to include us in the works that He is doing around us and is just waiting for us to ask Him to help us.

My granddaughter has a favorite Teddy Bear. She takes the bear everywhere and is not happy if the bear is not with her. She doesn’t always play with the bear, but the presence of the bear gives her comfort.

In Matthew 28:20 Jesus says, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” There is no place that you can go that Jesus will not be with you, whether it is a place you are now familiar with or someplace in the future that you do not know now. Because Jesus is human, He understands you. Because Jesus is divine, He can help you in everything. He is more than a companion, He is a constant help and comfort.

I am driving down the highway when someone passes me, pulls into my lane with less space than I am comfortable with, and then presses on their brakes. This is one of my pet peeves because of the danger that is involved. But I have a choice at this point. I can get angry and dry to exact revenge or I can simply pray for that person and try to find a way to do good. My natural impulse is to get revenge by passing them and doing a quick lane change in front of them. If I yield to that impulse, I am doing no good for me or for them, but rather I am escalating the danger.

Luke 6:27-28 says, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bess those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Oftentimes, Jesus’ teaching contradicted the current cultural values and we still consider His teachings as the opposite of normal human behavior. But when He says “love your enemies and to do good for them” He knows what is good for us. Anger and revenge on those who hurt us does not achieve good, but only escalates the problem. Instead, we should pray for those who hurt us and find a way to do good for them. In most cases their behavior and their attitudes will change. It is also likely that our behavior and attitudes will also change.

Love comes with some costs. We must sacrifice some things to demonstrate our love. Selfishness, pride, self-centeredness, and envy must be placed on the altar before we can truly love. Jesus demonstrated His love for us by giving His life that we might live forever in union with God. (Romans 5:8) While we may not have to sacrifice our physical life to demonstrate our love for God, we must give Him everything that we are in response to what He has given us and the love that He has for us.

John 21:15 says, “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.'” He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.'” Jesus wants us to love Him more than our friends, school, sports, hobbies, achievements, or anything else. Is there anything that you value more highly than God’s love and is it keeping you from fully loving God? He showed that He loved us more than anything as He gave His life for us. How can you and I demonstrate that we love God in return for His great love for us?