Reluctant Retiree

Imagine, if you will, the following scenario. You have full assurance and confidence in future events, because you have the authority and power to make sure that they happen just as you wish. Your plans always succeed because you fully control the circumstances and people involved. You know what will happen in every succeeding moment because you fully know the hearts and minds of people. Nothing will surprise you or deter you from accomplishing all your desires and purposes.

OK, now back to reality. While our imaginations can take us to the above scenario, reality will not. We don’t possess that kind of power and we can’t control people and events like we would like. But imagine the kind of peace that the above abilities would bring. That is the peace that Jesus possesses. He has power over all things and knows all things, including every moment of the future and every thought of man.

John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Jesus promises to give us the peace that He possesses if we will only trust Him. We can live in perfect peace because He gives that peace to His children. Let’s change our world by being instruments of the peace offered by Jesus, by walking in faith in the creator and sustainer of life.

Early every morning I go on a long hike. To make sure the conditions will be acceptable, I read the weather report before going to bed. Then just before I leave in the morning, I check the weather report once again. Today, as unfortunately is true most days, the weather report was woefully incorrect. Last night the forecast was for 60 degrees and dry. This morning the same forecast predicted 50 degrees and no precipitation. Two miles into my hike I heard thunder. Ten minutes later it started to rain fairly heavily. Fortunately, the rain only lasted about ten minutes. But it came again about an hour later as I was still walking.

The people who compile weather forecasts use sophisticated technology and their own highly educated background to make their predictions. I don’t know about these professionals in your area, but the forecasts in our area are routinely significantly in error. If professional baseball players were only this accurate, their careers would be very short.

In the Old Testament, prophets were held to a high standard, because they were claiming to speak on God’s behalf. If they were wrong on even a single prophecy, they were to be stoned. God is never wrong and His Word is always true. Today, many people assert that they are speaking God’s truth, within all religions and systems of belief. Only those who speak in agreement with God’s Word are speaking truth. There must be some independent source of truth to evaluate all information. That is God, the originator and source of all truth. Science is not always accurate as changes to their thinking happens daily. Politicians certainly are not held to a high standard of truth. Only God is the Truth and speaks the truth at all times.

I John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Not everything that we hear or read is true. We must test these words against the truth of God’s Word.

When we went to live in Nepal for several years, we sold our house and gave away most of our possessions. I was amazed at the freedom that this provided. I no longer had to mow the lawn and we no longer had to occupy so much of our time with maintenance of what we owned. We had much more time to do what we thought was important.

II Corinthians 1:12 says, “For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.” As we pass through life, many activities and material possessions compete for our attention and energy. They can distract us from the important things of life. The apostle Paul encouraged us to keep our lives simple so that we are not distracted from a sincere faith and godly living. The world encourages us to acquire possessions and do it all. Life is better when it is simple and we can concentrate on the important things in our lives by the grace of God.

I am not intelligent because I have a university degree. I am not wise simply because I am now old. What is the true gauge of wisdom and intelligence? How can we know if we have wisdom to share or just some knowledge to puff up our egos?

Proverbs 18:15 says, “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” Notice that when God speaks of knowledge and wisdom, He speaks about the ear and the heart, not the mind. Simply learning through education or reading does not make us wise. Engaging in intellectual study and debate does not increase our wisdom. Instead, God says that we become wise when our hearts learn righteousness and godliness through experience. We gain knowledge that is beneficial to us and others when we listen to God’s truth and apply it to our lives.

Don’t seek to impress others with what you know? Please God through applying His wisdom to your life.

Recently I have noticed a trend in the conversations that I have had. No matter what personal experience I speak about, in response someone will inevitably speak about their similar experience. Sometimes this information is shared to help me consider options in ways to process my experience. However, most of the time it feels like the other person is merely saying, “I can top that”, as if to say their experience is so much more significant than mine.

I think that we sometimes approach God in the same way. When we pray, we sometimes demand God’s attention and speedy response. Almighty God cannot be approached in such a manner. We must humbly come to Him, acknowledging that He is worthy of honor, and call upon Him in reverence. Then we must meekly listen to His Word and genuinely submit to His instructions.

Malachi 2:2 says, “If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings.” God gives strong warnings to anyone who will not listen to Him and does not honor Him by doing what He says. We lose many blessings when we insist on our ways over His.