Reluctant Retiree

At various times in my life, I have said some things about myself that were not true. I have exaggerated my good qualities and minimized my weaker character traits. I don’t think that I am alone in this failure. What we say about ourselves is important, but not nearly as important as what we say about God.

II Timothy 2:11-13 says, “If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.” These verses give us promises and a grave warning. If we have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God promises that we will enjoy His blessings in this life and live forever with Him. If we endure the sufferings of this life, God promises that we will reign with Him in eternity. Even though we may be faithless at times, God promises to remain forever faithful to His children, His Word, and His promises. Those who choose to deny Jesus Christ will suffer eternal separation from God in torment as He will deny knowing them to the Father.

Please do not deny Jesus Christ His rightful place as Lord and Savior of your life. He will fulfill His warning and promise that He will deny you before the Father and your suffering will have no end. He loves you and wants to spend eternity with you, ruling the nations. And He wants you to embrace the blessings He has for you in this life.

We don’t think highly of government leaders who do not follow through on their promises once they are elected. We would also have a distaste when an athlete that we supported does not fulfill their commitment to the team or its fans. Failure to follow through on our promises is still popularly viewed as disgusting and a character flaw.

Proverbs 20:6 says, “Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?” Love demands that we honor our commitments and do what we say that we will do. We understand this in some areas but accept failure in others. When a marriage falls apart, some people will become angry over the failure of a spouse to live up to their promises, others will shrug it off as no big deal. When we promise a child that we will do something, we had better follow through, as they will not soon, if ever, forget and their understanding of love is damaged. The same is true in other areas of life. When we don’t follow through, remaining steadfast and faithful in our commitments, we damage relationships and forsake love.

In every home there are items that are brought out only on special occasions. Whether it be fine china, beloved treasures, or the expensive linens, we have items that we honor our guests with by using them for their benefit. Then there are the items that we only use for the grungy tasks, like cleaning the bathroom, gardening, or painting the walls.

II Timothy 2:20-21 says, “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” To do the good works that we desire and God calls us to do, we must seek cleansing from God. This begins with confessing our sins and accepting God’s mercies. Then it requires us to continually ask God for His cleansing by the blood of Jesus. Then we are available to be used by Him to do every good work.

The popular belief is that knowledge and faith cannot coexist. It is felt that the more you know, the less faith you will need. This notion, however, is built upon an incorrect foundation. Knowledge must be based upon truth, not popular opinion or speculation.

The truth is that God does exist. He created all things. He sustains all things. He possesses all knowledge and wisdom. Therefore, the better that I know Him, the stronger my faith will become, because I will continually see His work in me and in the world.

II Timothy 1:12 says, “But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.” Real knowledge is truth. God is the Truth.

Every day I walk nature trails. Through these hikes I catch a glimpse of God’s divine nature. The forests and rivers have a beauty of their own, but they cannot change what they were created to be. A forest cannot become a prairie on its own and a river cannot become a great lake on its own. People are similarly restricted in their nature. We are born into a world of corruption and have that same nature within us, due to sinful desires. However, we can be changed.

II Peter 1:3-4 says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature.” God has made His own power available to us. Through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and faith in Him, God calls us to His own glory and excellence. He has given great and precious promises to those who believe in Him and these promises sustain us and give us hope as we learn to live godly lives in God’s power. While the power is available to all who place their trust in Jesus Christ, it is a maturing process that God uses to change our nature from corruption to divine.

Why not begin the journey to godliness today? It begins with trusting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Then by faith, we can ask God to do the powerful work of changing our nature, now and through the maturing process.