Reluctant Retiree

We enjoy watching the exploits of extremely talented individuals. The gifted artists and athletes perform wonderful and inspiring achievements and we are thrilled by what we observe.

While we may wish that we had the same abilities, I believe that each of us is gifted in different ways and we can be an inspiration to others as we use these talents.

II Timothy 1:6 says, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” God gives each of His people special abilities and He expects us to use them wisely to bring Him glory. These gifts are not given to us so that we may boast. They are given by God to build up His church and exalt His name. Let the fires of passion for God and compassion for people motivate us to magnify Jesus through the wise use of God’s gifts.

I am an avid hiker. As often as I can I find a nature trail to explore. I love to see God’s creation and immerse myself in the wonders of His handiwork.

Although I often start hiking before dawn, my plan is always to find the greatest beauty as the sun is rising or shortly thereafter. The morning light enhances the colors and enables me to explore deeper into the wilderness. Well marked trails take me on paths previously enjoyed by other hiking enthusiasts. And sure footing keeps me upright and safe.

Psalm 56:13 records the benefits that God has already provided to those who walk with Him in faith. It says, “For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”

God provides the light so that we can walk securely with Him. By His Light, we are kept from stumbling into evil. His Light illuminates my way, leading me in the safe paths of righteousness. In fact, He has already given His children eternal life and we can know that one day we will walk directly into His arms of love.

One of our sons is giving us a book for Christmas. Yes, we already know about this gift. That’s because we wrote the book this year. It is the story of our lives. Don’t bother looking for it in bookstores, as it will have a very limited publication. Our son thought it would be interesting, and probably amusing, for this story to be told. Every week we were given questions about certain aspects of our lives. We wrote the little vignettes and submitted them to the publisher. It brought back some poignant memories and caused us to break out into spontaneous thanksgiving and praise.

We are the authors of this book, so only our perspective is written. What if someone else was writing? Would their perspective on our lives vary significantly from our own? What personal characteristics and attributes would they choose to record and highlight?

Proverbs 3:3 says, “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Whatever kind of person we have become or should want to be, we should always desire to be faithful and steadfastly love those whose lives we impact. That is the story that I want to have written about me.

Some days I awaken with joy and expectations of good things happening. Other days it’s a chore to get out of bed and my expectations are tuned into potential hazards. Some days there is a bounce in my steps and I see the wonders of God. Other times I drag my feet and barely hold onto hope.

Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Christmas, Easter, Birthday, Graduation, and Wedding Days are all wonderful days for celebration and joy. But God has especially designed this day, and every day, for each of us. We can rejoice in each day as His special creation for us. He has truths to teach us, character to build in us, love to show us, grace to give us, and power to demonstrate in us every day. We can awaken and rise up with the expectation that God is at work in us and through us.

We are taught at an early age to work hard to get what you want out of life. It is a good idea that can be very harmful when taken to extremes. If I use this motivation to step on people on my way up the corporate ladder, then I am serving my interests at the expense of others and probably the company. If I cheat on my taxes to get what I want, I do damage to myself, my family and my country. So working hard to get what I want can be both personally rewarding in the short term and cause long-term and widespread damage.

God has a better way. Romans 14:19 says, “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” Instead of seeking to achieve purely self-serving goals, God calls us to pursue that which benefits others while also helping us grow. Selfishness and self-centeredness cause divisions and arguments.

Philippians 2:4 puts the better pursuit this way: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”It would be a better and more peaceful world if we could pursue benefitting others while seeking our own growth.