Reluctant Retiree

I know some people, some famous and others not so much, that seem to inspire arguments and disputes. Everywhere they go people are offended and often even outraged at the actions and/or words of these offensive people. I have to admit, I have inspired my own share of arguments out of my own insensitivity and self-centered opinions. It is reasonable that people avoid these argument inspiring folks.

II Corinthians 5:18-19 says, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

Most often the offender is charged with making the first move toward reconciliation after a relationship is harmed. The offender needs to seek forgiveness and make restitution as necessary. In our relationship with God, however, He made the move to restore peace. You see, our sinful nature caused us to reject God and go our own way. We were, in effect, kicking dust in God’s face. But it is God who sought reconciliation with us. He bridged the gap between us by offering His own Son, Jesus Christ, as the peace offering. The blood of Jesus paid the price for our offenses against God and offers us forgiveness, salvation from condemnation, and reconciliation.

God offers us this wonderful gift of reconciliation. But it is up to us to accept the terms of reconciliation by believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Until we accept the gift, we are in the unenviable position of being God’s enemies. Trust me that cannot end well. So accept the reconciliation offered by God and trust Him to make you an instrument of peace in the world.

When we lived in Nepal, we became familiar with the Sherpa people. They live in the high mountains and have become highly acclimated to the harsh conditions there. Every year adventurists attempt climbs of the highest mountain peaks in the world. Most come from out of the country in search of a literal high. These adventurers spend tens of thousands of dollars to climb. Most have also spent a long time preparing for the climb. However, none of them would be able to make the climb without the Sherpas. The Sherpas carry the heavy load of supplies and often set the trail. And yet they receive relatively small compensation and none of the glory.

God is also a burden carrier. He carries our burdens, if we will let Him. But He does so out of a heart of love for us and through grace extended to us. Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” God invites us to give our struggles and troubles to Him. If we are His children, walking by faith in Him, He promises to never allow our troubles to overcome us. We will have our struggles, but God will lead us through them in His power. We just need to believe and hold onto His might and faithfulness.

We all have certain things in our lives that we are not proud of. We would be ashamed of ourselves if the story is ever publicly told. We try to do what we can to make sure that these failures, struggles, or sins are never revealed.

The gospel message, however, is completely different. In Romans 1:16-17 the apostle Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.'”

The gospel is the message from God of salvation. It’s power is revealed when the believer is made righteous by God through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. The believer is transformed from sinner to saint, from enemy of God to His child, from a slave to sin to freedom in Christ, and from hopelessness to secure in the hope of his salvation.

So we can be bold in proclaiming the gospel message. There is no shame in proclaiming this powerful truth.

My hearing ability is decreasing over time. I have worn hearing aids for over a decade, but I frequently need to get them adjusted for increased hearing loss. If I don’t do that then I can easily become comfortable in not hearing over time. The ability to hear is precious and I definitely do want to hear what others are saying.

Our hearts can become dull to the Lord’s voice over time. Every time we say “No” to God, our heart becomes a little more resistant to Him. We become comfortable in our inability to hear His voice. At the same time, we begin to lose our ability to see His works and understand His will.

Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah when he says, “For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.” If God seems distant to you, perhaps your heart has become dull as you have said “No” to Him recently or repeatedly. Examine your heart to see if you have rejected Him in some way and thereby have moved away from Him. He is worth hearing. His works are worth seeing.

If you have ever been called to Jury Duty, you know that it comes with certain responsibilities. You must be alert as all the evidence is presented. You must think clearly and reason well as you assess the evidence. In the jury room, you must speak up for the truth. And you must serve the people of your city, county, and nation well.

In Acts 26:16 God speaks to Paul as He calls him into service and says, “But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you.”

Not many of us will experience such a dramatic call to God. But our call to God remains similar to Paul’s. God is calling us to stand strong in His might, serve Him and people, and be a witness of the things God has done for us. He may not speak audibly to us, but like the ordinary human who was Paul, God calls us to a specific purpose. Your purpose may look different than mine, but all of us are called to be servants and witnesses.