Reluctant Retiree

A serious art student goes to a master artist to learn the intricacies of fine art. A carpentry apprentice learns the skills of the trade from one with knowledge drawn from experience. An athlete with great potential seeks the best coaching to refine his abilities. These novices seek to learn from the best so that they can become accomplished like the best. This learning doesn’t take place over a short period of education, but is a enduring process to grow in the necessary knowledge and skills.

In Luke 6:40 Jesus is quoted as saying, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will become like his teacher.” We have much to learn about life, wisdom, and truth. We must choose our instructors wisely. Since God created all things, sustains all things, and knows all things, choosing Him as our instructor is wise. Make it your lifelong goal to learn from Jesus each day, so that you can become like Him.

I can’t believe how many reality courtroom television shows there are. Rather than passing out honest justice, these judges are mostly just entertainers. The litigants on these shows care less about equity than getting their 15 minutes of fame, even at the price of their dignity.

Romans 14:10-11 says, “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.'” When we get angry at someone, we are passing judgment on them and their behavior. At least three things are wrong with this. First, our judgment is probably incorrect. Secondly, we have probably committed the same error for which we are judging them. And thirdly, only God’s judgment is true and honest. He rightly judges because He knows the full story.

While these verses speak of our inability to judge others, the verses also speaks of God’s final judgment. At the end of life, we will all stand before God’s judgment. Again, He will judge us in His righteousness. If we have trusted in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, for salvation and redemption, then we will move into eternity with God. However, if we have denied God’s gift of salvation through His Son, then we will pass into eternal separation from God and receive the due rewards for our sins. Remember that “every knee shall bow” to Him. Bow to Him today and enter into His eternal reward on the final day.

Wherever we go, we must use country roads to get to our destination. These country roads inevitably pass numerous farms. Some farmers have planted beans, but most have planted corn in our area. One fundamental truth in farming is that whatever you sow, come harvest time, that is what you will reap. You can’t plant corn and expect to reap beans. You also can’t sow seeds sparingly and expect to reap a large harvest.

Ephesians 6:7-8 says, “rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord.” It is odd that we think that we can do evil things, but when we need God’s help we expect Him to do the good thing that we ask of Him. We will reap what we sow in life, as well as in farming. If we do good works in service to God, we can expect Him to do good things on our behalf. And the more good that we do from the heart in service to God, the more He will do good for us.. This is not necessarily true when we do evil. The farming principle applies to life: i.e. we reap what we sow.

When we go on a trip, my wife is in charge of directions. She closely monitors her map program on her phone, but she also likes to read paper maps at the same time. She gets some kind of thrill from discerning the directions we should take and making sure that we go the correct way.

We should trust in God’s directions for our lives. He knows the way that we should go, and what will happen if we choose to follow His leading, and what will happen if we don’t. Since He knows the dangers and troubles that we will face if we choose not to follow Him, we should trust His wisdom in directing us in His ways.

Isaiah 35:8 says, “And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.” God has prepared a path for each person. We can choose to follow His path or to go our own way. Dangers and troubles await us if we go our own way. But God’s path leads to holiness, righteousness, truth and love. God’s path leads us today and into a glorious eternity with Him.

When I get up in the morning to walk, my wife remains asleep in bed. I do my best to keep from making noise as I read the Bible and eat breakfast before leaving. But it is dark for a while so I have to tread softly and carefully until I can turn the light on in a different room. We all know the dangers that lurk in the dark.

The same principle holds true in the spiritual realm. If we walk in the ways of the world, God says we are walking in darkness. We face many dangers in the spiritual darkness and we cannot find the truth there. But if we walk in the light of God’s Word, then we will be led by everything that is good, right, and true. And we will produce works that are also good, right, and true.

Ephesians 5:8-9 says, “Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true).” God is light. So walking in the light requires that we walk according to His purpose and plan. We can only know His plans by reading His Word. Otherwise we are doomed to walk in the darkness and suffer from the dangers within that darkness. Choose light over darkness.