Reluctant Retiree

Every day we hear of the horrors that abused children and spouses suffer. We don’t necessarily hear of the families that have been abandoned by a spouse and parent. We only catch glimpses of family members who are neglected and ignored by other relatives. These stories are endless and pervasive.

God has some harsh words for those who won’t meet the physical, mental, and emotional needs of their families. I Timothy 5:8 says, “But those who won’t care for their own relatives, especially those living in the same household, have denied what we believe. Such people are worse than unbelievers.” God will judge harshly anyone who doesn’t care for the needs of his or her own relatives. The primary responsibility for family care falls on relatives, not the government or even the church. That is not to say that government and the church cannot or should not provide assistance as needed, but rather to say that we must do all we can to meet the needs of our families.

I have worked for many different companies during my life. When changing jobs, it is always important to consider salary, job requirements, company culture, career goals, among many other things. Another important consideration is the company’s benefit plans. Does the health plan meet your family’s needs at a cost acceptable to you? Is there some kind of investment plan? These are just a couple of questions to think about.

A significant life change comes with a consideration of risks and rewards. A person thinking about placing their trust in Jesus can evaluate the sacrifice of worldly goals against the benefits of faith in Jesus.

Psalm 104 lists just some of the benefits of trusting God when it says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” That is quite the list of benefits, including forgiveness, healing, redemption, love, mercy, goodness, and renewal. You cannot find these blessings in any other benefit plan. Trust Jesus for your salvation and enjoy the blessings of faith in God.

When I go out to eat, I usually order water to drink. But for some reason, when I get home I feel like I need something else to drink. Water just does not satisfy my thirst. In the same way, some foods do not satisfy my hunger, at least for long. If I eat eggs for breakfast, I am hungry again within the hour. I think that most of the time possessions do not satisfy us for long. We experience the exuberance of the new purchase, but that joy soon fades and we soon want more.

Jesus promised to provide everything we need. But He also promised to satisfy our souls’ deepest yearnings. Our souls seek peace, joy, love, meaning, significance, and hope. Without these things we keep on searching and struggling.

John 6:35 says, “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'” Our souls crave love like our bodies hunger for food. Our hearts long for peace like our bodies thirst for water. Jesus promised to satisfy these longings and cravings. But note, we must first come to Him acknowledging our needs and believing in His provision.

Come to Jesus today! Don’t wait! Acknowledge your desire for inner peace, love and hope. He will accept your confession and satisfy these desires.

We understand the concept of ownership from a very young age. A young child freely exclaims “Mine” when another child begins to play with his toy. We proudly declare that we bought and own a new car, although in many cases the title is still held by someone else. We make the same ownership declaration when we buy a house, when the bank technically owns the house until we have paid off the loan. The bank gives us certain rights of use and the ability to make decisions about what we do with the property.

Somehow we forget the technicalities of ownership when it comes to our relationship with God. He created each of us in a design that He calls “fearfully and wonderfully” made. As our designer and creator He possesses all the rights of ownership. He has given us the ability to make certain choices on how we use our body, mind, and soul. We can choose to ignore His rights of ownership over us, but the consequences are disastrous. Or we can remember that we belong to Him and honor Him with our words and deeds.

Psalm 100:3 reminds us, “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” God offers to care for His people, like a good shepherd takes care of his sheep. But to benefit from God’s tender care, we have to remain with the flock in His presence. Running off and pretending not to belong to the Good Shepherd only brings suffering and death.

If we don’t know the way, we consult GPS. If we don’t know the meaning, we read a dictionary or thesaurus. If we don’t know the reason, we read a book or talk to the source. If we don’t know how, we go to the instructions. If we don’t understand, we look for wise counsel.

If we don’t know God, however, we are without excuses. “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:19 ESV) God has made Himself known to the whole world through creation. Furthermore, we have perceived or understood His eternal power and divine nature through our observations of creation.

Psalm 98:2-3 says, “The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness.” God has even given us knowledge of His plan of salvation. All nations know of God’s righteousness. He has declared His steadfast love and faithfulness to all.

Again, we are without excuse if we say that we do not know God. He is the way to the life we desire. He is the very meaning of life. He is the reason for our joy. He gives us understanding of truth. If you do not know God, read the book (Bible), talk with someone who does know God, and go directly to the source and talk to Him yourself. Or you can even email me at walkin4jesus@yahoo.com . Getting to know God is the most important thing you can do.