Reluctant Retiree

Often on my daily hikes I will stop and take pictures. Since I am often hiking over slippery surfaces, I have to take great care when handling my camera. I am always aware of the water and mud around me and try to securely hold the camera in my hands.

When walking with our smallest granddaughter, we hold her hand. We don’t want her slipping away into some unseen danger. God does the same thing for those who trust in Jesus Christ and follow Him.

John 10:27-28 describes this for us when it says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” These verses refer to the sheep of God, those who have committed their lives to Him. It is God’s sheep who hear His voice and follow Him. God gives His sheep eternal life. And He holds them securely in His hands. No one will ever have the power nor the authority to snatch God’s sheep away from Him.

These verses offer great comfort and encouragement to those of us who have trusted in Jesus. The same confidence and strength is available to you today. God is standing by you right now with His offer of salvation and eternal life. All you have to do is receive His gift by acknowledging your need for Him and trusting that He will fulfill His promises.

Social media is filled with stories and videos of people seemingly overreacting to perceived injustices. Incorrectly processed fast food orders cause people to yell, throw food and even attack the poor employees. Heaven forbid that a driver gets cut off in traffic or has their intended parking spot snatched away.

A huge gap exists between the things we want versus the things we need. A small child perceives everything as a need and cries when these needs are not met. It seems that many people have not matured in distinguishing between wants and needs.

I Timothy 6:6-8 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” Mastering the attitude of contentment brings us great peace in life. We must learn to distinguish between our wants and our needs. Taking control of our emotions when our wants are not satisfied and submitting our desires to God leads to godliness. Peace and godliness are far more valuable in the long run than immediate gratification of our wants.

Contentment, however, is not an easy attribute to obtain nor mature. It requires submitting ourselves and our desires to God. He may choose to give us what we desire. But He may choose to tell us to wait or He may simply say “No”. However, He will always give us what is ultimately the best for us. He is completely trustworthy and is always good to us.

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.