Reluctant Retiree

The last several days have been much warmer. Everything says that spring has arrived. The trees are full of leaves, each with its own display of bright color. I can hear the birds chirping throughout the day. Baby geese and ducks fill the ponds and lakes. More and more people are outside with each passing day.

To many people, spring is the season of new life. Nature seems to spring back with colors and vibrancy lost in the cold of winter. We can and do go through seasons of life. We have our periods of darkness, loss and tragedy. But we also have our times of celebration and light.

Jesus made a promise to His followers when He said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” The person who trusts Jesus is therefore promised love, joy, hope, grace and peace, not just in the good times, but even when things get a bit rough. These attributes are ours not because we deserve them, but because of God’s grace toward us. If we are not experiencing these attributes then we have turned away from God in some way. Let’s stay connected to the source of the abundant life.

If you are not yet a follower of Jesus, the abundant life is not yet yours. But you can have that sad situation remedied by faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation. Trust Him. He will not let you down.

Have you ever said something cruel to someone and immediately felt bad about it? I sure have. What we do next says a lot about our character. If we acknowledge that we were wrong and regret our words, then our hearts are soft and we want to do the right things. However, if we deny that we were wrong and try to justify ourselves, our hearts are hard and we are just trying to feel good about ourselves.

In Luke 16:15 Jesus said, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” You can be doing what brings you honor among people, but still be doing what God hates. If we are only seeking the admiration of men, we are missing the mark of what God wants us to be. He knows our hearts and cannot be misled. Our priority must be to please the God who created us and loves us with an everlasting love.

I looked up some old sayings today. Some of the ones I found are:

“You must do the things you think you cannot do” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“The truth is more important than the facts” -Frank Lloyd Wright

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them” – Mother Teresa

“Love the life you live”

“Life is a long lesson in humility”

While each of these sayings may have an element of truth embedded within, they do not provide us with enduring value on how to live. There is only one place to find the words of eternal life, God’s Word. His Word not only instructs us on how to live now but gives us true words of encouragement for eternity.

Jesus put it this way, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Most of the things we do, say, or acquire do not possess enduring value. Therefore we must concentrate on the things and words that will last forever. Jesus’ words are truth and will remain true throughout eternity.

After countless days of rain and clouds, today is a bright sunny day. The skies are a bright blue and the sun brings a welcome warmth. Underneath the relentless clouds my attitude seems to darken. I can become somewhat pessimistic and dour. But when the sun returns, my countenance is lifted and all seems right with the world.

We are all seeking situations and places of light. Places where we are warmed in peace and joy. Situations where we are welcome and acceptance surrounds us. We seek a refuge from the storms that pursue us.Psalm 73:28 says, “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”

We can make God our refuge. In His presence is eternal love and glorious peace. He provides security in the midst of the storm clouds and gently leads us through the chaos of life. He always welcomes us and is eager to give us hope and acceptance. His presence is truly a place of rest and refuge.

As we look back over our lives, we can see hiw our different hopes defined the various stages of our lives. When we were very young, our hopes were centered around having fun wherever we went. Then our hopes became focused on making the team, the choir, and good grades. After that, we hoped to get into the right university or military service. Then our desires were to attract the perfect spouse and find the perfect job. Our hopes moved on to our family needs and financial goals, perhaps. As we get older we have hopes for our children and grandchildren, as well as personal concerns like health.

Hope is defined as the desire and expectation of certain things. But the Biblical definition of hope is trust. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Those who love God can “know” that God will work everything out for good. We have a confident knowledge and trust in God to be faithful to this promise and all the other promises of God.

Therefore, we can say with the psalmist, “But I will hope continually and praise you yet more and more.” Each day and eternity is filled with hope for the believer.