Reluctant Retiree

We use different types of guards to protect ourselves and others. In football the offensive guard protects the quarterback from defensive linemen. Face guards and mouth guards secure those body parts from injury. On a bridge the guardrail keeps cars on the road and drivers safe. Security personnel guard property and people from attack and injury. Regular doctor visits help guard our health and keep us strong.

One thing that we do not guard well enough is our mouths or speech. We are often careless in our words, which can cause hurt to those listening. My observations of myself and others is that we frequently use words that criticize, tear down, discourage, and harm others. We need to recognize that God designed our lips to offer praise, worship, thanksgiving, encouragement, counsel, and hope.

James 3:2 says, “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” Let’s ask God to put a guard on our mouths, so that we can offer positive words that build up rather than tear down. This guard will protect our families and personal relationships while bringing glory to God.

Most people do not like change. We resist it and complain about it. When change comes on the job, our first response is to question and grumble, at least until we realize that the change was good after all. If our favorite store alters its layout or selection we are tempted to never return, even though going someplace else is a more drastic change. We blast government officials for road construction that causes us to alter our way to work. Software updates throw us into a tizzy.

I find comfort in knowing that God never changes. He won’t change because He is perfect. No improvements can be made in Him. He is already all-knowing, all-powerful, everywhere present, loving, good, kind, rich in mercy, and full of grace.

James 1:16-17 says, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Every good gift that we have ever received has come from God. He will continue to give us perfect gifts because that is who He will always be. He will never have a need to entertain even a shadow of change.

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” We can trust Jesus for our salvation because the Father gave Him for us as the ultimate perfect gift. This truth from God will never change.

When I was young I played sports constantly. Whether at home or school or with a team, I was actively participating in sports. I can no longer do the same activities, but I am trying to keep fit. As I have mentioned before, I walk about 10 miles per day. I enjoy being outside and especially communing with God in His creation. While walking I spend a lot of the time praying, worshipping, and listening. It is also important to keep spiritually strong and healthy.

The writer of the book of Hebrews uses the analogy of physical strength to illustrate how to stay strong spiritually. He wrote, “Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.”

Lifting hands describes worship. So the writer is encouraging us to strengthen our worship muscles by continually worshipping the Father. Strengthening knees refers to prayer. The encouragement is to frequently pray and thereby strengthening your prayer muscles. And preparing straight paths for your feet instructs us to walk in righteousness, the path God has made for us. These righteous paths keep us from injury and heal previous injuries. There is so much more instruction that the writer could have included here, but strengthening our personal worship, prayer, and walking in righteousness will go a long way to making us spiritually strong and healthy.

The National Football League playoffs have begun and the crowds are back in full force. The faithful cheer on their team with great fervor, wearing the team colors and waving team towels. When a player makes a mistake, the crowd groans in disappointment. When a player performs well, the crowd stands and cheers. At the end of the game, the crowd rejoices wildly or weeps loudly.

We have heard it said that life is like an athletic contest. Life, however is more a marathon race than a three hour game. We will have fumbles and misplays occasionally, but, hopefully we will run consistently well.

The Bible has some words to say about the marathon race of life. Hebrew 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

God, the angels, and saints are in the stadium, watching us and cheering us on as we run the race of life. They witness our misplays, or sins. They also see our heroic and selfless deeds. In both cases, they cheer for us, encouraging us to keep moving forward. To run effectively we need to take off the things that slow us down or trip us up. Keeping our eyes on Jesus makes us run toward the finish line in the path of righteousness.

So it behooves each of us to run the race of life as if to win. Let’s put aside sin, be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, and continue to look at Jesus.

Have you ever forgotten something really important. As I get older it is getting harder and harder to remember things. So far I haven’t forgotten something really important, but names and events are sometimes difficult to immediately recall. It can be embarrassing and awkward. But I certainly do not want to offend anyone with my forgetfulness.

With more than 7 billion people in the world, we might think that God would forget a name, a request, a promise or a need on occasion. But He never does. In fact, He promises to be right there with each of us all the time.

Psalm 8:1, 3-4 says, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”

Despite the fact that God created all things and that He sustains all things, He still cares for you and me. We are never out of His mind. He is always working on our behalf. He longs to give us mercy and grace to help us. Why would we ever choose to reject that kind of love?