Reluctant Retiree

I love to hear stories of people demonstrating great kindness. A child raises money through their lemonade stand to buy gifts for less fortunate kids. Someone gathers donations to purchase an appropriate vehicle for a disabled veteran. After devastating tornadoes pass through a small town, people come from around the country to clear the damages and help rebuild. Someone in line behind a single mom pays for her groceries. Another person takes time every week to visit elderly people who have difficulty getting outside. Although these and other acts of kindness are not highly publicized, their value cannot be overstated.

Many people do not think of God as being kind. They focus on His holiness and hate of sin. While it is true that God is holy and does hate sin, the Bible describes His kindness as never-ending and abundant. If we are honest with ourselves, we can see His many kindnesses toward us throughout our lives.

II Timothy 1:9 says, “It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan before the world began, to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus.” God’s greatest act of kindness toward us was sacrificing His own Son to save us. He did this even though we could do nothing to deserve it, but rather because He is kind and He is love. Better than any other gift you will ever receive is His gift of His Son, through whom you can know and experience God’s love and kindness. Receive God’s gift and begin to experience love and kindness fully.

In our part of the country, it is not unusual for business owners to be the spokesperson on their television commercials. Frankly, they do not perform well in this capacity. Their delivery is stilted and most do not come off as trustworthy. It is like the person in ordinary conversation who speaks often about themselves. These people seem to hide weaknesses by using an abundance of words describing what they consider are their strengths.

Worthy speech comes from a trustworthy person and speaks truth in love. A person who is trustworthy has demonstrated the ability to speak honorable words backed up by a life that is also honorable.

I Thessalonians 2:4 says, “but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.”

Those who have trusted in Jesus have also been approved by God to spread the gospel message. This message is honorable as it is God’s salvation truth. We speak the gospel in love for others with the purpose of pleasing God. The only other thing left is for us to make sure that our lives are lived in a manner that also pleases God.

When some people give directions, they confuse more than clarify. They may backtrack occasionally or correct themselves, but leave you unsure of where they went back to in their directions. Or they may use terms unfamiliar to you. One time I was driving in Chicago and listening on the radio to the traffic conditions. They were using the proper names of the highways, like “the Dan Ryan Expressway. But I did not know the names and the signs only gave the highway numbers, without names, so their warnings about traffic were lost to me, because I couldn’t understand their terms.

We can also cause confusion and distrust in what we say, by using unfamiliar terms. But more importantly we can cause people to reject our message by not matching our behavior with our beliefs. Our behavior is a truer test of the truth and validity of our message. If we say “Do not lie”, but often lie ourselves, people will begin to reject this and other messages from us.

Jesus criticized the religious leaders of His day by saying, “so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.” God calls us to love Him and return that love in obedience. Only when we are transformed by His love, will we be able to speak and do what we truly believe. Let God’s Spirit transform your heart and align your actions with His Word.

Every day I can find good reasons to be fearful. Circumstances are beyond my control. We are living in uncertain times. Some kind of danger seems to be everywhere. The news is full of ominous events. Friends and family members are suffering. I don’t know what to do about so much of these things.

In the midst of all this turmoil, I find solace. God has given precious promises to guide me and see me through the foreboding circumstances that confront me. For instance, Isaiah 41:10 says, “fear not, for I am your God; be not dismayed, for I am with you; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

As a child of God, I can trust God to remain with me always. Because He is with me, I can know that He will strengthen me, help me, and hold me in His hands. He has more power than anything that might threaten me and He loves me. I have nothing to fear, because what can man or circumstances do to me?

Have you ever tried to make yourself go to sleep? I am not talking about casually going to bed when it’s time and falling asleep. I am talking about after a long hard day with the expectation of a busy and intense day to follow, and you know you need to get some sleep now. You lay in bed thinking about tomorrow’s pressures and try to put them aside, because you need sleep now. It is almost impossible to make yourself fall asleep. Just thinking about it keeps you awake.

I had this problem, but in a different way, last night. I had an appointment for a sleep study, where they watch you sleep and use electrodes to monitor breathing, etc. So, at the appointed time I was all hooked up and ready to go. Then all I had to do was fall asleep. I told myself to fall asleep and waited. Nothing happened. So I told myself to sleep once again. Nothing happened. This inward discussion went on for quite some time, until I got bored with the self-talk and fell asleep.

The same sort of thing happens when we try to break a habit, start an exercise routine, or just try to become a better person. We tell ourselves what we need to do and extend the effort, but fail and fail until we get bored and give up entirely once again. Our selfish and self-centered thoughts and desires usually win out over good intentions.

Paul describes how we find success in winning over our selfishness and self-centeredness. In Romans 8:1-4 he wrote, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Paul is saying that before we come to Christ, we are subject to selfishness, doing what our self-centered thoughts tell us to do. We are, therefore, unable to overcome those thoughts to make changes that we feel we should. After coming to Christ, we are given the Spirit, who works within us to free us from selfishness and weaknesses. Then we walk according to the Spirit and not our flesh. The Spirit enables us to make beneficial and righteous changes to our lives.