Reluctant Retiree

We all want to do something that brings us a sense of fulfillment. Those types of things are not easy to find. Sometimes we just accept a job just to be able to pay the bills. The job may not bring us fulfillment but will accomplish the goal of helping to pay our bills. But even outside of employment, we try to find things that will give us joy. We engage in hobbies, entertainment, or service projects to find some sort of satisfaction.

I think that we have it backwards. Rather than seeking some activity to bring fulfillment, we should first know what our purpose is. Then we can engage in activities and jobs to gain fulfillment. So how do we find our purpose? We have to go to the source. God designed each of us with a specific purpose. Therefore we need to seek our answers from Him. He may not immediately give us a plan for our whole life, but He will reveal what our next steps should be. It is only by following His leading that we will fulfill our purpose and find ultimate fulfillment.

In John 17:4 Jesus says to the Father, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work you gave me to do.” By completing the work that we are given, we honor those who gave us the work. So by diligently doing all that God tells us to do, we honor Him while fulfilling our purpose.

Who is the smartest person you know? Whose counsel do you trust? Is it a family member? Could it be a teacher or school counselor? Perhaps you trust the wisdom of a statesman, politician, government official, or popular celebrity.

If your answer falls in any of these categories or is even any human, you will be frustrated and become disillusioned at some point. These leaders will fail you and their counsel will eventually lead you astray.

Psalm 33:12-19 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.”

The wisdom of men and women is limited, so their ability to give effective counsel is limited. God sits on His throne, having authority and control over all things. Only His wisdom can guide us into truth and can rescue us. The wealth and power of people cannot save us. We must trust in God and His steadfast love for salvation and hope.

It is pretty easy to find recordings and videos of people responding to some perceived injustice with loud voices of displeasure, often including outrageous threats. These people are out of control and extremely overreacting. They feel that they have been wronged and they want the situation rectified immediately and to their satisfaction. Somehow they believe that loud voices and threats are the way to accomplish their goals.

The Bible says that “a soft answer turns away wrath.” A soft answer is sometimes hard to give when we feel wronged in some way. But we have more instruction than this command to help us. Jesus said, “I am gentle and lowly.” He is our example. When wrongly accused and eventually murdered on the cross, Jesus’ response was, “Father, forgive them!” When we reject God and go our own way, God is always ready to give us mercy.

It is interesting that we all want people to respond to our failures with patience and kindness, but we are so quickly angered by the faults of others. Ephesians 4:2 says, “Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” The next time you are wronged by someone, try waiting to respond. While you are waiting think about Jesus’ example of mercy and kindness toward you. And ask Him to help you respond with the same gentleness and humility.

Why don’t our actions always line up perfectly with our values and ideals? I believe it is because of what we allow to occupy our private thoughts. What comes to us through our senses, will activate our actions, if we ruminate our thoughts upon them. Constant lascivious thoughts, fed by advertising and media, will eventually generate immoral deeds. Frequent viewing of violent materials will lead to violent thoughts and possibly harmful attacks.

The psalmist understood this link between private thoughts and public actions when he wrote; “I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.” Integrity requires that our values and actions match. If we spend our private moments meditating on harmful thoughts, we can expect that these thoughts will eventually make their way into damaging actions.

As an adult I have moved from place to place often. Since I am extremely introverted, making friends has been difficult. I don’t know much about friendship development, but I do know that I must enter new relationships with a humble attitude. Starting off with self-centered speech and a know-it-all attitude never gets me far. I am far better off listening and trying to understand others first.

In some ways, beginning a relationship with God is similar. To start a relationship with God, we must begin with humility. Salvation begins with acknowledging our sinfulness and need for a Savior. To further develop our relationship with God, we must confess our dependence on Him. When we desire to get even closer to Him, we must come to Him with a humble attitude of praise and thanksgiving. As we get to know Him better, the praises and thanks will flow from an understanding of His grace and mercy toward us.

Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!”