Reluctant Retiree

I remember playing Hide and Seek when I was young. As I recall, I was pretty good at it. I think it was because I was patient and didn’t feel the need to expose my whereabouts quickly. There were some good places to hide in my neighborhood.

Sometimes we think that we can play hide and seek with God. We tell ourselves that we can do something because God won’t see. We think that He is not watching us at certain moments, so we do something that we know we shouldn’t.

However the Bible tells us that God neither sleeps nor slumbers, and He is always watching. Psalm 139:7-12 says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as day, for darkness is as light with you.”

We cannot hide from God. That is a good thing! Because He is watching, we enjoy His protection, provision, and tender care. Let’s not hold the thought that we can hide our works from Him, but rather enjoy the light of His presence.

Do you agree that the world is getting louder all the time? I am not only talking about the environmental noise of traffic, construction, and hoards of people milling about. I am also talking about voices. Turn on the television and you will inevitably see and hear someone yelling into a microphone or at somebody. Airplanes have become combat zones where people are venting their frustration. Restaurant personnel are the subjects of verbal barrages. Athletes are screaming at each other and at the video camera.

Frankly it all gives me a headache. Do higher volumes add anything to the value of the words that are spoken? I tend to tune out the screaming. Solomon gave us wisdom when he wrote: “But even so, the quiet words of a wise person are better than the shouts of a foolish king.” If you are wise, you won’t have to shout to be heard and do good. People come to the wise person quietly for advice. They don’t go to the brash loud talker for counsel. Let your words be few and deliver them in the quietness of a wise heart.

The Bible gives us another reason to speak softly. It says, “a quiet answer turns away wrath.” Speaking softly can lower the temperature of a heated moment, leaving room for agreement.

Today I walked along the St. Joseph River. The Northside Trail is smooth and wide, but it is by no means straight. The trail parallels the river, which winds its way into downtown South Bend. The scenery is spectacular blends of a variety of trees and plants, some of which has inhabited the riverbank for centuries.

I wouldn’t want to, but what would happen if somebody decided to straighten the river for some reason. It would be a monumental task. Vegetation would be uprooted along with the people living along the river. Businesses would have to be closed or moved. Lives would be disrupted. Chaotic traffic conditions would also disrupt life for thousands of people.

At the end of the project, would it be worth the time and effort? Probably not! Similarly, struggling against the ways of God require lots of time and effort but lead only to frustration and ineffectiveness. Ecclesiastes 7:13 says, “Notice the way God does things; then fall into line. Don’t fight the ways of God, for who can straighten out what he has made crooked?” God may not lead you straight to where you want to go, but He will take you on the trail that is best for you. Fighting against His ways will only bring hurt and ruin to your life.

Take time to examine where God is leading you. Pursue His ways above all other trails.

In most conversations that I am a participant in, I have noticed that the other person or persons are far more eager to speak than to listen to what I might say. I can’t blame them, really, as I am also more eager to speak than listen. However, good relationships are not initiated or maintained in this way.

Good relationships come out of the belief that everyone is valuable and what they say is meaningful. Unfortunately, we approach our relationship with God with the same faulty approach of speaking more than listening. We come to God in the sacred moment of prayer and unload a series of requests upon Him. We don’t even wait around for the answers. I find it odd that we can earnestly ask God for wisdom and never listen for the wisdom He provides.

James 1:19 says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” If we are to be slow to speak and quick to hear with people, we should do likewise with God and all the more so. We can’t really say that we have a relationship with God if we are not listening to Him. Ecclesiastes puts it even more bluntly when it says, “As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut!” It is good to listen for God’s voice in our hearts and through His Word.

Everything seems to change in our lives. I am no longer the same person that I was 10, 20, 30 or more years ago. My body is weaker and my appearance is different. I don’t have the physical abilities and stamina that I once had. Mentally I may not be as quick, but I sure have a lot more knowledge and wisdom. I trust that I have matured somewhat emotionally. We don’t live where we once did, so our friends have changed.

Some changes have benefitted me and others have slowed me down. Despite the changes in our lives, we all try to hold onto some things. It could be a routine that we like and can keep no matter where we go. We try to stay in contact with friends and family. We may enjoy the same activities. We need these things to stabilize our lives and keep us connected to our inner selves.

Along those lines it is good to remain connected to a higher power that we can count on. God is trustworthy, in part, because He is always faithful to His nature and His Word. He doesn’t change His character or His mind. Hebrews 6:17-18 says, “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He never changes. His Word and His promises have always been true and always will be true. Our God is worthy of our trust. Hope in Jesus is a strong and secure anchor for our souls.