Reluctant Retiree

My wife and I are in the process of moving to a Condo we just purchased. For the past 5 days we have been cleaning and painting. The idea is to make the inside as good looking as the outside.

When my wife was young, her family instituted the Clean Dish Club. The idea was to reward the children for eating well, so that they could stay healthy and strong.

Jesus often strongly criticized the Jewish leaders for their rules. The rules focused on outward behavior and ignored their hearts. Jesus taught that what was in the heart was more important than outside appearances.

II Timothy 2:21 says, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” Let’s ask God to do the cleansing work on our hearts so that we can be ready for the good works He has prepared for us.

I have long had a problem with overstating my opinions. For example, I will say that I hate something when I really mean that I just don’t care for it. Or I will say that something someone did was dumb, when I just mean that I wouldn’t have done that. I don’t know why I use exaggeration or how I got started. What I do know is that this habit often gets me in trouble because others react to my strong words.

I need to heed the words of Colossians 4:6, which says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” I need to learn to think more carefully before I speak, so that my words can be gracious and fitting.

I feel different based on the clothes I wear. If I wear a suit or tuxedo, I feel distinguished and honorable. When I am wearing shorts or jeans, I am casual and patient about things. I can be goofy and extroverted when I put on a costume. It’s funny how we appear affects changes to our personality.

While it may be true that our outside appearance may affect our inner nature, it is also true that our inner character definitely impacts how we appear to others. God wants us to take care of our character. In Colossians 3:12-13, He commands us to “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

If we ask Him, God will give His Spirit to help us make these internal changes. Then we will reap the interpersonal, social, mental and emotional rewards.

When the stars turn out for the awards shows, there is as much talk about their appearances as the awards. Everybody wants to see what each of the stars is wearing. Afterwards, the entertainment shows discuss the night’s fashion, criticizing some and praising others. It’s a good thing that I am never invited to one of those award shows. I have nothing in my closet worthy of these events.

Ah, but I will be appropriately dressed for the biggest awards of all time. Colossians 3:4 says, “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” When Jesus returns, He will gather those who have believed in Him, and takes to be with Him forever more. At that time, the Bible says, we will be given new bodies. These resurrected bodies will be glorious as He is glorious. You won’t want to miss this. You are invited. Accept the invitation by believing in Jesus for salvation and giving your life to Him.

I have heard of people who make their first thoughts in the morning thoughts of joy. They claim that this practice changes their outlook during the whole day. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it seems to make sense. After all, the opposite is true. We’ve all heard the expression, “he got out of bed on the wrong side”. This expression indicates that a person is in a bad mood because they started the day with bad thoughts.

The Bible confirms that what we think about does affect our attitudes and actions. Colossians 3:1-2 says, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ” Thinking about love leads to being a loving person. Joyful thoughts bring us joy. Contemplating peace leads to a peaceful outlook. I think that we should give this a try. What have we got to lose other than our bad attitudes?

I am a bit of a people watcher. I study people by the way they do things as a way of understanding them a little better. One of my favorite places to do this is the airport. Watching people through their excitement of travel or their sorrow of leaving is always interesting.

One thing that I have noticed is the different walking styles of people. Some walk with an air of arrogance in their strut. Some people show a sense of despair in their slumped shoulders and shuffling feet. Then there is anxiousness of the hurried pace.

Of course, there is no correct or preferred style of walking. It is all just a matter of personality and situation. However, God wants all of us to walk in a manner worthy of His lordship. Colossians 1:10 tells us how to do that; “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. ” So to walk in a worthy manner, we must do what pleases God, do good works that bear fruit for Him, and continually increase in the knowledge of God. We can only do these things when we are surrendered to Him.

Now that I am older, I get more easily overwhelmed with too much stimulus. In other words, when too much information is coming to me at once, I become anxious and confused. The stimuli can be requests from others, background noise, lights, things that I need to do, or media. The resultant anxiety makes me want to retreat and I have difficulty moving forward. This is a new, but progressing phenomenon for me, as I have not been a worrier in the past.

Fortunately I have a source of wisdom and hope in this area. God gives us a command and a promise in Philippians 4:6-7; “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” So the command is to put off anxious feelings and to put on prayer and thanksgiving. Then God promises to give us peace and will guard our hearts and minds. That sounds like a good deal to me! When I feel myself getting anxious or overwhelmed, I will try to stop and pray.

Our two year old granddaughter has come to visit today. The first thing she wanted to do was to blow bubbles with grandma. So the two of them are on the patio blowing bubbles. She is sheer joy personified at the sight of bubbles rising from the holder.

The thing about bubbles is that they don’t last very long. They rise quickly and then fall to the ground and pop, if the little one doesn’t grasp them and pop them before they hit the ground.

Our dreams, plans, and aspirations can be the same way. We tend to have a lot of excitement when the dreams are first formed. But often reality sets in or obstacles come and our excitement fades along with our aspirations. We become frustrated and disappointed.

The Bible points us to a better way once again. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Instead of devising our own schemes and trying to make them work, it is wiser to submit our dreams and plans to God. He knows all the obstacles that can come and He has the power and authority to overcome these disturbances. He is fully capable of making our paths straight.

I am generally a glass half full kind of guy. I like to find possibilities rather than look for obstacles. I also tend to believe the best in people rather than find fault. I say all this while understanding that I can be as negative as the next person at times. There are times when I have difficulties with complaining.

The opposite of complaining is thankfulness. I need to cultivate a grateful heart. A positive outlook searches for the good in circumstances. I Thessalonians 5:18 says, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Knowing that all circumstances are the will of God for me and that God is good all the time helps change my heart attitude to one of thankfulness.

An abundance of success gurus have risen to fame over the past few years. They share messages and insights from their own journeys to the heights. They will teach you inspiring thoughts like, believe in yourself, establish goals, work hard, stay in the company of winners, be positive, and consider obstacles to be no more than challenges.

While their messages seem to be derived from personal experiences and tested methods, I believe that they miss the real underlying keys to real and lasting success.

Proverbs 3:3-4 says, “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.” You see, true success is found in the character of a person, not in the accumulation of wealth or titles. Good personal character proven over time satisfies the soul and brings the favor of God and men.