Reluctant Retiree

I have always had trouble with the words I use in speech. I am an introvert and do not have strong social skills, making me feel awkward in social situations. So the words I say come out awkwardly and often don’t represent my real intentions.

I wonder if many people have the same difficulty. In fact, I think that is the cause of much hypocrisy that we observe. Under the pressure of the moment, people say things that don’t reflect their true nature. People often say what they think the listener wants to hear. Other times people speak about subjects that they don’t really know well. These things lead to a mismatch between spoken words and actions.

Generally we all know that we have to be careful with the things we say. This is true even more so today due to the easy access to information.

The apostle Paul covers this subject in instructions to his young apprentice, Titus. Titus 2:7 says, “Show yourself in all aspects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”

From this verse I learn that the key to avoiding hypocrisy is to do good works. Then the good things I say will match the good works I do. Secondly, I should control my speech so that my words bear the marks of integrity, dignity and soundness, which no one can debate.

These two safeguards are difficult, if not impossible, for me to manage on my own. I will need help. Therefore I am asking God to help me and by His Spirit transform my words and actions. Join me in this quest to irradicate hypocrisy.

Life can throw me for loops sometimes. The unexpected seems to be the norm. Every time I think I know what’s coming up next, I am surprised by something different. Two years ago I had brain surgery. A tumor showed up on an MRI taken for a completely separate concern. Three days later I was under the knife for 10 hours.

That got me thinking about the future and the past. My sister came to help us and we had some very deep conversations about our past together. We discussed hurts and joys. It was wonderful to clear the air and deal with past troubles.

That got me to survey many of the things I have done. I wanted to know if I had made any sort of positive impact in the world and among people. I won’t go into detail, but the answers indicated that I have had a positive influence in many areas, but unfortunately I have also missed some opportunities. I think that most people would come to the same conclusions in reviews of their lives.

The apostle Paul had a startling assessment of his own life. In II Timothy 4:7-8 he says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” What a great mindset to have at the end of your life! Let’s not waste another moment. Let’s run the race that God has given us with all the energy and wisdom we can receive from Him. A crown of righteousness awaits us, if we do this by faith.

In my house there are some things that I treat carefully and honor, like my computer tablet. I also have some things that I do not honor or take good care of, like most of my clothes. What makes the difference between the things that I honor and the things that I don’t? It has to do with the value that I perceive in each item.

II Timothy 2:20-21 gives us instructions to increase the value of our lives; “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 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.” God will give us good works when we allow Him to cleanse us from the dishonorable things in our lives. Apart from this cleansing work by the grace of God, we cannot produce honorable works or character,

I love watching small children play and interact. Don’t you? I love the wonder and unabashed joy in their faces over the smallest thing. When they discover something new, their excitement can reach the heavens.

Of course, there are the other aspects of childhood that are not so attractive. Children are often selfish and self-centered. They experience the highs, but also the lows in their moods. They can also be stubborn at times.

In my mind most of the time I identify myself as a child, not a retiree. I love play and enjoyment of life. However I also exhibit childish behavior far too frequently. I can be stubborn and selfish.

Why do I exhibit both sides of childhood characteristics at such an advanced age? In his great essay on love, the apostle Paul gives us a clue to help us in this area. I Corinthians 13:11-13 says, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now I see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. “

So I must put away childish things. But how? Paul suggests that I put away selfishness, stubbornness, and self-centeredness by putting on love. Love looks out for the interests of others, taking away selfishness. Love looks out for the good in others and to do good for others. Love reaches beyond ourselves to benefit others. I am asking God to help me love like He loves me.

At various times in my life I have taken physical training seriously, at least for someone with limited athletic abilities. In my forties I was into jogging. I trained for a number of 5K and 10K races. Eventually I trained for and ran a half marathon. Now I am an avid walker, walking over 10 miles a day. It has helped me to feel better and lose weight. I most enjoy walking the nature trails in this area. Walking has exposed me to a variety of landscapes and natural wonders.

I am also trying to stay sharp mentally. I read about 10 books per month and work at a number of word and math games. This area is much more of a struggle for me as I seem to get weary much faster than with physical exercise.

There is yet another area that I need to train myself in. I Timothy 4:7-10 says, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe, “

So I need to train myself in godliness. I need to practice righteousness. Therefore I should ask my coach, Jesus, for instructions and how to workout my faith. All this benefits me in this life and for eternity.

You have probably heard the expression that “It takes a village to raise a child”. In many parts of the world, this saying is true and taken seriously. Every village adult cares for, leads, teaches and disciplines every child. As the child grows he/she learns the community’s values and beliefs. He/she learns their role within the community and contributes to the welfare of the village.

We don’t have such a strong ethos in America. The community that a child grows up in does impact each child, but that influence is generally haphazard and undirected. Our children are more influenced by media and friends, rather than the adults around them. A fundamental principle of our child raising philosophy is building independence in our children. That is well and good for growing adults, but not so effective in producing productive adults with good character.

The Bible has a lot to say about community. Consider what it says about our need for each other in Proverbs 18:1, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” It is just not wise to raise fiercely independent people. Also consider I John 2:9-10; “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.” Loving one another is the foundation to a fruitful life in the light of God’s Word.

When I was younger I thought that I would die in my fifties. This idea was not just morbid or negative thinking. Both my father and his father died at 50 years old. So I thought that this was also my destiny.

I am now 71 years old. What made the difference in my longevity over my ancestors? Well, the natural answer is that I had a somewhat healthier lifestyle. They both drank alcohol and smoked cigarettes heavily. My father died of his third heart attack. I don’t drink or smoke.

However I think that there is something more at play here. I believe that the blessings of God that have kept me alive. Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t think that I am somehow better than others, including my father, and, therefore more deserving of long life. I just believe that God is God and He chooses to do what fulfills His purposes. And He has chosen to give me a longer life. It is a matter of His grace toward me.

So in my younger days I was not sure that I would see grandchildren. Now I have six grandkids and really enjoy each one, all with different gifts and personalities. What a wonderful season of life! Proverbs 17:6 says, “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of their fathers.” I couldn’t agree more. I have six glorious crowns and am very grateful to my heavenly Father.

I think we all try to predict the future, at least for our own future. I do this almost subconsciously. No matter what I am doing, I have a picture of the outcome in my mind. The problem is that I am rarely completely accurate. My expectations are far from reality.

We all do something like that, even on a small scale. We have predictions for how our favorite team is going to do on the season or in a particular game. We have certain expectations on what our government will do for us. We look into the future for economic conditions and trends. And we visualize a future for our relationships.

While we may have some basis for these expectations, our desires often bias these predictions. In addition, we cannot know all the things that will impact our future.

However, one prophetic voice can be trusted. God knows exactly what will happen and speaks faithfully about the future in the Bible. I Thessalonians 4:14-17 says, “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

Jesus will return for those who have put their trust in Him. We don’t know when that will happen, but we do absolutely know that it will happen. Then we will be with Him forever more. If you have given your life to Jesus and believed in His salvation, you can trust in His eminent return for you. If you haven’t given your life and trust to Jesus, please do not wait to do so. The time of His return is near.

After every NFL touchdown you can count on a dramatic, choreographed celebration. The purpose is to draw attention to themselves and their achievement. I am glad to see that some players include their teammates in the celebration, because they could not have scored a touchdown without help. Most of these players will tell you that they are just having fun, but the utter lack of spontaneity points to a demand for attention as well.

I understand this behavior from celebrities as they have to have a certain amount of boastful pride in order to succeed in their businesses. However, when we do average things and then thump our chests and point to ourselves, we are expecting rewards that aren’t deserved.

Jesus cautioned us against seeking honor from men. Matthew 6:1 says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” It is far greater to do good works to honor God than to do the same things to win the praise of men. We demonstrate our love for God by honoring Him in this way.

Generally I am a very practical person. Most times I do not purchase things that I do not need. However, sometimes a shiny new object captures my attention and I just have to have it. While it brings a temporary joy, it doesn’t endure nor satisfy.

I am old enough now that I have seen what happens to one’s possessions at the end of a lifetime. Obviously you can’t take your worldly goods with you when you die. Some people arrange to have their properties distributed to descendants or charities. But often these possessions are simply discarded, even though the owner had worked hard for them and treasured them. This is all very sad to me and seems to be such a waste.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned us of this dilemma. In Matthew 6:19-21 He says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ”

The problem is that we misjudge temporal things as having great value. God says that heavenly things have the greatest worth. A godly character and and righteous living are the things that will have everlasting worth and benefit.