Reluctant Retiree

Until recently, when someone called us on the telephone, we relied on voice recognition to identify the caller. The more familiar the voice, the more we enjoyed the call. The most familiar voices were those of family members and close friends. The less familiar voices belonged to telephone marketing people. We generally did not enjoy those calls.

Nowadays with apps, such as Skype, FaceTime and Zoom, we can see the person we are talking to. Since many of these calls are prearranged, we look forward to seeing and hearing from loved ones.

Have you ever stopped to think about how God responds to our calls to Him? Does He regard us as telemarketers or as close family members? Psalm 116:1-2 says, “I love the Lord, because He heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” It is amazing to me that Almighty God, Creator of all things, actually bends down to hear my call. By faith in Jesus Christ I have been adopted as God’s child. As my Heavenly Father, God is eager to hear the voice of His child.

God also wants to hear your pleas for mercy. Call upon Him often and forever. He will hear and answer you.

Nowadays when I walk, I generally don’t carry anything with me. But I used to trek through the mountains carrying a heavy backpack. Sometimes the load was just too heavy. At those times I counted on my friends to help me out by carrying my backpack, at least for a while.

Every year in May, many people attempt to climb Mt. Everest. They have to climb in stages, often going back down to the previous level after climbing a ways. This helps them adjust to the altitudes. All along the way, the native Sherpa people carry the heavy loads of supplies and equipment. Without the Sherpas, the climb is nearly impossible.

When the burdens of life weigh us down and become difficult to carry, Jesus promises to help. In Matthew 11:28 He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Whatever troubles us, Jesus offers to grab our backpack of problems and carry it for us. We just have to trust Him with the cargo.

I have never been a particularly clever man. I don’t have the ability to design plans to manipulate people and circumstances. On the job, this disability probably held me back some, as I was not effective in office politics. My ineptitude also hinders me in social situations as I am unable to understand the dynamics of groups.

My disfunction doesn’t bother me in most situations. I don’t want to step over or on people to get ahead. I am satisfied with who I am. However, there are some situations where I wish I was more clever. When I am counseling or mentoring someone, I would like to know how to motivate the other person. I enjoy those situations and have had some success, but want to be better.

Obviously, Jesus was in this situation often. Matthew 10 tells us the story of Jesus sending His disciples out to proclaim the kingdom of God. He gave them these instructions: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” He wants them to live lives of integrity so that their message can be received. And He wants them to be wise, so that their message is understood. Jesus is calling all believers to speak the gospel to others. While we share His message, we must live righteously and speak wisely.

In my younger years I hated going to the doctor. It was so bad that my parents said I cried even when going to the barber shop. After all, the barber wore a white coat like a doctor and used cutting devices.

In my advanced years, I have come to appreciate doctors more and readily go when I need to. I need their knowledge and expertise for healing. They use these skills to recommend treatment to make my life better.

Jesus was often criticized for spending time with the social outcasts of His time. On one such occasion Jesus responded to the critics by saying, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” These leaders thought that they were righteous because they followed rules. Jesus was telling them that their rules would not make them righteous. Only a heart that has received mercy and therefore gives mercy to others is then considered righteous.

We can’t depend on our so called good works to make us righteous before God. Instead we must receive His mercy to forgive our sins, making us righteous. Then we will show mercy to others, rather than judge them based on our preferred rules.

While I was in Nepal I went on many treks through mountain passes. Only one thing bothered me, the pedestrian bridges. I was not affected by the altitude. Crossing rivers on foot didn’t phase me. Long distance walking was not a problem. The bridges, however, really got to me. Their construction strength was suspect, tomeat least. You could see through the slats to the valley floor or the raging water beneath you. And the wind through the valleys made the bridges sway. I had a healthy respect for the dangers, but I was able to cross each bridge on the paths. The Bible talks about the fear of the Lord. Fear, in this case, is the healthy respect for God’s power and authority. It entails submission to His authority and surrender to His will. Proverbs 9:10-11 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.”Submitting our lives to God actually adds years to our lives. Knowing God gives us insight to live holy, fruitful lives. Fighting against God will only lead to ruin, as you will be judged for your unrighteous works.