Reluctant Retiree

The opposite of thanksgiving is grumbling or complaining. With a world-wide pandemic and a national election, we have become masters of the anti-thanksgiving ethic. Politicians led the way with vigorous grumbling about each other. Even our medical leaders have voiced numerous complaints about the public and government. In response, public protests headline the news.

We are not exempt, of course. Our complaints about government, politicians, medical practitioners sing out. While this grumbling is bad enough, it’s our complaints about friends and relatives that do the most damage. They destroy relationships and our integrity. It is clear that we are not in a position to complain about others unless our lives are perfect.

James 5:9 warns us by saying, “Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.” How about we stay positive by replacing grumbling with thanksgiving?

We are a fast paced society. We not only demand what we want, but we want it now. We eat at fastfood restaurants. If we actually visit our bank, it is through the drive-thru. Especially during the pandemic, we order everything, including groceries, online with express delivery. We can’t wait for the news on television so we get push bulletins on our devices.

Is there anything that is worthy of waiting for? Psalm 69:13 says, “But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.” God will answer our prayers. He may not answer within the timeframe we expect. But he will answer in his steadfast love and saving faithfulness. I’d say that is worth the wait.

During this pandemic rules are proliferating. It seems that every governing body has a set of rules. I am really confused. Whose rules have the ultimate authority and how do I know which rules to comply with in each environment I find myself?

Religion can be the same way. Each congregation and association can come up with rules its adherants must obey. Often there is the same types of confusion about what rules apply when. How does a person keep them straight?

Fortunately Jesus brought a better way to faith. He admonished the religious establishment for their focus on outward adherence to rules. Instead, Jesus was concerned about one’s heart and character. In Matthew 12 Jesus told these leaders that you cannot produce good fruit, or righteousness, from a bad heart. The heart must be good in order to do good works. In verse 7 Jesus says, “And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the righteous.” Let Jesus change your heart, then you will be able to do good works in righteousness.

What is the most awesome thing you have ever seen? Perhaps it is the birth of a child. Maybe it is a glorious sunset at some exotic beach. Could it be that you have seen a snow covered mountain peak covered bathed in the orange morning light? If you are a sports fan, it may be an unexpected performance. Perhaps you’ve seen a grand act of heroism or generosity.

All of these awesome sights are wonderful to behold, but, of course, there are other awesome deeds. What about the miraculous healing of a dying patient? How about a restored family relationship after years of bitterness. Then there is the salvation of a desperate soul. These are the kind of awesome deeds that God performs for us today.

Psalm 65:5 says, “By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and the farthest seas.” The miracles of salvation and hope are ours for the asking. We just have to give ourselves to the God of awesome deeds.

Every year my sister sends us handmade wooden gifts at Christmas. She downplays this generous and thoughtful act, but they are beautifully painted and carefully crafted items. We received this year’s gifts today. An ornamental sleigh and calendar were included.

Did you know that God handcrafted you with a special and unique design? In that design he gave you special talents and abilities. His intention was to use your gifts and personality to further his kingdom. He did all this even before the foundation of the world. As with the rest of his creation, he declared you were a person he could love. The question is will you respond to that love by giving yourself to him.

Ephesians 1:3-6 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he blessed us in the Beloved.”

Snow is lightly falling and the temperatures are freezing. As storms go, this is mild. Additionally, the temperature inside is cozy and we are not threatened very much. Later this winter the storms will be much worse.

Life can be like that. Some times a small storm of anxiety or frustration may come. We can handle those pretty easily, or we think we can. But other times bigger storms arise and we become very frightened, angry, and upset. We may not have the resources within ourselves to handle these storms. Friends may not be able to help. We may become desperate and not know where to turn.

Jesus’ disciples faced just such a situation. They were on the open sea when a great storm arose. They were tossed about by the wind and the sea. Water was flooding into the boat. They thought they were going to perish. Then they turned to Jesus. “And he (Jesus) said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:26. When the inevitable storms arise in our lives, we must turn to Jesus in faith. He will then bring a great calm to our lives. Whether the storms in life are big or small, we were not created to handle them on our own. We need Jesus.

Last night we saw houses decorated with Christmas lights for the first time this season. Tomorrow night we will go to the botanical gardens for their annual Christmas light display. The lights are beautiful and do a good job of setting the mood for the season. They seem to point the way for the good things to come.

A special light figures prominently in the story of the first Christmas. The wise men from the east followed a star to find the newborn king, Jesus. A great light also lit up the sky and surrounded the shepherds as an angel announced that a savior had been born.

Jesus said that his followers were to be lights for and to the world. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put in under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that thrry may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” It seems that God likes to use lights to lead people to Jesus.

We are all aware that there are underdogs in sports. The underdog is the team expected to lose. Sometimes the underdog plays extremely well or a miracle happens allowing the underdog to win. Generally we all root for the underdog.

Unfortunately, underdogs exist in life, as well. These people may have grown up in disfunctional families and/or disadvantaged economic circumstances. They may have physical, psychological, or social challenges. They are not expected to succeed. Often they are viewed as outcasts, and as such, they face even greater challenges.

Fortunately, there are no underdogs in the kingdom of God. His love is available to any who would ask. He does not want any to be lost. All we have to do is accept his gift of grace and mercy. Whatever we lack in background, experience, and strengths, he overcomes in the person of his Holy Spirit. Then we can say with Paul, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13

Our new President will likely appoint many new ambassadors. Their job will be to represent the United States wherever they are assigned. They must accurately reflect the interests of our country.

Have you ever thought about the fact that we are each ambassadors. We represent different people and organizations in our various circumstances and environments. On the job we represent the company in our interactions with clients, the public and even other employees. In social situations we represent our families as well as ourselves. At other times we may be ambassadors for our schools, churches and charitable organizations.

The highest ambassadorial calling we can have is to represent God, the King of kings. He is light, so the best way to represent him is by letting our light shine through the good works we do through him. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Do you ever feel like you are running really fast but going nowhere. I sure do. I will spend a day or a week hustling all over the place, but then I look back and wonder what I really accomplished.

Two things most often hinder my progress. First, I have lost focus on my goal. So instead of going straight toward the target, I have wandered right and left. This causes me to expend more energy to get to the goal. Secondly, I have carried extra weight while running. I have let worries, anxieties, and frustration bog me down.

Hebrews 12:1-2 tells me how to avoid these pitfalls in my life. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” So to run life’s race victoriously, I must discard sin and run to Jesus, keeping my eyes focused on him.