No Retirement for Christians!

             Somedays, I wake up and think how nice it would be to be lying on a sunny beach, enjoying a good book.  After all, I am retired and it’s cold here in Kentucky.  Then, I remember the Sunday lesson I need to prepare, the blog that needs to be posted, and the other writing projects that God has laid on my heart.

            Over the last three years, I have come to realize what people meant when they said, “I don’t know how I ever found time to work!”  I can relate!  I’m as busy now as I was when I had a full-time job.  However, there are several differences between my work then and my work now.

            First, I don’t usually draw a paycheck for the work I do now.  I always thought that I would get a part-time job, and I’ve had a few small consulting opportunities but nothing permanent.  Thankfully, God has blessed me with all I need to sustain me!

            Secondly, I don’t have the stress that I experienced in my 45-year career.  I no longer concern myself with deadlines, payroll, and all the other responsibilities that were essential parts of my jobs.  Now, with God’s direction, I can determine what projects to pursue and how to apply my time.  That alone is a huge blessing!

            Finally, and most importantly, my constant goal is to not only seek God’s guidance in the work that I do now but to give Him the glory for any accomplishments that I achieve.  In a recent Bible study, John 9: 4 drove this point home to me:

            “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me.  Night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4 NIV84).

            Retirement is not an option for Christians.  Yes, we may leave the career that has been our life’s work, but we never stop pursuing the mission that God has given us.  We may get a little more sleep and maybe some well-deserved downtime, but our focus must remain on Christ and a world that is in desperate need of His saving grace. 

            Why do I study His Word and teach Bible studies?  So that I can grow in my relationship with Christ and help others to grow as well.  Why do I write this blog?  It gives me pleasure to share the insights that God gives me, but I pray that these insights also stir someone else to a closer walk with Christ.  Writing brings me closer to God.

            How about you?  How can you use your “retirement” days to continue to pursue God’s mission?  It’s not as hard as it sounds.  You don’t have to write or teach.  Maybe it’s a walk through your neighborhood, getting to know your neighbors, and praying for them as you pass their houses.  Maybe it’s striking up a conversation with someone at the gym or the pickleball court.  Maybe it’s inviting new church members or widows/widowers for a cup of coffee or lunch.  I don’t know what God is calling you to do in your later years, but I am confident He has a plan.  Just ask!  Remember, Moses did his best work at 80!

John 9: 4

Colossians 3: 23, 24

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