ReJoicing In Retirement

This is a story about the differences between the world’s view of retirement and God’s view of retirement. For example, the world says store up your treasures for yourself, but the Bible says be a cheerful giver. The world says just take care of number one, but the Bible asks you to be a caregiver for others. The world says when you retire it’s time for fun and travel, but the Bible asks you to use your extra time in retirement for service to the Lord. I’m sure that when God created Adam and Eve he expected them to live their entire lives in the Garden of Eden. However, they broke the only rule they were asked to follow and were put out into the world to tend the soil and produce children. The Bible tells the story of how God tried to convert future Adams and Eves to live in perfect submission to him, but it didn’t work out the way God hoped it would. The Old Testament is a story of God trying to control disobedience to him, by flood, judges, kings, and prophets. In the New Testament, God introduced a role model for people—Jesus. Revelation explains what will happen if man fails to follow God’s will on earth, but instead follows his own will. The story of the Bible is repeated in the lives of people as they mature. In early childhood they do as Adam and Eve did, rebelling from control with a severe case of self-centeredness. As people mature, parents, colleagues, bosses, family, and culture cause them to accept responsibility for their own life. God never gives up on his people and slowly matures them through their experiences of successes and failures plus the written word of God. As an old song proclaims, God is the potter and we are the clay. During this maturation process people build a foundation which will guide them through retirement. Jesus the great builder tells this story of two builders. One builder uses the world’s blueprint for retirement by taking the easy road and builds his foundation on sinking sand. The other builder uses God’s blueprint to build his foundation on “the rock” which is Jesus, and with that foundation all things become possible. Many retired or soon-to-be-retired Christians search for what they should do during retirement. If as a retired Christian you believe what Jesus said—I am the vine and you are the branches—then the Bible says the sweetest fruit can be on the retirement branches. Trust God and let Jesus lead you through that time in your life that God has set aside for you to do great things.