iRetire4Him

The enemy has a lie… at the end of my career if I sit back, relax and stop working, I will have peace and life will be GOOD.  Jesus taught about this lie in the following parable. 

Luke 12:16-21 (NLT) 16 -

Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ 21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Parables are told to teach a lesson.  What point is Jesus trying to teach us?  Living selfishly can cause us to keep things we may never be able to use.  When we live selfishly, we can easily miss the deep relationship God has to offer.  You may believe that retirement will give you more time for relationships. But how do you know how much time you will have?

James, Jesus’ brother, warned about presuming about tomorrow.  Here is what James said in chapter 4:13-17 -

13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. 17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Whether you call it retirement, refirement, or phase 2 of life, Christ Followers are called to more than sitting in the grandstands of life and living as spectators.   Our roles at age 70 may differ from what we were doing at age 20, but God needs you in the game more than ever.

There is a part for you to play and it’s as important as any position you have ever faced before. Stand up, walk down the grandstand stairs and get back onto the playing field.

Our team needs you for our next play.

Next week: iRetire4Him – what am I needed for?