by David Brenneman
What to do with your time? Let's take it a little bit deeper. Who's time is it that you're spending? Who's to be directing your life? Who's to be choosing what you're to be doing? Is there to be a worldly view of retirement for a Believer?
The answers to these are possibly more than some want to acknowledge. Most in this world view retirement as a right that they earn or have earned and that they have a right to the rest of their days spent doing whatever they want.
Scripture seems to point to something different. Paul's exhortation to the Churches was to run the race, that is life in Christ, as one seeking to win the prize. In no race ever held has there been drastic changes of intensity simply on account of an age being achieved.
We do know that there's Biblical evidence that the scope of what we do in Christ changing in later years but never should our service cease.
Most assuredly we are supposed to do everything we do as unto the Lord...with our everything.
What brought this to mind, I do not know, other than what I've been reading in Leviticus in my morning readings and the New Testament in my evening reading.
We are to continue in serving Christ in whatever capacity the Spirit sees fit. We are placed in the body of Christ as He sees fit as well as our vocations in life.
Truly does any Believer want to have an excuse, when standing before Jesus, that after they hit their retirement years that they just stopped and took it easy rather than continuing to serve Him for all He's done for them?
Biblical rest for a Believer is when we step into Heaven. My thoughts, personally, used to go either way concerning retirement. Used to be something that you were taught to look forward to and usually, if we're truly being honest, for selfish reasons. To spend it on ourselves.
Biblical examples show us that we are indeed to keep seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness. Which must include however we're to continue serving. Be it ending one job and beginning another or whatever it is that the Spirit directs us to be doing.
There's nobody saved in Christ Jesus who will ever be able to do enough for all Jesus did to save them. We are to love because He first loved us. We are to follow Him in His example of a servant's heart.
We are to run the race with endurance. That race that's set before us.
Does it say anything, anywhere, in the Bible that anything we do for Jesus is allowed to be done half-hearted? Less than with our everything?
Serving may take on a different appearance but it should never cease. Especially for selfish reasons.
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" 1 Corinthians 6:19.
"If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." 1 Peter 1:17-19.
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Colossians 3:23-24.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain.
He washed it white as snow.
Consider these thoughts today and where your heart is. Jesus said that where your treasure is there your heart will be also. Is your treasure in Heaven? Is your motivation to spend every moment of your life approved by Jesus? Are you in this race with Jesus with your everything for Jesus?
There's many things that we must give up in order to lead a life well pleasing to God. The Scriptures are clear that this world is going to pass away but His Word will never pass away.
Our lives will be tested by the fires of Truth. All that is wood, hay, stubble, will be burned up. Incinerated. Obliterated. Annihilated. Shown to have been an utter waste of the time, energy and efforts we gave such things that weren't glorifying to Him.
It's insanely easy to live for self.
It's insanely easy to justify our actions and thoughts.
Remember the words of Jesus. "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven".
Think about how much of your thoughts and actions are benefiting the cross of Jesus Christ and how much isn't. How much of your life is Christ shining in a dark place and how much is being hidden under a basket.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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