But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24
Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Titus 2:2
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. 1Tim. 6:18-19
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27
I love bacon. It makes me happy. There’s something about a smoke flavored hunk of fried hog belly… Alas, my doctor informs me that I should at least back off on consumption of this little slice of heaven if I’m to maximize my time of productivity in this dimension. You know what? I know she’s right. So, through a series of experiences in life that have shown me that I do not know everything, and that it is indeed wise to do what I know to be right… I’ve cut back on the bacon.
Do you know what else makes most of us happy? Watching sports. Playing on the internet. Recreation. Food. Fewer responsibilities. Which brings me to the subject at hand… retirement and its role in the life of a man of faith. So, let me first say this… DO NOT remove those activities from your life which are in and of themselves fun but still wholesome and entertaining. Instead, keep them and incorporate them into the extra time that retirement affords most retirees. It’s OKAY… really.
But… we’ve been around the block a time or two at this point. With that in mind, be resourceful and find ways to make room in all we do - for Jesus. Find opportunities within your activities to teach others the discipline of following Christ. Have joy and at the same time make Him the focus. “How do I do that?” you say. Practice, practice, practice. You most likely will have time for that now.
Oh… and make some time to smell the roses (or in my case, eat the bacon) along the way.
Daily Battle Order
The scriptures at the beginning of this DBO contain a list of attributes and duties that should be in a retired Kingdom Man’s “arsenal”. Pick one. Today. Implement it in some way. I dare you. Record what happens to your subject AND to you in the process. Post in the comments below.
Great Battle order questions - I really love that ending. I went back a few times to the scriptures and the challenge of steadfastness - being unwavering. One thing to profess that, but it requires action. I am working on my fruitfulness - intentionally seeking some strong men in their 70s to lean into on staying resolute