Code Purple: The Finish Line

Here is the devotional:

Today’s CODE PURPLE is talking about your retirement years.

My wife and I are still 15 years away from retirement in the “retirement talk” sense. But after seeing how some people retire, I don’t know if I’m looking forward to that kind of retirement. I’ve never worked for a company that has a golden parachute or pays you to retire. So, it’s always been on us to plan for that period of our lives. With owning our own company, it’s even more on us to prepare for that season of life.

But I’d like to speak about this part of our lives differently. It’s great to think about time and money to travel the world; to be on permanent vacation from work and be able to come and go as you please. Your wife may have her own ideas on how you both will retire. Shopping at Antique stores with coffee in hand. Day trips to the mountains to have lunch and just look at the trees change colors.

But that is rarely what happens when retirement comes along. Money may be tight, your health may get in the way of you traveling. All the things you’ve put off through life seems to be out of reach now. You and your wife may have different goals now that you are retired. Have a conversation about how you can serve together.

But your calling to what Paul calls, “The Good Fight” or “The Race” does not change. In fact, you may have time to get involved with a ministry that you didn’t have time for before you retired. I don’t want to spend all my time playing solitaire or doing puzzles. That may have a place in my future day’s schedule, but it will not define my older years.

God can use you at no matter what age you are if you are open to it.

Moses was 120 years old when he finished serving God

Joshua was 110 years old when he was serving God

Abraham was 99 years old when God called to father Issac

David was 70 years old after reigning as King of Israel

Paul was 64 years old when he was called home

Peter was 65 when he died for the name of Christ

John was 98 years old when he died serving Christ

How old do you have to be to serve God? Whatever age you are right now will do just fine.

Uncommen Questions:

What are your plans for when you retire? Does it involve God at all?

Have you prayed about what God’s Will is for your retirement?

Uncommen Challenge:

Leave the solitaire, puzzles, and horseshoes to others. You have been called by God to continue to take the Gospel into the world. The Great Commission doesn’t say in Matthew 28: 16-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age…until you get to 65, then take it easy!”

Fight the Good Fight and Finish The Race!

Here are the scriptures referenced:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
2 Timothy 4:7 KJV

Here are Stu’s thoughts:

The really is not such thing as retirement these days. There are but a select few who can honestly say they are retired, completely not worried about finances for the rest of their life and can just get up and travel to wherever at the drop of a hat.

For most of the world it’s a month or two vacation time and then it’s looking for a “retirement” job to keep paying the bills.

The days of children taking care of their aging parents is pretty much a thing of the past.

Earthly problems will always rear their ugly head and will spiritual problems.

And both can be solved through our relationship with God.

It doesn’t really hurt my feelings knowing that in this day and age I will continue to have to work in some capacity as it will get me out of the house. It will also help me  intermingle with people.

Do I have dreams of taking Angie on trips that last for days on end and simply enjoying ourselves without hurrying back due to work? Yeah I do.

But I also realize that those dream may not become reality. I have come to terms with that.

My true retirement has benefits that this world can not simply comprehend!

I don’t know about ya’ll but I can’t wait to see Heaven and the streets of gold so pure it looks like glass.

I want to finish this race we call life on bended knee thanking God for all his blessings and the opportunities he has given me to share him with others, And to thank him for allowing me to water seeds already sown or maybe just maybe reap the harvest.

I don’t know how many have come to Christ because of Jesus living inside me. I know my children have. And oh…the joy of being their when they accepted Jesus and then being baptized. I have witnessed to people and they have accepted Christ. But was it real or just a means of getting me to leave them alone after knocking on their door. Yeah, I used to be that guy who just went door to door asking people if they knew Jesus.

It’s scary how one sin can change a persons heart. A sin with a big ole demon attached to it. His name was lust and that demon hit me with everything he had and won for the longest.

That was until God orchestrated his saving moment. Then the power-shift took place. Thank you Jesus for freedom from those chains!!!

I am also looking forward to actually seeing all those people in Heaven the Christian community felt would not be there and then be saddened by those who are not there with me.

Retirement on earth….work and continuing with my walk with God and loving the love of my life.

Retirement in Heaven….work (yeah, we will work in Heaven…it’s there in the Bible) and continue to worship the Lord who saved me.

Both have Jesus there! I will be content til the Lord calls me home!