Mark and I are about to enter a new season of life. It really keeps me awake at night, wondering what will Mark and I do with the rest of our life when Mark retires in 7 months. Every time I meet a married couple who are both retired, I bombard them with 20 questions. How do you like it? Are you traveling? Are you physically active? How do you fill up the 50 plus hours that you used to spend working? Are you volunteering? Are you more involved in ministry? What are the pros and cons?
I am the type of person that does not like to be caught off guard. If I can plan for it, I do. I like to set goals.
However, I do NOT want to treat retirement like the world. My favorite verse has always been.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2 NIV
For this reason, I am intentional about seeing what the world does and trying to go in the other direction. The world sees retirement as a time to sit down and relax. The world sees retirement as becoming less active, slowing down. The world fills up the extra time as endless TV watching(I am not a TV watcher so I don’t think I will become one). I have observed that some retired folks become a little more isolated because it is just easier to stay home. And some people become bored of the whole thing and go find a part time job.
I am not judging in the least about what people do when the hours of work are no longer required. Unless I’m careful, I won’t look any different from the world. I struggle greatly with this dilemma.
I can remember back in college trying to discern “what is God’s will?” What was his will for my job, for my future spouse, for my place to live? I learned that the Bible was absolutely packed with things to be followed in obedience and if I spent the rest of my life reading and following them, I would be in his will.
Without a doubt, the very best decision I can make to plan the rest of my life is to continue the things that I already know to be truth.
“They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”
John 17:16-19 NIV
The most wonderful thing about these verses is that Jesus prayed them to the Father about me personally. Jesus sits at the right hand and is interceding for me. He wants me to be sanctified in truth. He wants me put right where I am, not of the world, but sent into the world. He knows that Mark and I will be entering a new season of new adventures and I don’t have to fear boredom or inactivity or not being used any longer.
Psalms 139:15-16 says,
“You could see my bones grow as my body took shape,
hidden in my mother’s womb.
You watched my body grow there.
In your book you wrote about all the days planned for me
before any of them had happened.”(ERV)
Just as God planned my childhood, my marriage, my job, my parenting...he has planned my days of this new season of life.
Tomorrow I will share by bucket list that I have come up with for retirement.
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