Don't Retire Spiritually

 

I retired from full-time medical practice almost 3 years ago. I had been looking forward to the time when I could be free from the requirements of a regular job and have time to devote to other things. I’ve been enjoying my retirement so far and I think that I’ve been able to maintain a productive life.

 

We may decide to retire physically from our occupation, but we should never retire spiritually. God decides when our spiritual retirement will be, when He calls us home to be with Him. In the meantime, we are called to serve and to be alive and growing spiritually. This is more than just an optional, nice thing to do – it is God’s expectation for us. In Revelation, we read that He had harsh words for the church in Laodicea, “Because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). We are distasteful to God when we let the fire of the Spirit cool to where it is “room temperature”, indistinguishable from the world.

 

Spiritual retirement isn’t just a matter of aging. We can be in the prime of our lives, but if we get so caught up in worldly affairs that we neglect God and His work, we have spiritually retired.

 

As we get older, we may retire from some of the ministries that we have participated in but God still has a plan for us. We should always be active in doing the work of God here on earth and in drawing closer to Him each day. The psalmist wrote, “(The righteous) will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him’ “ (Psalm 92:14-15). I have vivid memories of my grandmother in the years before she died, as she became frailer mentally and physically. She spent much of her day sitting in her rocking chair praying. I have no doubt that our family and others were blessed by her prayers.

 

We will one day get to retire from this life and go to be with our Father in heaven, where we will have the ultimate retirement party and afterlife. Let’s not lose our zeal for living out our calling here on earth. May we be like Paul, who said, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an ebook through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.