Make Time
In my line of work, I frequently interact with an older generation of people. Many of them are retired and in their Golden Years era. However, I get somewhat disheartened when they tell me that the Golden Years, in fact, aren’t so golden. I even had one gentleman tell me, “The only thing golden about the Golden Years is the urine,” which made me laugh.
It’s evident that time takes a toll on us physically. People work most of their lives to save up money to spend their retirement years checking off buckle-list items only to get to the moment and be physically incapable of reaching many of those goals. As Alanis Morsette sang, “Isn’t it ironic?”
More and more people tell me, “I wish I would have taken the time to do the things I wanted when I was still able to do them.” One of the things I love to do is to travel. Therefore, I took those words to heart and started traveling more within the U.S.
However, the one place I’ve always wanted to visit is Ireland. I love the music, the history, the beautiful landscapes, and, of course, the accents! I haven’t made it there yet, but I hope to “one day.”
Unfortunately, that’s what often occurs with our plans. Life happens, we continue to labor to make ends meet, and we put our adventures off until “one day.” Eventually, we come to the realization that it’s probably never going to happen unless we are deliberate about making it so.
This also applies to the work we do for the Lord. God called His followers to complete an important task. “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you,’” (John 20:21). “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation,’” (Mark 16:15).
God has called us to share His Word and help others to develop a relationship with Him. The Bible also instructs us that there is no time to waste. “A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed,” (Job 14:5).
The time to fulfill God’s will in your life is now. Therefore, I encourage you to start sharing God’s Word and the joy of salvation with others. It’s as simple as sharing what the Lord has done in your life and how that has changed you. You may not get a lot of positive results from others, but if you reach even one person for Christ, isn’t that worth it?
Colossians 3:23 tells us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” We’re not here to bring feel-good messages to everyone, but we are here to provide the truth of Jesus Christ. That’s the job God has called us to as His followers. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” (John 3:16).
I may not ever make it to Ireland, and if I don’t, that’s okay. However, I will make time in my busy life to do what God has led me to do for His kingdom, and I will do so gladly. I hope you will too.
“For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done,” (Psalm 92:4).
Make Room
These last couple of weeks, my family and I have started meticulously going through room after room in our house, as well as going through our outbuilding trying to clear out the junk. You don’t realize how much stuff accumulates over the years until you intentionally take the time to sort through all the tubs and boxes. Then, you wonder, “Why did I keep all this stuff?”
A couple of years ago, we built onto our house, and now I seriously wonder if we really needed that extra room for our family or if it was just to spread out all our junk.
When you hold onto everything, eventually you will run out of room. There’s no way you can keep building onto your home indefinitely to make more space. A closet, garage, house, etc. are only so big. The answer isn’t to keep adding more space but to declutter the space we do have.
Therefore, when we obtain something new, it’s important to also let something go to maintain that healthy space. Otherwise, we run the risk of our possessions overwhelming us and developing hoarding tendencies.
Matthew 6:19-21 teaches, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
That is similar to what happens in our hearts and in our lives when we accept Jesus’ offer of salvation. For the Holy Spirit to move in, we must remove the junk to make room. Our old, sinful habits need to be purged to allow for space to grow in Christ. Our insecurities, negativity, and fears need to be thrown out so that trust, grace, and love can take root.
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator,” (Colossians 3:5-10).
If you are a born-again believer, how much room have you allowed the Holy Spirit within your heart? Are you still holding onto things for your own sake that you should have already disposed of? Is it time for you to do an internal deep-clean?
My goal with our current home clean-out is to have a huge yard sale to try to earn money for an upcoming band trip my daughter will be taking this summer. Anything that doesn’t sell will be donated, but it all must go. I can’t hold onto it all anymore.
It’s time for me to examine myself as well, to see what rubbish I’ve been hoarding in my heart, and to rid myself of those things that are hindering my walk with Christ. In doing that, I can purge earthly things that have no eternal value and allow more room for Jesus.
John 3:30 instructs us, “He must become greater; I must become less.”
What are you holding onto today?
Make Peace
We all go through stages in life, and sometimes, when one stage ends, such as retirement or child-rearing, you may feel a little lost, trying to figure out what your purpose is now that you’ve finished the previous chapter in your life.
You may think you’re past your prime doing God’s work because of your age. However, God isn’t done with you yet. He can and does use all of us, throughout our lifetimes, to further His kingdom. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day,” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
I think my pastor said it perfectly in his sermon this week, “If God still has you here breathing, drawing breath, then there is still something for you to do that glorifies His name.”
Maybe that something isn’t what you expected or even want to do. Maybe you had other plans for your life at this point. It’s unfortunate when we don’t get to do the things we’ve always wanted to do, but sometimes, that’s just life. Maybe our plans didn’t pan out because God had another path for us, something better.
Ecclesiastes 7:10 reads, “Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions.”
At some point in life, I feel like it’s important to make peace with your disappointed hopes, your failures, and your losses. You can’t live a life of fulfillment if you’re holding onto the “what ifs” and “if onlys.”
One biblical woman we can learn from is Lot’s wife. While we’re never told her name, her story holds great significance. It’s a story of what NOT to do…of holding on when you should let go. You can read about Lot’s wife in Genesis 19.
Lot, his wife, and their two daughters and sons-in-law lived in the city of Sodom. During their time, God decided to destroy Sodom due to the sexual immortality that was occurring there. However, God, in His mercy, warned Lot and his family via two angels, to leave Sodom before He destroyed it because they were righteous people. It appears from scripture that the sons-in-law remained, thinking it was a joke. However, Lot, his wife, and their daughters left the city.
The angels gave the family instructions not to look back while they were leaving, or they would die. However, Lot’s wife could not resist the temptation to see what she was leaving behind one last time. “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt,” (Genesis 19:26).
Lot’s wife didn’t make peace with her new situation. Instead, she clung to a life of comfort and material things, and because of her disobedience to God, she lost her life.
We must make peace with our past to move forward. We must prepare for the blessed promise of eternity with our Lord and Savior now because we don’t know when He will return for us, His people.
“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it,” (Luke 17:30-33).
No matter your age, the Golden Years are now, right now. This is the time that matters, what you do today. This earthly life is passing, and the here and now is what we can be certain of. The things we have been planning to do tomorrow, six months from now, in two years, someday…if those things truly matter, it’s best to do them today.
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom,” (Psalm 90:12).
We need to clean up our lives and our hearts to rid ourselves of baggage and grow in our walk with Christ, doing good works for Him, and focusing on and strengthening our relationships with our loved ones and fellow believers.
“A shepherd should pay close attention to the faces of his flock and hold close to his heart the condition of those he cares for. A man’s strength, power, and riches will one day fade away, not even nations endure forever,” (Proverbs 27:23-24).
Aging may not be bodily or even emotionally easy, but maturity and wisdom are wonderful attributes that develop over time. Make peace that no matter the outcomes of our earthly plans, God’s plan is better and an eternity without pain and sorrow is waiting on the horizon.
Psalm 73:26, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Have a blessed week!
-Becky
