Retirement. Fun facts:
- When a man retires, his wife gets twice as much husband for half as much money
- Retirement is like coming home one day and saying, ‘Honey, I’m home…for good!’
- Congrats on being so tired you can retire!
- Sarah was 90 when she gave birth to Isaac
- Noah was 600 years old when he finished the Ark
- Moses was 80 years old when he led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the desert
Does the idea of approaching Pharaoh (who saw himself as god on Earth), rescuing a people and leading them through the desert (for 40 years), climbing a mountain for the 10 commandments and then writing and preaching sermons that basically fill the first 5 books of the Bible seem a little overwhelming as a retirement plan? For you ladies, what about having your next newborn at 90? I know, I know. If people lived to be 500 and 600 years old, 80 really is young. However, we have a verse in Deuteronomy 34:7 that basically annihilates this argument: ‘Moses was a hundred and twenty-years old when he died…’ YIKES! What does this say about what God expects of us?!
When we think of time and ‘working’ for God, we tend to fall into two camps. The first is that God is eager to get started with us. Let’s not go to Bible College or Seminary. Let’s hit the ground running and let the Holy Spirit be our teacher and guide. God needs us; there is a task waiting; let’s get moving. Moses was called at 80, but he spent the first 40 years or so as a shepherd in the land of Goshen. He certainly wasn’t overtaxed and burdened upon his new life after fleeing Egypt. God was patient, waiting for the perfect timing, and waiting for Moses to develop the character traits needed. And by this, I certainly don’t mean perfection. Take a read of Exodus 3:10-4:17 to hear Moses arguing with God. He even complains he can’t speak without stuttering and God replies, “Hey, Moses. Who do you think invented the tongue?”
The second camp is that of thinking that once we have fulfilled our service to God, we are done. It’s our time to rest, relax, do all those things that ‘really’ define life; do what we have been working toward.
The lessons are simple. God calls us to consecrate our lives to Him, and everything He does is holy and good. There is no such thing as important work and unimportant work. Life doesn’t start when we retire. It starts when we are born and is redefined when we are regenerated. Are you a shepherd? Great! Take care of those sheep, do your job well, and look for what God is doing in and through you. No rush. Are you in full time ministry? Great. Take care of those sheep and do your job well. Look for what God is doing in and through you.
God has a great plan. Maybe you are a Moses, or a Noah or heaven forbid, a Sarah who is destined to have a baby at age 90. You might be a corner piece on the puzzle, or even the centre of the picture. But maybe not–maybe you are the shepherd in Goshen, or a woman drawing water at the well, or simply an Israelite following someone on a journey through the desert. You are still a piece of the puzzle, and even if you aren’t the corner, or the very centre of the picture, that puzzle is rejected at the good will store because ‘it just isn’t complete without ALL of the pieces.’
The fault lays in our thinking that we are only doing work for God when we are ‘doing.’ Let’s not forget that God created the whole world, and on the seventh day, He rested. Did He need to? Was He tired? What was the purpose? He rested to enjoy what was made, and that day was declared holy.
Whether you are a great prophet, or a humble servant only matters if you count things as the world does. What really matters to the Father is are you doing what you were created to do? Loving Him and making Him known? I can’t reach my fellow prisoner because I’m not in jail. You can’t reach my Muslim neighbour because you don’t live where I do. And neither can do it anyway; it is Him working in and through us, to His glory.
My encouragement for you today is you are HIS unique and equally important piece of the puzzle. Regardless of age. Regardless of calling. Regardless of work or retirement. So, shepherd away!