Dreaming of Drinks with Umbrellas...

I hope to retire someday, many, many years from now. I'm not necessarily looking forward to retirement either. It's not that I won't have anything to do, I can fill my time very quickly as I have lots of things I like to do, or would like to try. It's that I'm not sure what I'll have to retire on. I at the far end of the Baby Boomer Generation (the ones that just started turning 60 this year) and they will begin retiring soon. But by the time I get there (remember, many, many years from now) it is speculated that Social Security will be bankrupt, the economy will be very different (because of the large work force of this generation that is now retiring) and the retirement age will be somewhere around 90. (okay, so I'm a bit sarcastic this morning.) The point is, the future is uncertain. We don't know what to expect 25-30 years down the road. It makes me wonder if I can save enough between now and then to live on in retirement.

Before I was a pastor and while I was pursuing the call of God I worked at Prudential helping people prepare for retirement. Funding Living Trusts through life insurance and mutual fund investments was my specialty. It was fun and exciting to help people reach their goals so that they could have the life they had dreamed of in retirement. The most important thing I learned in that time is that planning is critical, and implementing the plan takes discipline. Sometimes that means going without today so you'll have enough tomorrow. That's true discipline.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, taught to "Make all you can; Save all you can; Give all you can." His simple teaching was meant to help people see just how important the fiscal part of our lives really are. Jesus taught the same way. Money is important to our lives, to our well being, to our future. And we have to plan for it so that it doesn't rule us. Following Wesley then we can feel good about working hard (if it is not our first priority, remember: God, Family, Me...) and earning well. If we are earning well that usually means that we are using our God given gifts and talents appropriately. It also means that we have to save as much as we can, which means that we should live frugally. We don't have to live on all we make, we should live in a way that provides well for us and gives us plenty to share. That's his idea of giving all we can. Living in a way that the church, our children, the needy in our communities and around the world can be benefitted by our gifts. Wesley knew that great blessing comes from a life like this. God blesses those who give generously.

In Genesis 41 Joseph moved from a jail cell to Pharoah's palace. He went from prisoner to second in command. His job was to earn and save and give as much as he could so that Egypt would remain strong through the coming years of famine. He was a wise and disciplined man who organized and oversaw a great system that eventually would rescue not only Egypt but also the tribe of Israel (his own family) and the future of his nation. Planning and discipline is cricitcal.

Planning is an exciting activity. Discipline is hard. Thinking about the future brings to mind tropical beaches and drinks with umbrellas while discipline means work. Thing is, we don't get one without the other. The Christian life is the same. It's fun to think of heaven and what it will be like (Although I don't know if there are tropical beaches on the Crystal Sea and drinks with umbrellas.), but it takes discipline of faith to reach it. Discipline to seek God regularly, to trust God completely, to honor God whole-heartedly.

I'm planning hard for the future I long for and giving all I've got to make sure I reach it. (O, and I'm also saving for retirement.) I challenge you to do the same!

Peace ><>
PC