The Bible And Retirement: Lesson 1: The Seasons Of Life

A. INTRODUCTION

Winter: The farmer planning and dreaming.

Spring: Cultivating the soil and planting.

Summer: Working and growing toward success.

Fall: Harvesting the fruits of life.

THREE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

1. Rejecting the season you are in. Always dreaming of the lazy, hazy days of summer.

2. A missed seasoned does not return. Shirley Temple: My happiest moment in life is how an airplane pilot flew over the river of childhood dreams.

3. To have a better tomorrow, have a better today.

THREE CHALLENGES

1. The greatest challenge: Not knowing what you want in life. What to plant, how to plant, when to plant.

2. The second greatest challenge: Not going after what you want.

FIVE FUTURE-KILLING EXCUSES

I am too old to start.

I am too sick to keep going.

I am too poor to plan or provide for the future.

I am too uneducated to know how.

I do not have enough time left to plan.

3. The third greatest challenge: Not achieving what you want.

TWO FUTURE-KILLING PROBLEMS:

Self-deception: You think you don’t deserve a good retirement.

Fantasy dreaming: You have great dreams but no follow through.

THREE:

1. Tragedy: One of the worst things is to retire without a goal.

• Some don’t retire; they just quit work.

• The greatest age for a heart attack: Six months after retirement.

2. What goals do for us:

• Give us energy, to get up and work when tired.

• Give us purpose in life.

• Give us feedback, i.e., how we are doingg

• Give us hope or a future.

• Make us plan.

Retirement without a goal is like bowling without pins.

Retirement without a goal is like basketball without a hoop.

3. Retire with a goal in mind.

• If you retire from a job, don’t retire from life.

• If you retire without a goal, life gets boring.

• You cannot retire properly if you don’t know what you want in life.

Quit a job that saps your life.

Stay at a job that gives you meaning.

C. WHY NO GOALS FOR RETIREMENT

1. Some are unrealistic about life.

2. Some have never lived by goals; they’ve just survived.

3. Some have set long-range goals and always failed.

4. Some set low goals and didn’t get satisfaction.

5. Some live in the middle of a problem and can’t see anything but trouble.

6. Some have never taken responsibility for their life; someone else has always done their thinking.

7. Some refuse to set goals, fearing embarrassment if they should fail.

8. Some refuse to make goals public, afraid people will accuse them of bragging.

9. Some have low self-image; they cannot see themselves succeeding.

10. Some have wrong views of God’s providence; just let God take care of them.

11. Some have wrong views of spirituality; I must be nothing and have nothing.

D. HOW TO THINK ABOUT RETIREMENT

When you enter a new era of life, God expects you to plan. Your plans reflect who you are and what you will do. Noah planned safety. Abraham planned to enter, Moses planned to deliver, Joshua planned to conquer, David planned to rule, Nehemiah planned to build. Paul planned to evangelize.

Set a goal and feel your excitement.

Make a plan and experience the magic.

Throw a switch and let the electricity flow.

E. THE GAME OF LIFE

1. CHILDHOOD: FOUNDATIONAL YEARS

• Receiving: children get all the presents.

• Mistakes: cannot walk without falling.

2. TEEN YEARS: EXPERIMENTATIONS

• Detachment: making new relationships.

• Independence: determine who you will be.

3. TWENTIES: PREPARATIONS

• Pre-season training camp: learning the plays.

• Pre-game warm-up: no one expects perfection.

4. THIRTIES: LOCATION

• You can’t win the game in the first quarter, but you can lose it.

• Application of work habits, attitude and goals.

• Testing and begin again.

5. FORTIES: ADVANCEMENT

• You know your strengths and weaknesses.

• 40s is the second quarter; you should know what doesn’t work.

• If you are locked into “it,” no advancement.

6. FIFTIES: PEAK YEARS

• You’re in the second half of the game. You win or lose in the locker room,

i.e., re-assessment.

• At halftime you can make up lost ground.

• Life is won or lost in the second half.

7. SIXTIES: THE CLOCK IS TICKING

• You’ve got to make every effort count.

• Mistakes are treacherous.

• You get a second wind when the goal is in sight.

8. SEVENTIES: CHANGE

• “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under

Heaven. A time to be born and a time to die” (Ecc. 3:1-2). A time to retire.

If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart: