The Bible And Retirement: Lesson 2: The Seasons Of Life

A. INTRODUCTION - REVIEW

1. Winter – Dreams and planning (childhood).

2. Spring – Planting and preparation (youth).

3. Summer – Growth and hard work (adult).

4. Autumn – Harvest and enjoying the fruits of your work (retirement).

B. PERSONAL JOURNEY THRU THE SEASONS

1. The direction is the same for all people through the seasons, i.e., from birth to eternity.

a. Cannot stop the progress.

b. Can change the ultimate destination.

c. All have equal opportunities at each season.

d. We learn different lessons at each season.

2. The speed through the seasons for each is different.

a. Some stay children longer, i.e., (1) to learn more, (2) afraid to launch out, (3) some held back by others, (4) genetic differences, (5) they get more out of childhood, (6) they stay there rest of their lives, i.e., always planning, dreaming, but never fulfilling.

b. Some stay in summer all their life, (1) workaholic, (2) haven’t planned their savings well, so they have no fruit put aside for retirement, (3) Did not correctly prepare to work, (4) circumstances, i.e., divorce, death, depression.

c. Some never reach the harvest, i.e., retirement, (1) poor planning in winter, (2) little planting in spring, (3) wrong work in summer.

3. Each season has a definite beginning and ending.

a. Use your season properly; don’t try to dream in the summer when you should be working. Don’t retire in the spring.

b. Don’t extend a season beyond its purpose.

4. The seasons of life follow a pre-planned sequence. Use the seasons properly rather than following your whims.

5. Each season has varying lengths for each person.

a. Some take longer to plan (winter) or plant (spring).

b. Some can have a longer harvest (retirement).

6. The four seasons are not the same length. Childhood seems longer to the child, but seems shorter to an adult.

7. Your success in the next season is determined by properly learning from your previous season.

a. Can’t learn lessons for your next season at a previous season.

b. Can’t learn all lessons at the same time.

c. If you properly learn the lessons of previous seasons, you can be happy in your present season.

d. If you properly learn the lessons from the previous seasons, you can have a successful retirement.

8. You are responsible to learn the lessons and manage each season.

a. You are responsible to properly use your time in each season.

b. You are responsible to take advantage of your dreams in each season.

9. You plant, grow and harvest many different kinds of seeds.

a. Your seeds are subject to different dangers; weather, insects, disease, and weeds.

b. Your seeds are subject to human influence, poor advice from friends, wrong teachings, books and examples.

c. Some have more seeds than others; i.e., physical abilities, I.Q., family inheritance, nationality, family, and wealth.

d. Some have better seeds than others.

e. Some have greater abilities to grow seeds than others.

10. Some will get a greater harvest than others because of their knowledge of soil, tilling, planting, weeding, watering, cultivating, harvesting and stowing.

a. They make more out of poor soil.

b. They make more out of poor seeds.

c. They make more out of poor equipment.

d. They make more out of poor working conditions.

11. We are motivated differently in each season of life.

a. Winter: Dreams of the future. “Tell me your dreams and I will tell you what you will be in life.” Those with no dreams are a prisoner to the events around them.

b. Spring: Curiosity motivates learning. Those who don’t learn are prisoners to the forces around them.

c. Summer: Anticipation of success. Those who do not work are prisoners to the workers around them.

d. Fall: Comfortable with life. Those who don’t retire properly are prisoners to themselves.

12. No one knows when a particular day will be the last and we don’t move on to the next season.

a. 70 years. “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psa. 90:10, KJV).

b. Use today. “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psa. 90:12, NKJV).

13. When you have lost your way on the journey through the seasons, stop, look, and listen.

·Look behind, to see the seasons you have left.

·Look around, to see the season you are in.

·Look within, to find your character and value.

·Look ahead, to see the challenge of the next season(s).

·Look above, listen for God’s directions.

14. You won’t enjoy the future destination of retirement, if you don’t enjoy the challenges of your present seasons.