The Bible And Retirement: Lesson 3: Growing Through The Seasons

A. INTRODUCTION

B. REVIEW OF FOUR SEASONS

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).

C. CONTINUATION

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.

·Happiness is not a future destination; it’s an attitude toward life.

·Don’t steal from the present because you live in the future.

·The most wonderful season is NOW!

15.If you have not properly managed a season, you can go back to learn its lesson, but it’s much more difficult the second time.

a.You are physically older.

b.No one there is your age.

c.You are learning out of sequence.

d.But God can help you make up lost time. “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten” (Joel 2:25).

16.Break up the fallow (hard) ground no matter what season you are in.

a.Need to break some ground in the winter, to help plowing.

b.Need to break up more ground than needed in the spring. You don’t know how much you need.

c.Break ground in the summer to help growth and kill weeds.

d.Break ground in the fall (retirement) because it will help ripen fruit, keep weeds down, and prepare soil for the next season for someone else.

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:

Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.