Living to Retire

            I recently did my taxes—well, someone else did them, but I saw the questions. Anyways, they asked me if I have a retirement fund. It got me to thinking about the future. At the moment, I only have a little bit of money saved up. In all honesty, I haven’t had the opportunity to save much, but I’m working on it. Thinking about saving money for retirement made me realize how odd that thought really is. Why would I work my whole life just to retire?

            Some of my friends and I discussed it later, and I realized that I am not alone in this thought. Before I go further, I want to say that preparing for the future is not a bad idea; it’s a good one, but what I am saying is that we shouldn’t be spending our lives looking forward to the time we can sit back a do nothing. Personally, I want my entire life to count. I don’t want to just work a job. I want my time to matter. When I meet Jesus, I want Him to say I’ve done well bringing Him glory.

            Then, I realized something else. I don’t want to work just to graduate from college and grad school. Waiting on a certain time in my life seems futile because God has called us to bloom where we are NOW. We aren’t supposed to wait to live. Life is happening all around us. We need to be a part of it. Fill your years advancing the Kingdom, not simply looking to the future and waiting on the next step in your life.

            I’m reminded of Colossians 4:5 that tells us, “Make the most of every opportunity” (NIV). Opportunities happen every day. Look for them. I don’t think we can make the most of every opportunity by waiting on graduation or retirement to live. Follow Jesus now. Take risks now. Give money, food, and clothing to those in need now. . .

. . .because, honestly, living to retirement isn’t guaranteed.

Living Life Together,

Rebecca Thomas