Many
young people look forward to their first jobs, being able to earn a fair wage
and experience independence. Even as unpleasant as it may seem, the ability to
pay bills and the opportunity to pay taxes often give us the sense of
accomplishment; we’re part of the process, working and contributing to some
greater good.
Then,
it seems with equal excitement, there comes a time when we look ahead to
retirement, the day when all the hard work and effort, all the sacrifice of
saving and planning will pay off. When Social Security and investments begin to
fund long-awaited trips and projects; when we no longer live by the calendar and the clock. When
my parents retired, they said every day felt like Saturday!
Another
friend who contemplated retirement said she was entering a phase of
“redirection,” planning extended time with children and grandchildren, looking
forward to new opportunities for volunteering and ministry in her local church.
I confess in the past I’ve had the
mindset once I reached retirement I could take a long, extended break from
responsibilities and schedules. I’ll have reached the age to sit back and let
the younger ones do all the work. After all, I’ll be past my prime. It will be
time to take it easy.
Travel and hobbies, relaxation and a
simpler routine aren’t necessarily to be avoided. But as many pastors
remind their congregations, the word “retirement” is nowhere in the Bible. While
we may retire from a job or profession, we can still make a valued
contribution, especially as believers to the Kingdom of God.
And
there’s probably no better example of this in God’s Word than in the story of
Abraham.
Genesis
12 records the well-known account of God’s calling Abram (before his name is
changed to Abraham) to “Get out of your country, from your family and from your
father’s house, to a land that I will show you” (verse 1, NKJV). The call was
specific and was followed by a list of promises (verses 2-3): “I will make you
a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a
blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses
you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Though
God’s instructions are specific, He omits some important details: exactly where
is Abraham going? He doesn’t show him a map with the route highlighted in
yellow. God Almighty will provide the GPS for this journey.
He
doesn’t tell Abraham exactly how or when He will bless Abraham or make his name
great or make him a blessing. But the good fortune won’t stop with Abraham and
his clan (who, at this point, consisted only of his wife Sarah and his nephew
Lot). God said in him all
the families of the earth shall be blessed (verse 3, italics mine).
It’s not just Abraham’s family who will benefit
from Abraham’s obedience. We know now that God’s blessing extended to Abraham’s
descendants (the Jewish nation) and eventually to his spiritual children – to
the Gentiles. That includes me!
And
then, the most surprising detail (at least to me): “So Abram departed as the Lord
had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five
years old when he departed from Haran” (verse 4).
Seventy-five years old!
I’m so intrigued about the timing of
all this. Why didn’t God’s call come in Abraham’s youth? The story might seem
more reasonable if Abraham heard God’s voice when he was 25 or even 50; but 75
years old? Today at that age he would have been ten years into drawing his
pension. We may have passed him traveling down the highway in his RV with Sarah
in the passenger seat. He could have left the flocks and herds to Lot and developed
a routine of relaxing and reaping the benefits of all the hard work of the
past. But that’s not the way it happened.
This
couldn’t have been an easy task. Along with Sarah and Lot, they took “all their
possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in
Haran” (verse 5). This was no small undertaking. Lots
of possessions and people to move, to leave the familiar and go somewhere
they’ve never been. And remember…they weren’t even sure where they were going!
One of my favorite authors Calvin Miller
said, “In so simple a way Judaism was born. An old man and woman obeyed God in
a manner that went unnoticed in its day. It went unmarked, for few believed it
remarkable at the time. Yet this is the way God works. He often begins great
things through events that seem of no historical importance.”1
Just because Abraham answered God’s
call didn’t mean it would be smooth sailing for the rest of the journey. There
would be trials and temptations; Abraham would make some mistakes along the way
and some of his choices would have immediate consequences and affect future
generations. He would have to wait 25 years – until he was 100 years old – before
Isaac was born, the one through whom would come the fulfillment of the promise.
But God did what He said He would do. He was faithful to His promises.
Do you ever wonder what would have
happened if Abraham had said, “Aw, thanks, God! That’s so nice of You to think
of me, but I think I’ll pass. I’m really not interested in any new assignments.
It’s comfortable here; I have everything going for me, and I don’t want to
leave”?
But because he listened and obeyed God,
Abraham and his family were blessed, and so are we. “The one who was
blessed was now to be the conduit of blessing of universal proportions to the
whole world.” 2
In
our estimation Abraham might have been an unusual choice, but God’s ways are
not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). God’s call to Abraham would prove important not
only for his immediate family but for generations to come. The blessing
promised to Abraham in Genesis 12 is foundational to a biblical theology of
missions. He’s even been called “a pioneer of missions!” 3
The
missionary endeavor that began thousands of years ago continues to be carried
on by Abraham’s spiritual descendants who have been saved by faith (Eph. 2:8)
and through whom “all peoples of the world will be blessed” (Gen 12:3).
I’m
not old enough yet to retire from my job, but in a way I can have an attitude
of retirement as a follower of Jesus Christ. It’s all too easy to sit back in
the comfort of my Christian life, with my church family gathered around, and
live content with the way things are.
When
God calls me to step out and fulfill His will of making disciples, spreading
the Good News of Christ, it’s tempting to sit back and watch someone else do
all the work. After all, I’ve been in the faith since I was a child. It’s
someone else’s turn to go on outreaches, to be a witness to God’s amazing love
and His saving grace that rescues the lost from spiritual death.
I’ve
been richly blessed with the knowledge of the grace of God extended to us
through His Son, Jesus our Savior. But the blessing isn’t only for me. It’s not
to stop here.
Because
of Abraham’s obedience, he was promised “all families of the earth will be
blessed.” As Abraham’s spiritual granddaughter, I must wonder…who does the Lord
want to bless through me? He has redeemed my life, rescued me from my sins,
hears and answers my prayers. He continues to be faithful, regardless of the
situations I encounter. Yet this is more than for my personal benefit. God’s
working in my life can be a testimony to one who’s looking for answers to their
problems, freedom from sin and peace in the midst of the hurt and pain brought
about as we live in this fallen world.
As
I am in relationship with people who do not know Him, will they see God at work
in my life?
Lord,
may I look at the example of the life of my forefather in the faith and see how
he was willing to go, to obey, to be used by You. And You were able to work
through him and use his life as a blessing to so many – including me! May I
have that same faith, that same willingness to trust in You, to follow where
You lead, to be free to give as I’ve been given (Matt. 10:8).
1 Miller, Calvin. The Fruit of the Spirit Bible, A One Year
Study for Cultivating a Fruitful Life. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan,
2000.
2 Kaiser, Walter C.,
Jr. The Promise-Plan of God: A Biblical
Theology of the Old and New Testaments. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan,
2008.
3 Pomerville, Paul
A. Introduction to Missions.
Springfield, MO: Global University, 2005, Lesson 4.