Page 12 - January 2026 - Truth & Tidings

etirement! The golden years! Here Retirement brings with it added time
is a period of time to which many and opportunity, but if work, vacations,
Rlook forward throughout their golf courses and cruises have been my
working years. Plans are made, pensions life up until retirement, they will likely
are maximized, dreams are put on hold, continue to dominate my thinking. While
all awaiting that magic number of years of these pursuits have their place in life, if
service for the company, or that required they have become central to my life, they
age to receive the pension. In many coun- will continue to have that place in retire-
tries, lower birth rates have pushed that ment. Never postpone serving the Lord
age further along, but with improved where you are.
health care, most retirees can still plan on
10-15 years of continued life and, hope- The Dangerous Mentality
fully, health to enjoy those years, hoping, But retirement presents its own unique
as the poet Robert Browning penned years set of problems. There are no days off, no
ago, that it will prove to be “the last of life holidays, no vacations. Every day is the
for which the first was made.”
same. There is no routine, no schedule.
The Fatal Mistake With an abundance of time, self-discipline

Hopefully, this article will fall into the can become lax, and productivity can
plummet. Yet, if retirement years are
hands of some who are still years from wisely invested, the return on investment
retirement. If so, it may prevent a costly (ROI) can be gratifying to you and glorify-
mistake. Some are always meaning to be- ing to God.
gin to live for God in the future. For a few,
that involves putting off serving the Lord Many who have been involved in high
until retirement – “Then I will have the pressure and busy occupations will con-
time and liberty to do what I would love fess that the need to manage their time
to do for Him.” The sobering reality is that has been a key to any preservation in
if I cannot serve the will of God right now, spiritual life. They have learned that they
where I am, working in my occupation as can never find time to read and pray. They
I am doing, it is highly unlikely that I will must make the time for reading and prayer.
ever do so in the future. A pattern of life They cannot find time to prepare for Bible
is developed in early years; holy habits reading and ministry; they must make that
are formed in the everyday work-home- time by avoiding activities that waste time.
assembly cycle of life and are the ones that In other words, the very busyness of life
remain with us. has taught them how to manage time for

12 TRUTH kTidings January 2026