Hey, how
quickly did you pick up on my play on words?
As I
prepare for and approach both retirement and eternity, I am struck at the
extent of such an inverse planning mentality there is in America, especially
among the so-called middle class, on these stages of life. We plan for
retirement as if it is eternal, and consider eternity as if it’s practically
nothing, or worse yet, like it is non-existent. Oh that we would all get our
perspectives right on this issue! And in case you missed it above, yes,
eternity is very much indeed a stage of life. 1
Retirement
is something most people look forward to. Even the increasingly techno savvy
criminal elements of our society and world, at large, look forward to your retirement.
They do this first, in terms of finding creative ways to hack into and steal
your retirement funds, and second, in terms of screwing you with fraudulent
deals on whatever they can entice you to jump at during your vulnerable years.
Some
preachers say The Bible is silent on the concept of retirement. But I recall
the parable Jesus told of a rich farmer who experienced a series of bumper
crops. He was selfishly motivated to tear down his barns and build bigger ones,
all in preparation for …retirement. In the story, he did not know his
selfishly myopic soul (or is it myopically selfish soul, or perhaps both??)
would soon be ‘required of him’. (Luke 12:16 – 21) Talk about
eternity beckoning!
The
Bible does, however, have a tremendous amount to say about eternity.
Believe it or not,
the certainty of
eternity
is the only thing
that is dead ahead.
(pun intended)
Some
believe we will be physically dead forever, thus escaping any perceived experience
of eternity. We won’t. It is an experience to which each of us
will have an up-close and personal, front row seat, so to speak.
So as
you check your monthly statements and balances on your Social Security payout, your
IRA (be it traditional, simple or SEP, Roth or otherwise), or your 401(k),
403(b), 409(a), 557, SARSEP, payroll deduction, profit-sharing, defined benefit
and money purchase plans (whew, what a
list!), please consider this little rhyme:
‘Retirity’ surely isn’t all it’s jacked up to be,
So open wide your eyes, so you can clearly see.
‘Eterniment’ is as immanent as it’s imminent,
Something of which you needn’t be so woefully ignorant.
There you’ll neither be dead nor gleefully absent,
But eternally alive and absolutely cognizant!
So while preparing good investments for your retirement,
Prepare some good vestments for your eternal lodgment. 2
The souls of many will be ‘required of them’...before reading such a message.
Thank God, dear reader, you’re not among them, and will hopefully heed my presage.
If you do, The Holy Trinity and Church will be your ‘fraternity for eternity’.
And faith in Jesus as Christ alone will be the ‘fidelity of your eternity’.
‘Lucidity on eternity’ is a ‘requirement for retirement’.
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1 The Lord’s multi-millennial strategy for humanity comprises 7 ages: (1) pre-flood, (2) post-flood/pre-cross, (3) post-cross (Church Age), (4) tribulation/great tribulation, (5) Millennial Reign, (6) post-Millennial Reign, and (7) eternity.
2 And to her [The
Church] it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:8)
