Winning the Battle

A few thoughts on retirement.

The only retired Christians are those who have gone to Glory! They are the ones who have fought the good fight and not been found wanting. They are the ones who have put on the whole armour of God and worn it with pride, yet displayed humility in their work and compassion towards those who have been found in need. They are the ones who have listened constantly for fresh orders and gone wherever they have been sent, irrespective of the cost. They are the ones who have served for the glory of God and not for personal gain.

However, there are many tired Christians around. You can find them in almost every Fellowship, although sometimes they don't make a song and dance enough to stand out, preferring to work quietly away in the background, doing all for the Lord rather than for any Merit badge. No matter what size the Fellowship is, they will number relatively few.

So, who are they? Well, they are the people who make certain that the heating or air conditioning is turned on; the folk who ensure that spent light bulbs are replaced; the folk who arrange the flowers and give out the hymn books; the folk who do all that they can to make the church a comfortable and welcoming place for when you arrive for the services. They are the people who play the instruments, whether it be a grand organ, a piano, or a music group. They are the people who ensure that everything possible is done to make the Fellowship an example that others will want to copy. Their secret is that they do it all for the Lord, although the folk who turn up for the services become the beneficiaries of their labour of love. Are you one of the tired Christians in your Fellowship? If only there were more people willing and prepared to take on some of the tasks --- not because they've been asked to but because they've volunteered to --- what a difference it would make.