One of the first days of retirement I was sitting on a deck, looking out over the water, watching the birds, my feet up on the railing.
Doing nothing.
I had no “to do” list. I had no short-term goals. I didn’t have an up-coming performance appraisal.
I hadn’t thought yet about goals in retirement.
With some dismay, I realized I would have to learn how to do nothing.
Oh oh.
While I was working, I’d thought a lot about how to work for the glory of God. I’d thought about which parts of my work role I could emphasize to serve Him.
Now what?
“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
How do I “do” retirement for the glory of God?
That answer evolved over the now five-plus years, and will continue to change, I’m sure.
But the first tasks were to rest physically, emotionally, and mentally. To slow down. God had thrown a switch and I’d been shuttled off the career track to a new one.
It took awhile to reorient. I threw myself into all the house projects I’d neglected. At one point my husband reminded me it didn’t all need to be done that day.
I am still learning what my priorities should be. And where to let go.
You are in a different spot than I am. You may still be working, or have children at home. Or even more demandingly, young children at home. You may be a caregiver for your spouse or other family member. You may be in school or retired.
In whatever situation, the principle is the same. Whatever we do, we are to do all for the glory of God.
And we cannot do it all. There are always priorities to set.
We need to remember that rest is God-given. Jesus took His disciples aside so they could rest. Rest, in a larger sense, is the theme of much of the Bible.
Here are some things for you to think about:
1) Whatever your situation, whatever you are doing, you are to do it all for the glory of God.
2) Regardless of your role(s), think about how you might tweak that role or emphasize certain parts of it in service to God.
3) Figure out how to get regular rest (physical, emotional, mental). Determine that you are going to do this. Remember, you are important to God and rest is important to you. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. We can rest for the glory of God. Sometimes, we should do “nothing” for the glory of God.
