Wasting Away

The Internet is a tool that has many pitfalls. Countless believers and unbelievers alike can get sucked into hours of viewing sexually explicit material and a sin that we talk far less about, the hours we spend online shopping dreaming about the things we wish we only had enough money to buy. Amidst the hardening of my heart against the Internet, God has been revealing to me that he is ruler of the universe and that he is reconciling all things to himself. See, my complaints with the Internet are not all that valid. My blaming the Internet for sin in my life and the life of my brothers and sisters is as legit as Adam and Eve blaming the "fruit" for sin entering the world. There are countless things on the Internet to occupy the mind and hearts of believers for Kingdom purposes. One of the things I have been spending time doing is watching sermon clips of one of my favorite theologians, John Piper. The other night I was watching some clips from his series "Don't Waste your Life." He spent some time attacking retirement in America! "Why are people spending the best years of their lives (60s-80s) on the golf course while half the world has no food, clean water, and is dying of disease?" This is a valid question that you should spend some time pondering.
It made me think of my Grandmother (Gramme). Gramme is getting ready to celebrate her 85th birthday this October! She is a widow who spends her days sweeping her porch, cooking, reading, and working with her stamp collection. She has been a follower of Christ many more years than most of us have been alive (unless you're over 70). Gramme was a public school teacher for more than 30 years and her love for the Lord is unparalleled to anything else. She lead Sunday school classes and adult Bible studies for many many years. She just recently began leading another study at her current Church on Sunday mornings. We spent a few hours together pouring over her study in Acts. Her excitement for teaching the Word at 84 was more than exciting for me to see. It was an inspiration to hear her say "Chris, I am so happy to be teaching the Word again. I have just been feeling like I have been floundering lately." I was in awe of this statement. What 84 year old feels like they are floundering because they have not been taking people through scriptural truths? I thought life was "you work until you retire." NOT TRUE. Our work for the Kingdom is never done until our Father calls us home. What work is the Lord wanting to start in you? How is he structuring your life and retirement plan so his work will be carried out through your entire life?