Live until you die

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Selfcare”

Our Bible verse for today: “… my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Live until you die”

The singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffet once sang, “I’d rather die while I’m living than live while I’m dead.” What he meant was that he wanted to keep his life filled with meaningful activities right up until the day he died, rather than retiring into a life of inactivity and aimless shuffling through his days.

I get it. For more than ten years I lived in a retirement community (although I myself was not retired). In that community there were many people who had retired into a life of nothingness. By that I mean they had little focus or purpose. They spent their days on the golf course and fishing and playing cards and drinking beer and watching television. Day-after-day, week-after-week, month-after-month and year-after-year – nothing. That’s no way to spend an entire season of life.

But then I have known many others (especially in the church) who have retired from the working world and then invested their time in ministry activities, community organizations, mentoring disadvantaged children through organizations like our local “Kids on the Rise” program, and other volunteer opportunities. Others have started part-time side businesses or they have gone back to school to learn something new.

This is a matter of selfcare. It’s intentionally filling your life with meaningful activities that make a difference. Such people are intentional about staying vital and vibrant while maintaining a sense of purpose and fulfillment. That’s what we’re reading about in Acts 20:24 where the Apostle Paul, towards the end of his life, affirms that he intends to live until he dies – fully engaged and making a difference for the cause of Christ.

Yesterday I recommended a book for those in midlife who might need to make a course correction for the second half of life. It was “Halftime: Moving from success to significance” by Bob Buford. Bob also wrote a similar book for those in the next season of life – the retirement years. That title is “Finishing Well: What people who really live do differently.”

If you are in the retirement years, I encourage you to resolve to live until you die. Really live. Make a difference with this season of your life.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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