Another extreme approach, in addition to those we saw yesterday, is to see work as something to avoid at all costs.  It’s not a new sentiment – many have seen work as a necessary evil in history.  The Greek Philosopher Aristotle saw the ability to live without having to work as a primary qualification for a worthwhile life.

Some try to work themselves as hard as possible to get to retirement, financial independence, partner, or some other goal as quickly as possible.  Unfortunately, life is seldom forgiving of such imbalance.  I once met a recently retired school bus driver.  He’d worked hard at a number of difficult jobs in his life, and had just retired to live the good life.  Unfortunately he discovered at the same time that his health was failing, and he was going blind and deaf in the process.

He’d worked himself so hard, thinking the promised land was coming, ignoring his children and grandchildren by his own admission.  All that time, he didn’t notice he was supposed to live life and rest along the way, not just at the end.  No one ever promised or owed him a certain kind of retirement – yet he’d gambled his health and youth on just such a fantasy.

Work isn’t fulfilling, without work in balance.  Rest isn’t fulfilling, except in balance with work.

That isn’t to say there won’t be seasons of busy, hard work when rest is hard to find.  Starting a busyiness, residency, apprenticeship, times you need extra cash, all need hard work.  But we need to balance those times with seasons of rest, as well.  Don’t expect it will always come later.

For example, at one time a goal for early, luxurious retirement was a million in assets – but inflation means that a million isn’t worth what it used to be.  Look at Toronto real estate.  If that had been your goal, it quickly inflated out of reach.

Another example is retirement age – many people thought they just had to make it to age 65.  Now suddenly the normal retirement age is two years later, at age 67.  By the time I retire, who knows where it will be!  If that age was my goal, it only took an act of parliament to snatch it away.  Such numerical goals keep changing, and can’t be our true purpose in life.

Question: When will you know it’s time to retire?  How much will you need to save, what will you need to accomplish?  Will you ever retire?  

Acknowledgements: Tim Keller, Every Good Endeavour and Work & Rest

Ryan Sim - April 30, 2013

Tuesday - Study It - Pompous Prayer

Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 6:5-13 says “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:5-13 ESV) First, Jesus indicates prayer is a good thing. He says “when you pray” – not “if you like that kind of thing” It was expected - 3 times a day for devout Jews. Jesus’ followers were probably no different. So what’s his problem? Is it that hypocrites stand to pray? No – normal. Is it that they pray in synagogues and street corners? I could see street corners, but why would praying in synagogue be an issue? Posture and place are even okay...so what is the problem? Motivation is the problem. They are not praying in public to help others know something about God - they are helping others know something about themselves. That they're good, holy, spiritual people, or at least moreso than others. Using prayer like a tool to get ahead in society. For power and influence. When he says not to pray like those people, don't apply this as rigid legalism, where Jesus is saying no one should ever pray where anyone else will ever know. That would be pretty hard to do! And Jesus didn’t follow that. This is to do with private prayer. Christians are still allowed to pray as a group. It’s different, and permitted…in fact, encouraged. When Jesus taught them to pray in this passage, with the Lord’s Prayer, he started OUR Father. So his issue is when people making private prayer public, not to teach others about Jesus, not to pray to God with other Christians, but to make themselves look good, or make other people look bad. Question: Have you ever said a prayer, and not really meant it, or simply prayed because someone asked you to? How did it feel?

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