1.
The Transition
I believe that God graces every person with Spiritual Gifts that, in the season in which they are needed, God has planted in order to accomplish His Mission. I also believe that if you do not joyfully use the Gifts that He provisions, you should not be surprised if they are taken from you and given to someone else – his work does not stop just because you may choose not to apply a/some Gifts. I also believe that Spiritual Gifts are a package deal -- your Purpose may be understood by examining your unique bundle of Gifts.
In my career, I had the opportunity on a daily (or weekly) basis to apply my Spiritual Gifts. Now that I am retired, however, I am finding less and less opportunity. Retirement for me is not a permission slip for me to live on an island or stop contributing in meaningful ways. It is not a “free pass” to play bingo or shuffleboard twenty-four hours a day. Retirement is not to be retired from moral responsibility to be a good Christian or to want to be sensitive to others, or to want to help. Retirement is not even mentioned in the Bible -- we are expected to contribute and serve as long as we are able. So how do I use my Gifts in this season called "retirement?"
I have been blessed to have had a learned career and the opportunity to complete post-graduate work. Now I desire to pass this knowledge to the next generation. At my core, I am a teacher, mentor, and coach – I am wired to help and share. Like using the Gifts that have been graced to you, the need to leave a legacy is a matter of stewardship and accountability. Perhaps you feel similarly? As I have been blessed, I desire to bless others. Sharing your blessing with others is common-sense stewardship, right?!?
Application of Spiritual Gifts is a matter of great importance to me. Like everyone (I think), I have been blessed with more than one Spiritual Gift. In this season of life, however, I have discovered that I am in a “Spiritual Gifts transition.” It is not something that I anticipated or had ever thought about. Though somewhat painful for me to accept, reality in this retirement season of life is that some Gifts will wane as others will mature, while others will transform to play more important or different roles. In my humanness, while it is OK for me to discover that I have new and transitioning Gifts, I don’t want anybody to get my [old] Spiritual Gifts just because I left them to idle, afterall, God gave them to ME! As a result, I risk to use all my Gifts.
In my career, I had the opportunity on a daily (or weekly) basis to apply my Spiritual Gifts. Now that I am retired, however, I am finding less and less opportunity. Retirement for me is not a permission slip for me to live on an island or stop contributing in meaningful ways. It is not a “free pass” to play bingo or shuffleboard twenty-four hours a day. Retirement is not to be retired from moral responsibility to be a good Christian or to want to be sensitive to others, or to want to help. Retirement is not even mentioned in the Bible -- we are expected to contribute and serve as long as we are able. So how do I use my Gifts in this season called "retirement?"
I have been blessed to have had a learned career and the opportunity to complete post-graduate work. Now I desire to pass this knowledge to the next generation. At my core, I am a teacher, mentor, and coach – I am wired to help and share. Like using the Gifts that have been graced to you, the need to leave a legacy is a matter of stewardship and accountability. Perhaps you feel similarly? As I have been blessed, I desire to bless others. Sharing your blessing with others is common-sense stewardship, right?!?
Application of Spiritual Gifts is a matter of great importance to me. Like everyone (I think), I have been blessed with more than one Spiritual Gift. In this season of life, however, I have discovered that I am in a “Spiritual Gifts transition.” It is not something that I anticipated or had ever thought about. Though somewhat painful for me to accept, reality in this retirement season of life is that some Gifts will wane as others will mature, while others will transform to play more important or different roles. In my humanness, while it is OK for me to discover that I have new and transitioning Gifts, I don’t want anybody to get my [old] Spiritual Gifts just because I left them to idle, afterall, God gave them to ME! As a result, I risk to use all my Gifts.
2.
Using Your Gifts
Among my many character flaws, I am an impatient man. I only get one chance to make the most of this day, so let’s go after it! I feel guilty when I am not using my Gifts to help. Right Now! I do not and did not intend for my retirement to become a season of transition away from the skill and talent that God has been patiently developing in me over the years. I struggle with the argument that it may be God's desire for me, as well. Well-meaning stewardship has been a conscious lifestyle for me for as long as I can remember.
I am also a person who needs “application” of my Gifts for validation, and to see momentum and achievement, so that I may be inwardly satisfied and self-fulfilled. It’s how I am wired. It's how God made me. If I don’t sense meaningful opportunity to use one (or more) of my Gifts, I will quickly (sometimes, rambunctiously, I confess) find a place or time or way to “plug in” that Gift. Recognizing a similar awakening, my wife and I co-developed a simple Mission Statement based on some of our complementary Gifts: Soon after, we began an intentional search for opportunities where we, in partnership, would be able to ENCOURAGE, SERVE, and LEAD.
I am also a person who needs “application” of my Gifts for validation, and to see momentum and achievement, so that I may be inwardly satisfied and self-fulfilled. It’s how I am wired. It's how God made me. If I don’t sense meaningful opportunity to use one (or more) of my Gifts, I will quickly (sometimes, rambunctiously, I confess) find a place or time or way to “plug in” that Gift. Recognizing a similar awakening, my wife and I co-developed a simple Mission Statement based on some of our complementary Gifts: Soon after, we began an intentional search for opportunities where we, in partnership, would be able to ENCOURAGE, SERVE, and LEAD.
3.
Fulfillment through the SOWER Ministry
The root of the word "servantude" is "servant" and is referenced in various passages of the Bible. "Servantude" is to have the attitude of a heart-willing servant. It’s inside each of us. Everybody will respond to the call of servantude differently. In our retirement, my wife and I joined the SOWERs Ministry and participated with them on a part-time basis eight to ten months each year. A new significance was found for me as a volunteer with SOWERs Ministry through Workmanship, Fellowship, Stewardship, and Leadership.
We confess that we are in transition. We do not know how or where God will lead. As we persist in our search for Purposeful application of our Spiritual Gifts, we are able to glorify God in ways unprecedented to us. We are blessed beyond belief -- SOWERs is a ministry that combines fellowship and meaningful work on an unpredictable, ever-changing backdrop. We are invigorated to discover [remote] parts of the body of Christ that were never before known to us. Coast-to-coast, we have made countless new friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. It has become a "Big God Thing;" we had no idea of the scope, scale, or the sacrifice and struggle, of other ministries across our country until we had the chance to labor side-by-side with them in fulfillment of their daily agenda. That’s just good stewardship, right?!?
We confess that we are in transition. We do not know how or where God will lead. As we persist in our search for Purposeful application of our Spiritual Gifts, we are able to glorify God in ways unprecedented to us. We are blessed beyond belief -- SOWERs is a ministry that combines fellowship and meaningful work on an unpredictable, ever-changing backdrop. We are invigorated to discover [remote] parts of the body of Christ that were never before known to us. Coast-to-coast, we have made countless new friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. It has become a "Big God Thing;" we had no idea of the scope, scale, or the sacrifice and struggle, of other ministries across our country until we had the chance to labor side-by-side with them in fulfillment of their daily agenda. That’s just good stewardship, right?!?
4.
Experiencing America at its Best
Our Mission Statement has a fourth component. As a bonus, SOWERs also get a chance to EXPLORE! our vast country. The Ministry offers projects from Alaska to southern Florida, if you are inclined. During the week, we are the hands and feet for an active, needful faith-based school, camp, orphanage, counseling center, retreat camp, conference center or other faith-based organization. On the weekends and during our recess between assignments, the ministry affords us ample opportunity to explore how beautiful, vast, and grand our United States of America is. What a wonderful God we have!
If you want to visit the SOWERs Ministry website, click on the blue button below. If you are interested in how my wife and I made the transition into retirement through our part-time, mobile ministry, click on the black button below. If you have further questions, there is contact information on either website.
What will you do when you no longer have a career that provides opportunity to use your Spiritual Gifts as you had been accustomed? Have you considered Volunteerism as an encore to your career? Have you considered the SOWER Ministry?
Best of luck to YOU in your retirement transition! Let it be an "Adventure in Faith!"
That’s just good stewardship, right?!?
If you are interested in how our retirement life-style complements
our ministry of encouragement, service, and steward leadership, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]. |