Making Retirement Plans

The Bible tells of a farmer whose crops exceeded his expectations: greatly! Abundantly producing to the maximum, this farmer was overjoyed. In his year of plenty, he eagerly considered what to do with his newfound wealth. The Gospel of Luke chapter 12 records the story. A certain rich man found his crop would not fit into his barns! He came up with the idea that he would tear down his old small barns and build newer bigger barns to store his grain. Would you like to hear what his big plans were?

‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” Luke 12:18-19

Did you notice all the “my’s” and “I’s” regarding his wealth? This man had a problem with greed and giving God credit for his good fortune. Jesus was telling the story to a crowd of people. There were probably some in the crowd who might have felt “that could be me”! Not to leave them hanging, Jesus told them what God thought about the farmer’s big plans.

“But God said to him, “You fool! This night your life will be required of you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” Luke 12:20

Let’s be perfectly clear—when God calls you a fool—you’re a fool! Don’t be a fool. Everything on this earth belongs to God: always has, always will! Think about this. Why do you save money? To retire? To buy more expensive cars or toys? To be secure? Jesus challenges us to think beyond earthbound goals and to use what we have been given for God’s kingdom. Faith, service, and obedience are the way to become rich toward God. So how can we learn to be content? Strive to live with less rather than desiring more; give away out of your abundance rather than accumulating more; relish what you have rather than resent what you’re missing. See God’s love expressed in what he has provided, and remember that money and possessions will all pass away. We become content when we realize God’s sufficiency for our needs. When you make your big plans for the future: please include God.