Links
Blog Archive
-
▼
2010
(295)
-
▼
Feb 2010
(40)
- When God Stooped
- American Exceptionalism, Part Deux
- Virtue Risks
- American Exceptionalism?
- Is it Merely a Nuisance?
- He Holds Them in Derision
- Pray for the Persecuted
- The Real Political Leaders
- Why the Shadows?
- March Madness Book Giveaway!
- Christus Examplar
- The Real Deniers
- Christianity
- Going Green While They Die
- Approaching Easter
- Real Men
- No Wrath Left
- Evil is More Than a Prop
- My Awesome Family
- Finally, Some Honesty!
- Contentment
- The Weather Outside is Frightful
- Deny Yourself
- The Real Dupes
- Stuffy-Shirted Puritans?
- Redeeming Your Eyes and Ears
- Europe Declines; Is America Next?
- The Truth About Galileo
- Lampshades and Global Warming
- Fighting Sin
- Loving Morons
- The Lines are Being Drawn
- Before There was Tebow
- It's Not About Me
- Do Not Adjust Your Screen...
- The Kids Aren't Alright
- Tolerating Tebow
- The Graduate Student Said So!
- Emerging Evil
- What Kind of Raw Material
-
▼
Feb 2010
(40)
Labels
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I really don't understand this. So Christians are supposed to feel guilty about retirement? Christians are supposed to feel guilty about reaping the rewards of their investments? Christians are supposed to feel guilty about playing bridge and "golfing their way into the presence of Jesus"? Talk about condemnation! Or am I missing something here?
I personally don't ever plan to retire, but I'm not going to point my finger at those who choose to. Besides, if the government and the bankers get their way, there won't be any money left for old folks anyway because their pensions and social security will eventually be stolen. And then preachers can gloat over the fact that we have to work until we die, and never have any free time to contribute meaningfully to our churches, families, or our own leisure.
I'll give you a little context and see if that helps. This is based on Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life, in which he encourages Christians to do what Jesus told his followers to do: deny themselves rather than gain the whole world and forfeit their soul. Piper isn't saying that it's wrong to retire... but that we should redeem that retirement and keep eternal treasures in mind. I know many American couples who retire, buy a big motor home, and drive the country for most of the remainder of their life, spending it on a perpetual vacation.
In his book, Piper gives the example of a couple who had retired young to Florida and talked about how much fun it was to collect shells on the shore. Collecting shells? Really?!? Now, who knows if that particular couple was Christian, but it does seem to indicate a lack of seriousness and eternity-thinking. And Jesus was pretty demanding of what He expected of His followers.
That's not to say that playing bridge or golfing is inherently wrong... but living a lifestyle that makes those into idols most definitely is.
Well, I guess I'd have to read the book to see where he's coming from. I have never read any of his books.
It's a short book, but pretty good.
Post a Comment