Thought for the Week

The place we are born has very significant implications for how long we will live. According to the United Nations average life expectancy for all countries in the world is 67. In Japan it is 82, whilst in Swaziland and Mozambique it is only 39. Many countries in Africa have a low level of life expectancy because of high infant mortality rates and high levels of HIV/AIDS. In Britain the fact that people are living longer is creating a crisis in the cost of funding pensions and caring for old people.

At a personal level, those who have retired face the question of how they spend their retirement years. On average men live 13 years after they retire and women live 22 years. It is a significant proportion of our lives. Some have adequate pensions whilst others face financial hardships. Many people assume that living to a great age is only a blessing but don’t realise that all the extra years come at the end of life when health and strength may not be good.

So how should we face the later years of life? Some employers provide retirement planning seminars which focus mainly on finance. These seminars are usually provided for those who have an adequate pension and who hope to enjoy a good lifestyle in retirement. But there are other very important considerations which affect us all. One important question is, “For what am I living?” Another is, “What is my hope for the future?” Financial advisers rightly emphasise the importance of preparing for retirement when we are young. Preparing for the later years of life and for eternity is even more important.

In Psalm 92 we read that the righteous “will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’” Our focus throughout our lives needs to be on God and on living in a personal relationship with him. I remember a lady who suddenly went blind at the age of 68. She lived, as a widow, into her 90s. Yet I never heard her complain. She was always thankful and took a lively interest in those around her, especially the new babies whose cries she heard. She was a wonderful example of what the psalmist meant. She trusted God, even when things were very tough, and she drew her strength from him. He was her Rock!