Did I say that? I am so not the rebellious person – very much a follower of all rules (at least rules I agree with), thinking that making that choice brings order to life and keeps me out of a lot of messes.
So what in the world do I mean by “time to be a rebel”? I really do have a hidden meaning – one that makes me a bit uncomfortable and at the same time speaks to my need for challenge, change and improvement.
Rebel – let’s say my personal definition for this blog simply means a person who doesn’t let outside influences make decisions for them – someone who is paying attention to the inner voice (which for me is always my heart listening for God’s voice) which brings clarity and direction to our choices, our actions and even our words.
Let’s swim upstream for a bit and see how we can bless others. Let’s find all of our God-given talents that we have perhaps kept hidden for various reasons and set them loose for His purposes. Let’s not look any longer at what society tells us is appropriate, but look at what the world needs from us, even if we have to live life in a very different way.
I was just with a colleague who said she and her husband, who have been raising 5 children and still have one at home, have been asking, in prayer…when our last one leaves home, should we sell everything and live overseas in a place where people need to hear the name of Jesus? That would be breaking a lot of expectations for retirement…doing something against the grain. Being somewhat of a rebel who is casting aside the “norm” and grabbing a hold of the “out of the box” in response to a call on their lives.
What are some things you wish you could do, but you fear repercussions from friends, family – people you love who would try to persuade you that following your inner voice is irresponsible? Is there something that keeps knocking at your heart that makes no sense, that you have no doubt you should say no to, but secretly you believe that if you said yes you’d be immensely and amazingly satisfied? Try a second career the gives you the opportunity to serve others, move to a new place where there is great need for physicians and nurses, spend time working in disaster relief? What latent abilities do you know you have that you could offer up to God and to others for His purposes in this season of life?
Consider being a rebel for Jesus – fighting off the normal expectations for doing things the way the rest of retirees do things and embrace a spirit of adventure. I just watched a video where the speaker was challenging his audience to “turn your neighborhood upside down by the way you live.” That list could be endless! Think about what you have to give to others, besides your enormous catalog of hard-earned wisdom. Tutor underprivileged kids, teach music lessons for free at a community center, spend your time giving yourself away so that you can be filled up! Is that too much to ask of ourselves in retirement?
