day 510: Forced Retirement

We've all at some point or another said that if we knew when our last day on the earth would be that we would live our lives differently. Those who are in their end days of life do. They put their priorities and affairs in order and they spend their waning days on those things that are most important to them in life. That is usually relationships with loved ones. Few will run over to the office and be sure that they have gotten that last memo written, etc. There are still some professions that force people to retire at certain ages. Pilots, some professional firms, university Presidents, etc. all have a retirement age. These are professions where people know when their last days of work will be. I suspect that these people work a little differently too. They probably want to ensure their legacy and they begin to work towards what is important to them before they end their careers. In some ways it is too bad that we don't all have a forced retirement date. If we did, then maybe we wouldn't concern ourselves with the frivolous and unimportant things. It sometimes takes a deadline to get us to focus and find the important. God told the Levites, through Moses, how to plan their final years of work and life. In Numbers 8:24-25 we read; "This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of 25, and they must retire at the age of fifty. After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by performing guard duty at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service." The Levites knew they had 25 years to serve the Lord and their people in the capacity they were assigned. What if we all began to take the attitude that we have limited time left and because of that we need to ensure that we are focusing on the right things and the important areas of our work and life? Would that change the way you think about what you are going to do today, tomorrow, or into the future?

Reference: Numbers 8:24-25 (New Living Testament)