On Finishing Well (2): A Jesus-centered Retirement

 I'm interacting with this article by Donald Sweeting from way back in 2014 on the subject of "finishing well." Sweeting lists 6 aspects of finishing well. Here they are:

1. Christ-centered
2. Focused
3. Spiritual disciplines
4. Teachable
5. Well-networked
6. A lifelong perspective

These 6 characteristics resonate with me. They seem right. They address areas where a lot of us feel challenged, especially as we get older. So I'm going to take these items one-at-a-time, assessing my own spiritual condition as I do so. 

CHRIST-CENTERED

This is foundational, I suppose. That is, the other 5 are going to be difficult, perhaps even fruitless, if this one isn't in place. 

The question arises, what does it actually mean? I know people who would answer that question differently than how Sweeting answered it. Here's what he says.

First, those who finish well have a Christ-centered life. They know they are saved by him, and they never get over it. He is their life source. He is the center of their affections. As Graham Kendrick put it in a one recent hymn, they know “there is no greater joy” than knowing him. Consequently, they focus more on loving Christ than avoiding sins. They know that a vibrant personal relationship with Jesus and a daily walk with him are essential to everything. He is the spring from which comes all spiritual fruit. He is the vine; we draw our life from him. When we plateau in our spiritual lives, we must come back to him and seek renewal. Why? Because he is “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

 A daily walk. Know him, talk of him and talk with him, learn from him, follow him, love him. I'm not a model Christian where all this is concerned, and it doesn't help that our churches are often not exactly Christ-centered either. They can be centered on many things, and some of these things might even be Jesus-adjacent, but that doesn't actually help. "Distraction" is what we're fighting against here. 

So how would it look to be Jesus-centered (I prefer the name to the title in this case)? First, I think I'd be reading my Bible more than I do, and especially the four biography-like books that tell his story. I'd come back to these four often. I'd be praying more, too, and not just beseeching God to help me through my troubles, but praying for more of Jesus. Prayer that is focused on Him, grateful to Him, and desirous of following Him into each new day.

As a soon-to-be retired guy, I want to make my retirement Jesus-rich . . . heart, mind, and hand.