GO AHEAD, TAKE SOME CHANCES

Finally, another challenge leaders face is fear of rocking the boat---particularly with some people who support with their finances but not their time and talent. It can seem self-defeating---stirring things up with tithe-payers who indirectly pay your salary. But warning the idle and lazy is not just “kicking up dust”; it’s being faithful to what God has asked us to do (see 1 Thessalonians 5:14)---for their ultimate benefit.

We more commonly see older adults pulling away when they are overlooked---not when they're being consistently called to a higher standard. We read a book a few years ago written by two teenage brothers, entitled "Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations." This book has some strong parallels to seniors in their retirement years. We, like youth leaders, have often set the expectation bar too low.

We encourage you to take consistent steps to create a serving culture consistent with New Testament Christianity. We certainly don't see the Apostle Paul and others opting for an easy, pampered path of entertainment and field trips. Let's respond to our entitlement culture with counter-cultural emphases and alternatives.

John Piper has some strong words for retirees who set their sights on just collecting seashells.

I'm writing from the perspective of someone not yet vocationally retired but who has spent the last decade working with retirees. Some continue to be fully engaged in lives of service and sacrifice without missing a beat. And most of us are still works in progress:

“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”  E.B. White

A key to this internal conflict is following the example of Jesus and discovering our greatest purpose in serving. 

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28 (NLT)

Please let us know when you see some movement among the footloose and fancy free at your church!

Please chime in with your own thoughts on this important motivational challenge.

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