What does your time line look like? Are you able or willing to draw out that line? Robert Lewis, in his studies from Men’s Fraternity puts some names on the different stages of life.
The ages and names for the different stages he established in his thesis are: creational 0-20; phallic 13-25; warrior 20-40; wounded 40-50; mature 50-60; Age 60 to death is known as the sage category.
Daniel Levinson, in a book entitled Seasons of a man’s life built a theme around four stages of the human life, simply being: Spring or adolescence - 0 to 22; Summer of early adulthood – 17 to 45; Fall or middle adulthood - 40 to 65; and Winter or late adulthood 60 to death.
Patrick Morely, Bob Biehl, Chuck Swindoll and others have written books on this topic, which for me have made for interesting study. Over the years, I have invested a lot of time in studying these stages of life that men go through and have examined carefully, different events in my life that have triggered great changes.
In my creational stage, my father passed away. During the phallic stage, I made some bad choices, which led to career changes. I began what I considered mid-life crises in the warrior stage. And was totally broken in my wounded stage. At age 50, I recommitted my life. In the mature age category, and about 9 or 10 years ago, I finally pulled out of it, and found myself. Now with retirement behind me, I am starting a whole career over, and am working harder than ever before. I have begun a whole new way of life in searching new and creative ways of doing ministry. I am looking forward to and believe the greatest years are still ahead for my wife, Norma and I.
In our study of hope, we find both rewards and blessings.
(1) It gives us joy and peace.
Romans 15:13 Now, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. (2) It gives us protection.
Psalm 33:18 Behold; the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His loving kindness. (3) It gives us strength, courage, boldness.
Psalm 31:24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD. (4) It gives us endurance, comfort, confidence in the face of death.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. (5) It gives us confidence in ministry.
Hope in Life’s time line
Part II
In the second half of the study, we will take a look at the contentment we find in hope.
Contentment in hope
What brings contentment in hope? I John 3:1-3
a. The great love
b. We are his children
c. We shall be like Him at his appearance
d. We shall see him as He is
e. We shall be like Him (in his pureness)
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. I John 3:1-3
Christians should learn to practice true contentment: being satisfied with the Word of God and a righteous life. None of the physical goods people seek after will last or do them any good after death, so it makes much more sense to learn to be content without such distractions
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. I Timothy 6:6-7
Is there a secret to being content in every situation, no matter what is going on in your life? According to this passage, the answer is yes--whether we're rich or poor, sick or healthy, God provides a spirit of contentment to replace the feelings of bitterness or envy that we're otherwise prone.
Christian author and speaker, Leslie Basham was asked do you think that if you had what you wanted you'd be content? Does contentment come from material things? She responded, “sometimes getting what we want isn't enough to make us content. That's because no matter what we have, there's always that unattainable something that's just out of reach. A contented heart doesn't come naturally. It's something that God has to develop in us, but it's something that we have to let Him develop in us.”
Hannah Whitall Smith, 1832 to 1911 was a great Christian writer. When she and her husband came to faith in Christ and were baptized as believers, their parents rejected them and they were banned from her Quaker home. Her husband Robert Smith was a well-known international evangelist, and greatly used of God at one point. But at the height of his popularity, he became involved in a scandal that ruined his ministry. Rather than to surrender to God’s will, he took the opposite path. He became an embittered man and a philanderer. Having once been greatly used of God, he totally rejected the Lord, and attempted to win the three living children over to his side of infidelity and unbelief. He was a man who was given to dark moods and suffered three nervous breakdowns.
But in the midst of all that, Hannah never let go of her conviction that God is good. She just clung to that tenaciously. She saw earthly problems and disappointments as what she called God's chariots, sent to take our souls to the very heights of victory for which we have been longing and praying.
Can you imagine looking at all your problems in life that way? They are God's chariots sent to lift me up, take me up, to a higher plane so that I can know God and His ways better.
"Nothing can separate you from God's love. God is enough for time. God is enough for eternity. God is enough.
Paul said:
I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:10-13 "Do we really believe that or do we believe that we need God plus something or someone else, that we need God plus a bigger house; we need God plus children who are walking with God; we need God plus a husband; we need God plus a husband who is a spiritual leader?"
The fact is that anything we insist on having most often we can find a way to get. But we will never enjoy it if God does not first bring us to the place of brokenness and surrender where we can say, "Lord, whatever you want from me, I am here for you.” Here am I send me. You are enough. I will choose the pathway of contentment."
When we finally come to this understanding, God will provide exactly what we need. When those needs are met, we rest in contentment.
Is there some material thing you've been aching for? God is helping us understand that He is all we really need.
