Title: Moses who bought a better second half
Contents
Moses bought a better second half
Acts 7: 20 - 36
This is a story from a book called "Life Lessons" by Elizabeth Kubler Ross.
“One Friday afternoon, I was driving out of town. As usual, there were lots of cars, but the thought of meeting friends and having a good weekend was lighthearted. However, as we approached our destination, we suddenly saw cars in front of us with their hazard lights flashing. Saying ‘There has been an accident’, I also turned on the hazard lights and slowed down. But when I looked through the rearview mirror, I saw a truck coming from behind was still running without slowing down. It was clear that he was dozing off or running without seeing the situation. It wasn't something that could have been avoided. Instantly thought of death. I really didn't want to die like this, but it was inevitable. In an instant, I let go of the hand holding the steering wheel, exhaled, and surrendered myself to death. Then I felt a huge shock.
After a while, everything became quiet and I opened my eyes. The car was all damaged, but miraculously I survived. The policeman said, 'You saved your life by taking the power off your whole body.' As I left the place after hearing that story, I learned the precious truth that I had been holding my hand until now, but when I let go of my strength, I can lead a truly peaceful life.”
how to live life Can't I live a more rewarding life than now? Many people worry about this.
It's back in the early 1990s. The wives who lived in the affluence of the middle class in the United States were thinking, “How is life really desirable?” These wives are the people who lived the second half of their lives more beautifully than the first.
Peter Drucker, who is called the father of business administration, says, 'Generally, managers are at their peak around the age of 45, and at this time people don't want to learn more.' But this is a stupid idea. As the Israeli proverb says, 'Stopping learning is like giving up on living', our lives must move toward a new life every day.
As boxing fans know, George Foreman, the 'evangelist of the ring' in the 70's, returned to the ring to raise funds for facilities for disadvantaged youth at the age of 40.
? History says that the German writer Goethe, famous for “Faust,” wrote this work at the age of 80.
? Ian Fleming, famous for the 007 series, started writing novels at the age of 43.
? After all, it is said that Alex Haley, the author of the novel 'Root', started working at the age of 43.
? On the other hand, it is said that Tolstoy left home to lead an investigative life at the age of 80.
? Peter Drucker, who broke through last year, surprised the world when he turned 95 when he said, 'I am now ready to take on a new field of study.'
There is a word that people are interested in these days, 'Half Time'. There is a saying in athletics called half time, and half time is the second half that comes after a short break in the middle. However, in most sports, the second half is more important than the first half. No matter how you win the first half, it will be of no use if you go to the second half and get overturned. So, even if the first half is wrong, there is nothing to worry about because you can do well in the second half.
The half-time movement that is taking place these days is a movement that contemplates how to live the second half of life worthwhile. So, when do you think life is halftime? The average life expectancy in Korea is already approaching 80 years. That's why there are many people who say that maybe it's around 40 years old. However, those who practice half-time say, 'Half-time is not necessarily calculated by age, but if you dare to draw a line by age, around 30 is appropriate'. Why? Generally, for men and women, when they reach the age of 30, they finish their studies and start a new life in society or at home. This is because, although you have been in the process of learning so far, you are now at the age where you can start a new life based on what you have learned.
Beyond that, each person will need a few more preparations. But why do we need to be so prepared? The more important reason is to live better in the second half.
In today's text, Moses appears, and the text is a scene of Stephen's sermon defending himself to the high priest. Here Stephen describes Moses' life in three parts.
The first is the life of the royal palace for 40 years after being rescued from the water. After Moses turned 40, he took on a new challenge for the nation, but that challenge ended in failure. Thus ended the first 40 years of life.
The second is the 40 years of life in the wilderness after fleeing from Egypt. This wilderness life seems like a life of failure and a life of frustration. It seems like life is wasted and nothing has been accomplished. But God paid attention to such Moses. After these 40 years, he was eventually reestablished as the leader of Israel.
The third is 40 years of life as a leader. Moses' life was more beautiful in the last 40 years than in the first 80 years.
What made Moses live a better life in the last 40 years than in the first 80?
Most of the members who worship together today are over 30 years old. Let's just say, these are the people who need to prepare for the second half of their lives. So, how can we live a more beautiful, dignified, and successful second half life than the life we have lived so far?
■ First, we must not be complacent with our current comfort.
We all like to live a safe life. When you taste the comfort, you like to settle there. Diet is the number one topic for Korean women these days. I was anxious to try on how to wear a size 44. However, even women who now have a generous personality and a body with a ham around the belly may have once been a size 44.
However, this 44-size body was reduced to an object to be looked at as she got married and started living with a rice cooker next to her. why would you marry I would have children You don't need to look particularly good to anyone. So, let's eat and drink, and this happened. In other words, the tension is broken. As I gradually compromised with reality and became complacent, this is what I became. However, people who exercise all the time without being complacent with reality just keep the past 4 sizes.
Look at Moses. As the son of a princess, Moses could have just settled in the comfortable life of the royal palace.
According to the world, if you are lucky, you can even pass the throne. Even if you don't become a king, you can live comfortably as a royal family for the rest of your life. But the Bible says in Hebrews 11:24: “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s princess.”
Who does Moses choose to leave behind a comfortable and comfortable life? Choose Israel, choose God. When he abandons the comforts of the royal palace and chooses something new, a new life begins for him.
As Helen Keller said, “Safety is a superstition.” To really take my life to the next level, I need to take on a new challenge rather than settle for the comfort of the present. There must be a challenge of faith, a challenge of faith, and a challenge in life.
I was surprised to hear that there was a priest who was over 85 years old among those who had an evangelism explosion. He learned about the explosion of evangelism and went on evangelism to Noonjeong, even to Korea University and Kyunghee University campuses, to Anam Hospital in Korea, and to Kyunghee Medical Center.
Everyone! If you want to live your life more beautifully, do not be satisfied with what you have achieved so far, and start a new challenge in faith. It's never too late. Moses started a new job at the age of 80.
■ Second, we have to let go of our past failures.
Moses stood up for the nation at the age of 40, and was a person with the pain of being criticized by his own people. What Moses did for the nation was in good intentions to help his people. But you need to know this. Good intentions do not necessarily lead to success.
Perhaps some of us have had experiences in the past while helping or serving others with good intentions, or receiving criticism rather than praise. But don't give up on doing good because of those painful memories of the past.
Look at Moses. Moses was accused of trying to do something good for the nation and was forced to flee. She has been tending sheep at her in-laws for 40 years. Jacob was quick to make a fortune, but Moses wasn't even that smart, so he lived with his in-laws for 40 years.
Even at the age of 80, Moses was an old man who had his own family business, but had no hope. But God remembered him. God did not forget Moses, who rose up for God and became a fugitive for his people. So he calls Moses. Moses forgot God, but God did not forget Moses. So he gets used again.
How many entrepreneurs have been successful without ever failing? Most likely there will be none.
The Swiss psychiatrist Paul Tournier said that he had consulted with a lot of people and found that there were far more people who achieved their dreams after experiencing failure. In addition, the sick people were much more thoughtful and broad-minded than the healthy people, and they showed a lot of consideration for others.
Truman, who entered public office at age 39 and became president of the United States at age 61, said, "I moved forward in failure."
Are you hesitating to do something new because of past failures? Are you suffering from past wounds? Through Moses, those wounds turned into medicine. It has become the driving force of my life. Stand up from failure. Don't be troubled by past wounds. God will blow a tailwind towards you, who rises from all the hurt and pain
■ The third is to let go of the anxiety of the future.
In Exodus 3, God appeared to Moses while shepherding the sheep on Mount Horeb and said, “Go to Egypt and save my people.”
However, Moses rejects it five times, thinking about the failures of the past (Exodus 3:11,13; Exodus 4:1,10,13) But then Moses finally saw verses 35 and 36 of today's text, believing in God's power They go out and perform miracles to save the nation.
Moses was also human, so he was afraid of the failures of the past. In particular, Moses, who had a strong melancholic personality, felt the fear of the past stronger. Nevertheless, he believed that God would help and strengthen him. Since then, Moses only looks forward and goes out. He did not look back and was not anxious, but only looked at God's promise to give Canaan and went out.
the Lord