It’s not uncommon for me to be confused by conversations on current trends. I’ve had a natural aversion to all things trendy as long as I can remember. Usually it serves me well—but not always—like avoiding reading Purpose Driven Life for years because of its trendiness. I finally read it and thought it was great.
Financial trends, though, are definitely not in my natural grasp. Since I’m clueless when it comes to normal money mindsets, we have a trustworthy financial person who supervises us. In this year’s annual meeting, Will kindly congratulated us on our restrained spending during the past year. “These are your ‘go-go’ years,” he explained. “You’ve done very well not to dip into your savings.” We listened attentively, trying to understand what we were doing right and what we needed to be mindful of in the coming year.
But in the weeks after, I kept puzzling over his statement. Retirement doesn’t feel carefree or impulsive to me–‘going at will’ isn’t even an option most days. We still have commitments, responsibilities, and limits. When friends cheerfully asked, “How’s retirement going?” I feel caught off guard—unsure how to answer. “Good, I hope,” I say. “We’re doing our best to live well and with joy.”
Slowly I began to understand my dilemma. We retired from a Monday-Friday routine, a paycheck, and a defined weekend. In their place came something our culture talks about far less: the responsibility to choose how our time would be spent—and to spend it meaningfully.
By now I should be used to living counter culture, but it still blindsides me when I confront how off-beat we live. Not every retired person can—or even wants—to spend every moment (and all their money) on entertainment. Meaningful connections, valuable contributions to others’ lives, and stabilizing commitments anchor every season of life to lasting purposes.
Then it hit me – we are living the Go-go life we believe in—just not the cultural one. We live the “Go” of Isaiah 6:8-9.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go …”
And the “Go” of Matthew 28:18-19.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…
This life is not my own. Retirement offers a lot more opportunity to make choices about how I will spend my time. So, I am trying to be intentional about spending time listening to the instructions God gives – and encouraging others to do the same.
We can’t hear God when the world drowns Him out. Living counter-culturally takes courage and intention. You don’t have to wait for retirement. The reminder on my prayer wall board – “Don’t make sandwiches Jesus didn’t ask for” – once helped me keep my schedule in check. Now, without a regular work schedule, I find I need that reminder more than ever. Our time on earth is short—no matter how old we are—let’s no waste it on any other GO than those God gives.
The truest go‑go life is not driven by culture or comfort, but by God’s call to listen and respond.
