Episode 3: Six Essentials to Finishing Well - #1 We will GROW

Dr Randy Hess: 0:09
Good morning. Welcome to the finishing well podcast, where we encourage season's believers to find meaningful ways to impact their world for the kingdom of God. I'm Randy Hess, and I'm with the founder of finishing well ministries. How Harberger Good morning how
Dr Hal Habecker: 0:28
Randy is great to be with you again this morning. I look forward to this session together. Well, in today's session, Randy, I want to go through what we have called the six essentials for finishing well, we believe there are at least six things that we've identified that really help us to live well and grow well and finish well. The first one is to grow. And as we go grow through these, you'll learn all the six but the I think the most essential, and the foundational one is that we are all created to grow. God wired us that way. Let me just a simple example. When children come into the world, every parent would want to see them grow. Nobody would want their child to stop it like say, six months or one year or at whatever. The same thing with the natural world you plan things to grow. God designed us to grow as persons. Would you agree with that? Randy,
Dr Randy Hess: 1:38
do I I think that is part of the plan for us to continue to grow.
Dr Hal Habecker: 1:46
And even as we age, you know, it doesn't matter. You may be in an ambitious season, if you're a younger person, listen to this. You grow as a young parent, learning how to grow your marriage, learning how to grow your family, you're a business man or a woman excelling in a company and you need to grow into the position to know how to do it well. And it's our thesis and finishing well ministries that that never stops. You never stop growing as a person in your 60s 70s 80s 90s you never stopped growing as a Christian, you never stopped growing as a spouse, you never stopped growing as a son or a daughter and growing and understanding where your parents are or your adult kids. You're always growing. That's our thesis
Dr Randy Hess: 2:37
when you agree, I do. And it seems to me how to kind of go hand in hand with maturing. And as I'm a tour, just the whole idea of matched maturing and maturity, what's the word I'm looking for maturation, maturation, that in maturation, we value the kind of thinking the kind of values that we learn through our aging years through our life actually. And so we hope that we are maturing as we go through all parts of our life. But as we get to be seniors, we hope that we have also had some maturation along the way.
Dr Hal Habecker: 3:37
Well, it makes me think of the aging person, you know, one of the things we associate with aging people is wisdom. You know, they have learned through lots of experiences in life. In fact, they have a whole catalogue of experiences in their lives. And it's those learning experiences, failures, successes, all the things that go into life, that makes wisdom a valuable asset as we age so you never stop learning you never stop growing and wisdom or as that's the theme of the book of Proverbs you know, always growing in wisdom. So as we excel in our years, we continue to grow we continue to learn we continue to gain wisdom in every facet of our lives and we never stopped.
Dr Randy Hess: 4:22
I might have mentioned this to you once or twice how but I have a little bit of a philosophy about my own life in terms of the various periods of it and and while the first two thirds of it were used for other things, the last third has been kind of a growing in grace for me and understanding Grace better. So I've kind of laughingly referred to it as gray school. And I hope that I've learned some things along the way. In that school, that have been able to be borne out in other in other in the way I've treated other people and the way I've handled my life.
Dr Hal Habecker: 5:08
Randy, I appreciate that and you're reminding of growing in grace or Grace school. I love that. I mean, we're always in grade school learning, are we not? We're always in grade school. It makes me think of Second Peter 318, where Peter, probably in his mid 60s, nearing the end of his life. You remember how Jesus prophesied how he would die? He says, in fact, they're the last words of his second epistle, he says, but grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yep. So in your latter years, you know, we ought to be growing in grace and knowledge of Jesus, and the wisdom that he gives in all of life, the spiritual maturity, it is, if we're just discovery is what grace is all about. And we continue to grow in grace every day it was we have our mental faculties, as we can interact with people learning what it means to be like Christ. In every day, in every experience in every relationship,
Dr Randy Hess: 6:17
I just think it's related to some of the some of the essentials, we're going to be talking about how coming up and one of those is that you, you can more easily finish well, when you mentally get in a position to say, I'm ready to help somebody. And I want to help somebody in my heart, I, I feel like there's more I can contribute. Whoever that somebody might be family member, or friend, somebody you've met, casually, somebody you met in church. Part of it is getting up and getting ready for that in your mind as to how I'm going to do that, how will I reach out and how will I try to make a difference for that person. Again, whether it's a family member, a grandkid, a son or daughter. And part of that with me, is learning how to show grace. Part of that is getting over, if you will, any negative feelings that have developed in whatever context and getting past those feelings to say, You know what that person still can use some friendship, can use some encouragement, can use some guidance can use some, some stuff from me. And, and if I'm in a position where I feel I have some sort of distance from that person, some sort of misunderstanding, some sort of gap, some sort of grudge. It's really hard for me then to reach out. And so I'm just I'm just saying how that I think Grace school for me also means that you get in touch with what's holding you back from from being the person you really want to be as a senior
Dr Hal Habecker: 8:28
and God's plan. Like, it's great. Well, I want to come back to that in a little bit. Talk about barriers that keep us from growing, by the way, you talked about the relationships that will be in our next session connecting, you know, we need to connect with other people. That's why we're growing, we don't just grow for our own advantage, although that does. I mean, growing as a person really has its own reward, but you don't grow isolated from other people. So that's, we'll do with that. And our second, yep, we take two other biblical examples that are really helpful for me. You know, Paul, in his epistle to the Philippians. He writes from JL in Rome, he says this, not that I've already obtained growth, or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold of me. So I think Christ lays hold of us to continue to help us grow up into him in every way. It's called maturity, that's the body of Christ. That's our ourselves. We were known by Jesus to be conformed to His image. So you and I are growing every day, hopefully in greater conformity to the image of Jesus.
Dr Randy Hess: 9:49
Well, I think you you brought the point home that you can't even though I'm sorry, I over spoke there but you you will find it much It's more difficult to finish your life well. If you haven't grown to the point to recognize what God's plan is for you.
Dr Hal Habecker: 10:13
Well, and again, that's a point of wisdom and saying how God uses all the experiences in our lives to keep growing. I mean, I see more of God's plan in my life at the age of where I am now than I did 20 years ago, or 40 years ago, or 60 years ago. I mean, the longer we live, the more we have a deepened perspective of how God wants to work in our lives and shape our lives. Now, just one other biblical example, you know, we follow Christ as His disciples, He says, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. He wants to give us a whole new perspective in life. And I want to remind our listeners and myself that the word disciple means learner, or grower, a disciple is a noun form as a learner, in his verb form, I am learning. So if I'm a disciple of Jesus, I am always learning, I am always growing, I never feel like I have arrived. And that's really one of the critical issues and aging in our purpose, once you retire, are you and I continuing to learn and grow into what God has for us next, as his disciples, we are often limited by understanding our value in terms of how we work in our career, and how we're reimbursed in some way. But the idea of learning and growing in Jesus is not I don't get reimbursed financially for growing up spiritually, you know, but that's my vision in life. That's what Jesus sees when he sees me, he sees you and me, and those who were related to as growing up into Christ, and be full in the sense that he purposes us to be full of Jesus. Does that make sense?
Dr Randy Hess: 12:12
does, it does, but again, I, I appreciate this ministry, in the sense that it helps me understand that very factor right there, that for me, it was a growth item, how to get a hold of the idea that I'm not done, and that God is welcome, welcoming me to continue to further his kingdom, and is, in a sense, cheering me on in that regard. And, and he wants me to continue that till he's ready to blow the whistle, not when I'm ready to blow the whistle.
Dr Hal Habecker: 12:54
And it seems to me that's one of the reasons finishing well, ministries, you know, God has brought us into existence, what really confronting the cultural norm that says, when you retire, you're finished. Yeah. No, you're not finished growing, you're not finished learning, you're not finished being and doing what God has put you here to do? Your career, whatever it is Ben as a as a homemaker, as a physician, as a family person, whatever continues to grow in your 70s 80s 90s go grows right up to the end of our lives.
Dr Randy Hess: 13:30
Yeah. Well, the culture tells us that we, you know, that we belong and evolved. And we should be well kept there, like some piece of jewelry or something. And we we buy into that we have bought into that lie, I'm afraid. So as a as a group of people. And how many are there how senior Christians around the country? Would you say?
Dr Hal Habecker: 13:54
I would say 15 to 20 million of us right now.
Dr Randy Hess: 13:59
Yeah, that have bought into that. And not because they're trying to disregard anything or trying to be established establish a separate path that they know more than the Lord does, but it's just that they simply don't see it in front of them. And the culture tells them they don't need to
Dr Hal Habecker: 14:24
Randy and the minutes we have left here, I want to go a different track. I want to talk about barriers on growth and learning. You know, studies have shown that adults generally slow down in their learning you know, in the experience of life people don't learn unless they're forced to unless they have to you take a new job and you have to learn new skills, you take a new position. God gives you kids I mean, your your kids become adolescents and you know, every opera every season of life is a change. But as we age each one of the barriers is that we stop growing. We stop learning. Why do you think it is? And as you think about that, I think of the movie that was made back at the end of the 90s Wasn't it? Grumpy Old Men by Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau? Yes. Why is it that people get grumpy? Why do we stop rolling? What are the barriers that come to your mind?
Dr Randy Hess: 15:24
I think grumpiness goes with it how with this with a cultural, if you will guidance about how to age because I, my own assumption about it is that people buy into the lie a little bit, which is sit around, enjoy yourself. Watch TV, play cards, play golf, if you can still do that. If you can't still do that, just sit around and watch TV. Enjoy yourself and sit back in your chair. And that occasionally have a grand kid or someone come to you and say hello, is all you need. And and you get grumpy about that because your life is meaningless. sitting there thinking about maybe an ailment you have or thinking about what you no longer are able to do. And I just My hunch is that that's a message. If you're starting to feel that grumpiness, that's a message from the Lord saying to you, Hey, wake up, you're still able to grow, you're still able to influence other people, you're still able to actually listen to somebody and make a difference in their life. Because you have so much wisdom you have gained, you have grown in your earlier life and you have piled on some good knowledge. So in this part of our life is called the fourth quarter of our life, we can begin to utilize that.
Dr Hal Habecker: 17:20
And we should, and we can keep growing ourselves and just you grow in terms of understanding your world, your family, your grandkids, your adult kids, your relationships, even in COVID-19, the world in which we're living now, I mean, how much does God want us to grow in our understanding of what's going on around us? And how he wants to use us in this whole process? I think it's absolutely critical. Yeah.
Dr Randy Hess: 17:46
And so growth means not necessarily going back to the university to study or to any school. Other than Lord school is just, I think, growth. Tell me if I'm wrong Howell is is about what you just said that we continue to grow in understanding. Understanding people understand people around us understanding our own people and friends, and relatives better, and looking for ways to help lift them up and help get them encouraged.
Dr Hal Habecker: 18:24
I have two illustrations I want to use in closing this. And then Randy, I'm going to ask you to kind of finalize your own understanding of growth. You know, as Christians, we follow Jesus. And the greatest example of him is in Luke 252, where he increased in wisdom and stature. I mean, you grow to a certain physical reality, but he increased in wisdom and stature, in favor with God and man, that never changes. So if I want to be like Jesus, I want to grow just like he did. I want to grow in favor with God, what how does God see what I'm growing? How I'm growing, how I'm growing in my marriage challenge growing as a man of God, how I'm growing into conformity with the Christ, how I'm growing with respect to parenting adult kids, and or grandkids or growing in my relationships, as we'll talk more. And then the other illustration, I would give imagine a growth chart in your mind, you know, where the axis is age and the other axis is an area of growth.
Dr Randy Hess: 19:33
So, graph yourself.
Dr Hal Habecker: 19:37
Where are how are you growing? As a Christian? How are you growing as a spouse? How are you growing as a friend? How are you growing as a grandfather? How are you growing as a parent have adult kids? You know, our physical growth will ascend up to age or 3031 32 Somewhere there and then it begins to decline. My prayer wouldn't be that our growth chart spiritually or socially, or in any of the areas in which God has called us to grow with not diminish with our age, but would keep its upward trend as long as we live to continue our growth. Does that make sense? And we finish this.
Dr Randy Hess: 20:20
amen on that. That's perfect. Now. I think many assume that because they're aging, they're growing, because they're aging, they're maturing. And so if I'm 60 I'm pretty mature. If I'm 70. I'm even more mature. If I'm 80. Wow, I'm really maturity. But we both know that that is actually not true. It's not necessity, it's not necessarily happening. That we have to actually begin to pay attention to the plan that the Lord has for us. And understand that there's ways to actively get involved in in in muttering and helping other people and not passively doing it.
Dr Hal Habecker: 21:20
Well, I've loved this discussion, Randy, and I hope it sparks some interest in those of you who are listening to just think about your own growth and where you're at and how you can how God wants you to continue to grow. Thanks for being with us today to think about growth. I hope we've encouraged you to keep growing in your life in every way in your spiritual life. In your relationships, and all God has wired you to do and be in this life. You can find these podcasts that finishing well ministries dot O R G forward slash podcast, share them with your friends, as they've helped you grow, share them and let's keep helping each other grow. Thanks for being with us and God bless you in every way.