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Is it time to slow down and take care of yourself?

COMMON THOUGHTS ON THE WORD

From 30 years old and above, even to 50 years old ­ Numbers 4:30

Does it seem like something is wrong with our system here in America? Politicians and many government workers have early retirement plans along with social security benefits at age 62; that may also include health care benefits when they reach a certain age. Many of them can retire at age 50 or even before with a very luxurious lifestyle. Yet some of our politicians want to raise the full retirement age on the working-class people like you and me! Something just don’t seem right.

Most of us in the working class (blue collar) can’t receive full benefits until we are 67 years old. We are strapped with providing for our families, to the extent that we don’t have time for transition to a slower lifestyle, with a job that doesn’t require as much physically. By the time many people reach retirement age, they are struggling with health issues and scratching to get by.

The sad part of all this is that the working-class people are the ones who have kept our economy going and made our country great. If it weren’t for those who work and produce goods (GDP – Gross Domestic Product), there wouldn’t be enough money for our government to take from Peter and give to Paul (socialism).

I believe there is a better way to deal with the aging problem. Instead of putting the retirement age up – bring it down. Make it so people can change from a hard labor job, to a less strenuous job that is still productive and beneficial to society. I believe this would improve the quality of life for seniors and increase longevity. This is also a very Scriptural idea or principal.

In Numbers 4:1-28, it talks about the sons of Kohath from among the children of Levi. In verse 46-47 it says, “All who were numbered, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families and by their fathers” houses, from thirty years and above, even to fifty years old.”

There are many things we could learn and apply from this passage; but I want to focus on the “to fifty-year-old” part. When a priest reached the age of fifty, he was relieved of his duties in the area of heavy lifting and strenuous labor. They were allowed to slow down and have a slight change in life-style. They were no longer required to carry “the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, and the pillars around the court with their sockets, pegs, and chords, with all their furnishings and all their service, Numbers 4:31-32.

At the age of fifty, the Levites were no longer required to lift heavy burdens and carry them. God made a provision for old age; slow down and take care of yourself. He didn’t say, “set on your back-side and do nothing.” Even in old age, we are to be good stewards of the time, health, and strength God has given us. He made provision for the welfare of His creation in His word.

From Numbers 4 to chapter 5, the phrase, “from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old,ã is used at least 7 times. If God mentioned it that many times, He must want us to learn from it. If we are above fifty years of age, we need to be slowing down, or making provision to do so. By taking care of ourselves now, we can still be productive later on and not be a burden to those around us.

Comments or questions, contact me at: thoughtsonword@gmail.com

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