On 1 October 2024, I turned 85 and decided to reduce some of my social activities due to ageing. Expectedly, I have gained a lot of time. I now have more time to focus on other important aspects of my life. I am working on effectively managing the hours I have saved from those social engagements.
In the last few months, I have realised that one of the most important ways to utilise this extra time is by dedicating it to thinking, meditating, and taking care of my body. The physical, spiritual, economic, and mental aspects of my life are all crucial, with physical health appearing to take the most prominent position. 3 John 2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
It is not God’s desire for His children to suffer from illnesses. Of course, we will all eventually die of old age, but not necessarily from diseases. Therefore, more effort should be invested in preventing sickness rather than dealing with it once it arises. Adequate time should be devoted to cultivating good habits and a healthy lifestyle. It is essential to eat the right foods—nourishing meals play a key role in maintaining a healthy body. The body also requires proper rest, sleep, exercise, water, and fresh air.
Spiritual growth is essential. With more time available, I can now spend more moments alone with God. While religious activities are good, having quiet time for effective communication with God is far more beneficial. This is a time to commune with Him as a friend. I ask questions and wait for His answers. He also asks me questions and waits for my response. Many of our group or corporate prayers are often one-way conversations—we talk and ask, yet we seldom wait or expect to receive answers.
Dedicating adequate time to quality thinking has become necessary. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” In 1903, James Allen published a self-help book titled As a Man Thinketh, which explores the power of thought. In it, he wrote: “Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results.”
Similarly, John C. Maxwell wrote Thinking for a Change, while Napoleon Hill authored Think and Grow Rich, a bestseller. Professor David J. Schwartz once said: “Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches, pounds, college degrees, or family background; they are measured by the size of their thinking.”
Even Albert Einstein remarked: “The problems we face today cannot be solved on the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” I have thousands of such inspiring books in my office, sitting room, bedroom, and even my toilet—books I have long hoped to read. Now, I have more time for them.
I am now giving more thought to my choices and decisions, as they will shape the rest of my life. My goal is to ensure that my choices align with my values and aspirations. This is the time to clearly define my short-term and long-term goals. What do I truly want to achieve?
This is my opportunity to make the best use of my life according to God’s purpose for creating me. Anything achieved outside that purpose is no achievement at all. God has blessed me with gifts, talents, and abilities to fulfil His plans for me. The question is: Am I fully utilising them, or are some still lying dormant within me? The purpose of these gifts is to enable me to become all that I can be. Now is the time to identify and deploy these latent endowments.
My determination is to enjoy every moment of my life, doing things that I love. The work I engage in must bring me joy. There is a need to appreciate and take pleasure in whatever God has given me, always giving Him thanks.
Peace of mind is of utmost importance. Isaiah 26:3 says: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Worry, anxiety, and stress are not compatible with the peace of God and must be avoided.
