Honing your skills

Traditional retirement planning focuses on these areas:

*Setting an expected date to retire
*Managing risk with investment assets to fund retirement
*Income projection from assets, pensions and social security

One neglected area of planning is honing your skills and abilities. A friend of mine who is also a financial advisor sent me a link to a Barron's article: Next, The Retirement Bubble

The article expresses some thoughts that I have been blogging about for a while- although in harsher terms. The idea of retirement that is so prevalent in American thinking is pure fantasy for most people working today. And that is not a bad thing.

The biblical model is clearly a model of productivity for the Lord as long as there is breath in your lungs and blood pumping to your heart. Jesus expressed this in John 9:4, "We must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work." This life on earth is day. Death is night. The works of God can mean many different things and it may not always be income generating.

But the truth is that most people are living longer. And assets are in decline overall due to the financial crises of the last nine years. Society cannot afford to pay people income for thirty plus years while they are not contributing to the growth of the economy.

If the trend continues, our economy will be in shambles. We would have a vicious cycle of large population blocks of active voters insisting on social security and medicare benefits that stay at the current levels or better. This would lead to unsustainable tax increases. That would lead to a sluggish economy and taxpayers fleeing the United States for economies that offer lower taxes and greater growth prospects.

The good news is that many forward thinkers on these issues believe that this outcome will be avoided. For example, the authors of The Fourth Turning- Strauss and Howe- believe that history is cyclical (a view I do not share entirely). In their view, the current crisis was caused by a 20-year cycle that was highlighted by apathy and addiction to leisure. This led to unsustainable levels of debt and a financial crisis.

Strauss and Howe believe that the next cycle will be one that values hard work and a return to productivity. This will lead to another cycle of prosperity down the road.

So what is the point of all this? Like the author of the article in Barron's, I believe that we are facing a reality that most people are going to dramatically rethink the idea of retirement. I promote the strategy of never retiring to a life of leisure to anyone who will listen. I believe it is a less stressful, more fulfilling life.

But I agree with the article that most people should consider a 3-5 year sabbatical instead of traditional retirement. And this is where honing your skills comes in. We should be on a constant path of personal growth. The economy rewards flexibility and adaptation to change.

What this means to me is that I need to constantly hone my skills as a financial advisor so that I am at the top of profession in terms of knowledge and wisdom. But it also means having a diverse enough set of skills so that if Congress passed a law tomorrow that was devastating to the financial planning profession, I would be able to transition into another productive career within a short period of time.

The idea that you work for a company for 30 years and retire at age 55 into a life of leisure for 40 years is dead. It was never a healthy thing. Pray for God to reveal your gifts. Use those gifts for God-glorifying productive work. If you have recently lost a job or you are facing the dread of an uncertain future, stay encouraged.

If you are in Christ, you have the power of the Holy Spirit in you. You have innovation, courage and perseverance at your disposal. Here are a few resources that can help you hone your skills and work towards a position of greater financial flexibility so that your time will be freed up to spend as God directs.

For He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day you meet Christ,

Ashley Hodge

Freedom

There is something better than freedom. Don't get me wrong. I love freedom. I cherish it every day.

Freedom is not to be taken for granted. The fact that I can write this blog; invest my time today in the activities I choose; worship Christ freely; and pursue a career that I desire are all results of God's grace and the blood and sacrifices of those who came before me.

I was discussing the topic of freedom with my five year old boy yesterday. He asked me the question, "Did Jesus die on the cross for the devil, too?" Five-year olds ask the most complicated questions... I explained to him in the simplest way that I knew how that God granted all humans and angels free will.

Some angels chose to serve God. Some angels wanted to be like God and would not submit to His authority. The fates of these spirits have now been forever sealed. The angels are with God ministering to the needs of His people and are going to be with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven forever. The fallen angels (Satan and demons) are in constant warfare with the purposes of God and are doomed to darkness.

Freedom has a season and then our fates are sealed. Our time on earth is a time of freedom. Some people enjoy more freedoms than others. But all people have the freedom to respond to the revelation of God through creation and Christ. This life is a time of choosing. After death, our fates are sealed like the angels/demons.

Augustine called this the fourfold state of the will:

1. Pre-Fall Man (Adam/Eve in the Garden of Eden)

They were granted the power to sin and the power not to sin.

2. Post-Fall Man (All of humankind in a depraved state in need of a Redeemer)

Since the fall, we have the power to sin and we are unable to avoid sin.

3. Reborn Man (those who trust in Christ and are given the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit)

The reborn man is restored to the state of Adam and Eve. We have the power to sin and the power not to sin.

4. Glorified Man (After death, believers are sealed like the angels to a state of eternal obedience to Christ)

The glorified man is in a state of being able to sin and unable to sin.

To many people there is no worse idea in the world than to lose their freedom. Sadly, these people are often the ones who refuse to submit to God's authority. I was listening to a Francis Chan sermon this week. He recounted something J Vernon McGee said, "This is God's universe and He does whatever He wants. You can do whatever you want... when you get your own universe."

I thank God for freedom. But I especially thank God that one day I will no longer be free to sin and choose to rebel against Him. This is the most precious of gifts. Because His ways are always better than mine.

For His Glory,


Ashley Hodge