When Tomorrow Comes

By Bayo Olugbemi

Over the years, I have noticed that the greatest fear of every employee is life after retirement. Hence, people especially in the civil service and even in the private sector dread the word “RETIREMENT”. One thing is sure;
all of us must retire or be retired one way or the other, one day. An adage says a man with a very deep eye socket starts practicing weeping from far.

This book is written to encourage us to prepare for our imminent retirement. It will surely come one day not too long from now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 31, 2015
• ISBN: 9781682229897

Book preview

Lagos.

You can’t stop the future, you can’t reward the past, the only way to learn the secret is to press play -Jay Asher

I do not know tomorrow, but I have a God whose name is yesterday, today and forever. I do not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who owns and holds tomorrow. His name is JESUS. In life, there are often three periods; the morning, noon and night. Hence, the elders do pray, may the Night be more blessed than our Morning i.e. may our tomorrow be better than our today.

The Bible says in the book of Haggai 2:9 The silver is mine, the Gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of the latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts.

The promises of God are yea, and in him Amen. Whatever He promises, He will do if we play our own part very well.

Deut 8:18 says But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto thy fathers as it is this day.

Our God is a promise keeper. When He promises, He fulfils. He is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent.

Num 23:19. In 1Cor. 29: 11-12 the Bible says Thine O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reigneth over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

However, upon all the promises of God for us, many, including Christians do not come to the fulfillment of HIS promises and covenants. Why? The answer is very simple: We often behave as if tomorrow will not come! That is where we often get it wrong! Tomorrow will definitely come! In fact tomorrow is our today that we have frittered away by our careless and carefree attitudes. Attitude is the tendency or orientation especially of the mind; it is the way a person behaves or reacts to issues of life. Attitude is synonymous with character which is defined as the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. The attitude and character that a man puts up today will determine what happens to him or her when tomorrow comes.

How your tomorrow will play out will be determined by your today. Jacob and Esau, Samuel and Eli, David and Saul, Peter and Judas, all these had different characteristics that determined their tomorrow. The book of the elders says that we must fetch water down for the period of thirst. We must save for the rainy day. We must not use our ten (10) fingers to eat. We must sow during the raining season so we can reap during the dry season. This was established in the advice Joseph gave to Pharaoh, King of Egypt in Gen. 41:1-57.

A period of active service should be a time to keep enough in reserves either in terms of savings, investments in real estate, capital markets and even in the future of our children through education and good upbringing, so that when our tomorrow comes, it will be glorious. Some people are suffering today because they messed up their yesterday. A time of active service is not a time to spend on frivolities.

Not a time to spend on unrequired items of electronics, clothing, cars etc. One is not saying you should not enjoy the good things of life. What I am canvassing here is that everything should be done moderately. The Elders say that life is not as straight as the local dane gun. It is full of bumps, bends, thistle, ups and downs! Our life after retirement must be well planned and catered for while in active service. Our today must be carefully created for us to live well our tomorrow.

What is the essence of enjoying life to the fullest while in active service only to suffer thereafter? In recent times, I have encountered a lot of top bankers and other industry workers who lost their jobs and in less than six months are already looking haggard and like people who are HIV /AIDS infected.

Many go begging shortly after losing their jobs. Why? They do not fetch water down for a period of thirst. They do not plan for life after active service.

Some important notes are listed below:

(1) There are some ancillary incomes that come with that office you occupy which are not often accounted for in your pay package. They will definitely cease one day either before or after retirement. By virtue of your office, you are subsidized. Such subsidies include cost of telephoning, provisions, light bulbs, free usage of pool cars etc. You should not over stretch your luck. It will stop when tomorrow comes. How then do you meet these subsidies.

(2) That foreign trip you often go with provision of tickets and estacodes. How thrifty are you with the allowances? You can fly business class and still save money e.g. if you are a frequent flier, take advantage of points that can be used to subsidize future travels. In the Business Class segment, do you know there are sub classes and that does not mean you’ll not be in the Business Class Cabin. It is about using information at your disposal to get good bargains.

(3) After paying your tax and your tithe, do you pay yourself?

How? You may want to ask, set aside a portion of your income

on a monthly basis as a matter of policy. Don’t spend it all. It may be painful today. It will become gainful tomorrow.

There is no tomorrow without the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He is in fact our tomorrow. Heb. 13:8 says Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today, and forever

Forever means tomorrow and tomorrow is continuous. We may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow, His Name is Jesus.

Jeremiah 29:10-11 says

For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end".

The Bible also says in Habkkuk. 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Wait patiently for your tomorrow by not idling away and mortgaging your future like the case of Esau because of a pot of pottage.

Genesis. 25:29 – And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birth right. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birth right unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright

The consequences of this action soon dawned on him when Jacob received the blessings of their father instead of Esau forgetting he had sold his birthright, he wept profusely and uncontrollably. His tomorrow came and met him in regret. Read -Genesis. 27:1-41.

What is that birthright you are selling because of a pot of pottage? It may be your virginity, your dignity. Your bed must be undefiled (Hebrews 13:4). Wait for the appropriate time. Sex before marriage may truncate your future. Examples abound. I am sure you have either heard, seen or experienced people’s lives being cut short because of abortion or some having to drop out of school because of unwanted pregnancy. Please zip-up! It is not about ‘IF’ but it is ‘WHEN’. The elders have a saying The man with an unsharpened cutlass will regret at the end of the day. Why? When others are reaping the reward of their stewardship, he will not have anything to hold unto.

The place of HARDWORK and DILIGENCE cannot be divorced from how you enjoy your tomorrow. The Bible says in John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. Also, Proverbs. 22:29 says Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. Hard work does not kill! It makes one strong and prepares one for tomorrow. My prayer is that we will not use the time of our rest to work in Jesus