What Does (Or Will) Your ‘Second Half’ Look Like?

For many sports fans, whether their favorite is American football, basketball or soccer, each contest comes in two parts – a first half and a second half. In many cases the second half is most important, because that is when strategic adjustments are made based on what has happened in the first half.

 

It’s not unusual for one team to go into the locker room at halftime with a substantial lead, only to see that lead evaporate because of changes the opponent has made for the second half. And the team that is trailing at halftime can come out for the second half hopeful that adjustments they’ve made will work in their favor.

 

In a similar way, life often has two halves. For lots of folks, especially men, the first half of their lives is primarily about success. Establishing a career, climbing the corporate ladder, increasing the income, gaining recognition and a solid reputation in whatever vocation they choose. Status, prestige, affluence, power. These all can be intoxicating motivators for one’s early and middle adult years.

 

However, there often comes a time when the goals and targets we’ve set have either been achieved or lose their luster. Some start to relate to the refrain from the old Peggy Lee song, “Is that all there is?” I’ve heard many executives and entrepreneurs speak about “climbing the ladder of success, only to discover it was leaning against the wrong wall.”

 

What happens then? Many a wise person has recognized that success is fleeting. King Solomon of Israel, who wrote all or part of several books in the Bible, was acclaimed for his wisdom as well as the grandeur of his kingdom and the vast wealth he had accumulated. Yet, nearing the end of his life, he cynically concluded much of what he had accomplished was futile.

 

Solomon wrote, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11).

 

Tell us how you really feel, King Sol! Just verses later he added, “So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun is grievous to me…. I hated all the things I had done under the sun because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 2:17-19).

 

Thanks for the encouraging words, right? Well, if success isn’t all it’s supposed to be, what are we to do? This is where our ‘second half’ comes in. Rather than continuing the quest for success in whatever work God has entrusted us to perform, we can shift our focus to significance.

 

Reading Solomon’s dire musings in Ecclesiastes, it’s clear he was reflecting on the temporary nature of life. Outstanding careers and grand enterprises are built and then come to an end. This year’s star player will soon be replaced by someone else. Great companies of decades ago either disappear entirely, are absorbed by other corporations, or undergo major restructuring, often bearing little resemblance to what they once were. 

 

Unlike success, significance is something that endures long after our earthly lives have ended. This is one reason the term “legacy” has gained popularity. In fact, for years I worked for a non-profit called Leaders Legacy in which our goal was to touch lives for Jesus Christ through a unique strategy of leadership development, mentoring, coaching and team building. Ironically, Leaders Legacy no longer exists as an entity, but its impact is continuing through the lives of men, women and families it touched.

 

Okay, if success isn’t the be-all-end-all, then how do we achieve significance in the second half of our lives? This isn’t easy to answer because it’s not one-size-fits-all. But it involves using the gifts, talents and experience God has given us and passing those along to people He brings into our lives. For one person this might mean volunteering in an area of interest. It might mean mentoring someone, a younger adult or child. In serving as a spiritual mentor or disciple-maker, the age of the person doesn’t matter – what does matter is their desire to grow in their faith and understanding of how to live it out practically.

 

Once their children have grown, many people shift into the role of nurturing grandparents, again investing their wisdom and experience into the next generation. Some folks, having gone as far as they could in their careers or upon retiring, decide to pursue an avocation or passion they never had time to cultivate, something that can influence others in a positive way. This could range from coaching a youth sports team to working in a local food bank to teaching a continuing education class.

 

The apostle Paul understood this idea, what some people term “paying it forward.” Writing to his protégé Timothy, the apostle exhorted, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). That single verse represents four generations of believers, and I’m certain the spiritual genealogy of many people today traces  back to Paul and Timothy.

 

Years ago, a good friend, among many individuals who made meaningful investments into my own life spiritually, showed me an Old Testament verse that refers to benefits gained – including significance – that come from giving out of our lives to others. In Isaiah 43:4 God declares, “Since you are precious and honored in My sight and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life” (Isaiah 43:4).

Imagine you’re a football team that has just returned to the field from halftime, trailing by a few points. You’ve assessed what happened in the first half. The question you must answer now is, “What will your second half look like?” 

When You’re Wondering, ‘Is That All There Is?’

Years ago, Peggy Lee recorded a haunting tune, “Is That All There Is?” Written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in the 1960s, it wasn’t one of those upbeat, feel-good songs. Not the kind that keeps us humming during the day with a smile on our face. Basically, the tune puts a story of disillusionment to music.

“Is That All There Is” tells about a little girl’s disappointments: She witnesses her family home go up in flames. At the age of 12 she enjoys a circus, but afterward experiences a feeling of emptiness. The girl grows up to be a woman and falls in love, but eventually that love is lost. 

 

After each loss or disappointment, the song repeats the refrain, “Is that all there is, is that all there is? If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing. Let’s break out the booze and have a ball, if that’s all there is.” In other words, when life lets you down, focus on the distractions of the present moment.

 

This is hardly a new perspective. King Solomon of Israel expressed similar sentiments more profoundly thousands of years ago. Describing his life, the king honestly wrote, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure…. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11). Other translations express it, “vanity, all is vanity” or “everything is futile.” Solomon might as well have been singing, “Is that all there is?”

 

Chris Simpson speaking at 
the annual Chattanooga
Leadership Prayer Breakfast.

At the recent Chattanooga Area Leadership Prayer Breakfast, speaker Chris Simpson shared his life story, recounting how he had risen from a family of modest means to achieve great success in college, the military, and then in the U.S. Secret Service, serving under seven different Presidents. Any casual observer would have concluded, ‘That guy has it made!’ And outwardly, Simpson certainly did. 

Except inwardly, he too was wondering, ‘Is that all there is?’ Like King Solomon, as Simpson appraised his many accomplishments, terms like meaningless, vanity, and futility must have been marching through his mind. That all changed, he explained, when he decided to stop chasing after worldly success and recognition, choosing to follow Jesus Christ instead.

 

Over the years I’ve met and interviewed dozens of high achievers like Simpson, people who had devoted their lives to climbing the proverbial “ladder of success,” only to discover it was leaning against the wrong wall. Great amounts of time, energy and talent invested, and for what? Only when they experienced life-changing encounters with Christ did life take on true meaning.

 

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon did not remain stuck in a dismal tale of woe and dissatisfaction. He learned that in the midst of this transitory life, he could experience fulfillment in a relationship with God. He observed, “Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him – for this is his lot” (Ecclesiastes 5:18).

 

And the king closed with this declaration: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

 

Today, Chris Simpson appreciates the successes he attained, but has a new mission. Instead of serving Presidents he’s representing the King of kings, living out 2 Corinthians 5:20 which says, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

 

As president of CBMC International, Simpson travels the world, meeting with business and professional people and telling them his story. He has gone from emptiness to fulness, discovering the truth of Christ’s promise, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). 

 

This assurance is available to us all, no matter where we find ourselves in life. When we reach the point of asking, “Is that all there is?” Jesus is waiting to fulfill His promise, as another translation states it, “that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Today: The Gift That Gives More Than We Imagine

 I don’t know who originated it, but some punster came up with the observation, “Every new day is a gift. That’s why they call it the present.” But when we’re young, and healthy, it’s easy to take each new day for granted. We make plans weeks, months, even years in advance, with utmost confidence those plans will be fully realized.

However, as we get older – especially after encountering health setbacks, or simply the reality that our bodies are aging – we discover tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. This teaches many of us to appreciate the dawn of another day, the chance to arise from a night’s sleep and eagerly face the opportunities and challenges of the next 24 hours.

 

In recent months, two of my friends have undergone open-heart surgery. Now they’re engaged in cardiac rehab programs to help them to resume their active lifestyles. Other friends have confronted various forms of cancer. Then there are coronavirus survivors. Each of these now understands, more clearly than ever, that each new day is truly a gift. We couldn’t earn or deserve it. We just received it.

 

The question becomes, what do we do with that gift? How do we use it? Should we try to squeeze every ounce of sensory experience out of each day? Go skydiving, or hang gliding? Ride the fastest, steepest rollercoaster we can find? Travel to exotic locales? Spend our money on the glitzy “stuff” we’ve seen advertised? “Grab the gusto,” as the old commercial slogan used to tell us?

 

We find two very different perspectives in the Bible. The book of Ecclesiastes, which most scholars believe was written by King Solomon, offers a fairly pessimistic view. For instance, the king admitted:

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure…. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11).

 

Bummer! He was the richest man in the world, at least for his time, yet experienced frustration and futility in pursuing any and all tangible things and experiences the world could offer. Solomon discussed this throughout the book, but ultimately arrived at one conclusion: “Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him – for this is his lot” (Ecclesiastes 5:18).

 

In the New Testament, however, we find a more optimistic outlook, one that focuses on eternity rather than this temporary world in which we exist. 

 

Jesus exhorts His followers, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in an steal” (Matthew 6:19). If we stop there, He seems in agreement with Solomon. The things that catch our eye, the earthly treasures we work so hard to acquire, slip away. We don’t see hearses pulling U-Haul trailers.

 

But then Jesus offers an option, explaining there is a way of investing for our long-term future: “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20-21).

 

We might respond, “This sounds good. But how do we do it?”

 

Jesus gave us a good starting point in responding to the question from a Jewish religious leader, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Without hesitation, He replied, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:36-37).

 

Loving others, God first, and then our “neighbors” – whomever the Lord brings into our lives – is a key to a meaningful, rewarding life and one way to ensure we don’t squander the gift of each new day. Ted DeMoss, whom I had the privilege of working with from 1981 to his passing in 1997, used to say that when all is said and done, only two things will remain: “the Word of God and people.” 

 

Jim Elliot, a missionary who lost his life in 1956 while participating in Operation Auca, attempting to evangelize the Huaorani peoplein Ecuador, made a similar observation: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” He also said, “Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”

 

I hope you woke up this morning fully realizing you had received a true gift – the gift of a new day. So yes, by all means, grab the gusto. Go for it! But in so doing, grab the gusto for God and His people.

How Can Happiness Be Such Hard Work?

Bowling is just one of many diversions we use in search of happiness.

“If our condition were truly happy, we would not seek diversion from it in order to make ourselves happy.”

Who do you suppose said this? Steve Jobs or Bill Gates? Walt Disney? The Kardashians? Not even close. It was French mathematician, scientist, inventor, philosopher and writer Blaise Pascal – and he wrote it in the mid-1600’s. More than 350 years ago – how can that be? They didn’t have cable TV (or even regular TV), smartphone apps, social media, PlayStation or Xbox, adult coloring books, virtual reality goggles, fantasy football – or fidget spinners. What could Pascal or folks back then have known about diversion?

Apparently, the notion that the path to happiness requires escaping the realities and pressures of daily life isn’t new. People were trying to find diversions back in the 17^th century, even though they lacked the high-tech gizmos that hold our fascination today. They were taking vacations, pursuing pleasure in various forms, playing games, and cultivating hobbies. But even then, it seems, happiness was elusive.   

Throughout history, mankind has explored every means possible for becoming happy. Who knew achieving happiness would be such a laborious endeavor? Even King Solomon, called the wisest man in history, understood this. The pages of the book of Ecclesiastes are filled with his conclusions about the futility of seeking happiness through things or experiences.

Even in the first chapter, Solomon didn’t leave his readers in suspense. “’Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless’” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Don’t you wish the king had expressed how he really felt?

He writes about the pursuits and diversions he attempted in his quest for meaning – and happiness. “I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven…. I thought in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’ But that also proved to be meaningless. ‘Laughter,’ I said, ‘is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?’ I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly – my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives” (Ecclesiastes 1:13-2:3).

Solomon tells about undertaking challenging projects – building great houses and planting fabulous vineyards, gardens and parks. He worked hard and recorded achievements beyond imagining. You name it, he tried it. There’s not a single diversion he didn’t consider.

It would be worthwhile for you to read Ecclesiastes and the wise king’s observations in their entirety. But – spoiler alert! – here’s how he summarized his pursuit of happiness: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Diversions, Solomon seemed to be saying, may take up time and distract our minds for a while, but ultimately, they steer us away from our purpose, the primary reason we’re here. God created us for us to serve Him, not for Him to serve us.

As Psalm 1:1-2 counsels us, “Blessed (happy) is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Does this mean God is opposed to fun, or uproarious moments that leave us grinning ear to ear? Not at all. If we read the Scriptures with open minds, Old Testaments and New, we find the Lord finds much to amuse Him about the human condition. But as Jesus taught repeatedly, happiness isn’t found in stuff, no matter how much of it you have. It’s not found in status. It’s not even found in human relationships, even though they can provide many happy moments.

Ultimately, true happiness – and joy – are found only in a genuine, growing relationship with the God of all eternity, who desires that it be a relationship that lasts forever.

I like how Corine Gatti, a reporter at Beliefnet, expressed it recently: “Yes, happiness is overrated, depending on the prism you choose to view it through. By digging deeper, we can find the happiness that is not just a pretty word, but an eternal reality.”