Retiring Early?

I am a frugal person but my good friend may not agree with me because he thinks I drive a nice car. In fact, one walks by faith and not by sight. God adds wealth without sorrows as I bought my car three years ago with my EPF. The office was going to be closed for those without full doses of vaccination, so I thought I better take my money out. I regret it not a moment. I have been enjoying life and a car is just a vehicle of transport but since we spent many hours a week in a car, a good car is almost an essential in Sabah. There is no reliable public transport here in Kota Kinabalu. I am not afraid to retire early because I do not think I have worked a day in my life. I love serving God. I love serving in a full-time capacity, whether I am paid for my services or not. For 18 months, I lived on my savings with no fixed income, writing two books in the process that have become a blessing to many.

I might not write another book, though there are at two books I want to write, the second volume on John13-21 and the book of Revelation. I don't need much to survive day by day. I have little savings, but praise God that I am not in a situation with no savings that I needed to work for an income. For the first 45 years of my life until I went to Singapore, I lived from month to month. If I don't have income for three months I would be in trouble. Even in the first few months when I was in Singapore, I had nothing. I was literally penniless when I arrived in Singapore at the age of 44 years old after 14 years in Christian service. I sold my car in Sabah to make sure my son in Dunedin could survive for at least a few more months. 

Even after returning to Sabah, I served the Church on an income that I could hardly make ends meet. It is a labour of love and work of faith, my 23 years in Sidang Injil Borneo, the Borneo Evangelical Church. Only from July last year, I received an income that I could live on, even that because I had fully paid up on my house and cars. If not, it would be a struggle. Now I am coming to the great retirement question. As a priest, one retires from active service at 50. I have gone past that for one decade. By God's grace, I have done well. I will live now 5 years at a time; a few months back I thought I could plan for every decade. But now I think otherwise. I will take it five years at a time until the Lord calls me home or He returns in glory to take me with Him.