A study was done by Harvard University on health and longevity. It involved two groups of 100 Harvard graduates between the ages of sixty-five and seventy-five. The first group of university alumni retired at 65 while the other group continued to be employed for another ten years.
The results are warning to those whose purpose in retirement is a life of ease and pleasure. In the first group, those who retired at age sixty-five, seven out of eight were dead at the age of seventy-five. In the second group of 100 men who continued to work, only one out of eight was deceased by age seventy-five.
This study shows that we die sooner when we are not doing anything than when we are busy working or engaged in some kind of employment. And we are given a choice. Should we rather rust out or wear out.
We live longer when we are active, busy and working to accomplish God’s purpose for our lives. The Scriptures say: “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread until you return to dust; for dust you are and unto dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:20. His outline for our lives is that we ought to be working or busily engaged until we are able to or till we go to the grave!
We all go there if time continues and the Lord doesn’t come yet. But there are ways to extend out lives and postpone our appointment with death so we can accomplish more for the Lord and continue to be a blessing to others.