Retirement - Say What??!!

I am a Baby Boomer. Since I was born between 1946 and 1964, I get that distinguished title. I don’t know how distinguished the title is since I share it with 75 million other Americans. But get ready because beginning January 1^st this year approximately 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65 each day for the next 19 years. That is a lot of “Boomers” retiring.

Boomers have dealt with a lot of issues over the last 50 years. We dealt with the Vietnam war, an assassinated President, Watergate, the Cold War, the introduction of email, texting, Woodstock and the Beatles. But of all the major issues, none is scarier than dealing with retirement.

Just like the host of other subjects we have covered in this blog, I believe the Bible gives us guidance on how a Christian should view retirement. The strongest counsel from God’s Word about ceasing all labor to pursue a life filled with leisure is the fact that nothing good is said about it. Read Proverbs and try to find a verse that encourages living a life of leisure. The closest word that I see in Proverbs to this type of lifestyle is “sluggard”.

The only place retirement is mentioned in the Bible is Numbers 8:24-26. This applies specifically to the Levites working in the tabernacle. Even in this reference retirement does not mean to cease from work, it means changing responsibilities.

Based on the absence of a direct reference to retirement and consistent call to be productive in both the Old and New Testament, I believe there is no scriptural basis for retiring to a life of leisure. Remember Moses, he was 80 years old when he began his 40-year adventure of leading the children of Israel.

The Bible implies that the type or intensity of work may change as we grow older. But even though we may retire from our vocation (even “full-time” Christian ministry), we should never retire from serving the Lord. Luke 2:25-38 is a good example of two elderly people who continue to serve the Lord faithfully.

Retirement years should not be spent solely in the pursuit of pleasure. Paul says that the widow who lives for pleasure is dead while she yet lives (1Timothy 5:6). As followers of Jesus Christ we are on the earth for a much higher purpose than earning money or pursuing pleasure. We are here for the purpose of Glorifying God and fulfilling the Great Commission.

We do have a responsibility to provide financially for our families needs (1Timothy 5:8). But someday, if we have been good stewards of the resources God has blessed us with; we will find ourselves in a position where we have fulfilled all of our earthly financial obligations.

At this point we have the privilege of devoting 100% of our energy and resources to fulfilling the Great Commission. Maybe this means serving in a foreign country as a missionary, or serving in your local church or in a ministry like Keswick as so many wonderful volunteers do. Maybe it means continuing in your career or trade and instead of giving 10% to the Lord’s work you contribute 100% of your income.

So how should those 10,000 Baby Boomers that turned 65 today view retirement? If they are Christians, certainly not with the anticipation of an empty pursuit of pleasure, but rather the excited opportunity to fulfill the Psalmist's prayer in Psalm 71:18. "Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation..."