Is Retirement Biblical?

 

The photo above is from our mission trip to Peru in 2019. Retirement has allowed us so many wonderful opportunities to serve the Lord. 

I have had a question going through my mind lately. Is retirement biblical? This is not a conviction of retired people. I am more thinking about retirement from ministry, from sharing the gospel, for sharing what God has done in your life so that another generation will flourish in Christ’s love. 

Stephanie and I retired from teaching six years ago this May. (Stephanie went back to work for insurance reasons, but she is going to do it again in May!) Our goal was to remove any barriers to answering God’s call to ministry, wherever that might be. We traveled the country for three years serving bikers and then settled here in Bluffton to share the gospel in northeast Indiana. The mission is the same as the last six years, we always want to be open to God moving. We want to be sensitive to answering God’s call. 

Our retired friends and family have a wonderful opportunity to serve the Lord. After they have removed the 9-5 routine they have lived for countless years, they can now listen and respond to the call serving the Lord. It is such an amazing opportunity to FINALLY get to be fully committed to the Lord without obstacles and barriers. I pray everyone looks at retirement in that light. They have such an important place serving in their churches, going on mission, acting as mentors, sharing God’s word, and helping the lost come to know the love of Jesus. The options are not limited because the Creator of the Universe is in full control. 

While 2 Thessalonians 3 is not dealing with idle retired people. It did stop to make me think:

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6)

My family has a strong tradition of retired workers. My mom is way past retirement (I won’t share her age!) but she still plays the organ and piano regularly at church and she is a part of women’s ministry and bible studies. My Dad, a pastor, passed away 24 years ago. But, my mom did not stop serving the Lord. My grandfather went to Guatamala on a mission trip at 80 years old and he served as chaplain at his nursing home until he passed away. We might retire from our career jobs, but we never retire from serving the Lord. 

I don’t see any examples of people who retired from the Lord’s service and this scripture doesn’t have an age limit:

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Colossians 3:23)

After six years and Stephanie Re-retiring in May, I am so excited for us, all my retired friends and all retirement friends who are dedicated to the Lord. It is an amazing to have time to serve the Lord and let him fully move your footsteps each day!