# Is retirement a godly thing to work towards?



## Constantlyreforming (Mar 30, 2012)

Just curious on your thoughts. I'm becoming more and more pessimistic regarding any sort of retirement being something a Christian should consider.

thoughts?

Yes, this is meant to be a controversial topic.


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## Scott1 (Mar 30, 2012)

There are many biblical principles at work in answering a broad question like this.

Our culture is pretty much out of sync with biblical precepts in this area. 

Savings based on seasons of life is a biblical principle, as is living within one's means at every stage. 

Working for a compact period, disliking the work God has given us to do, the discipline connected with it, etc., presuming upon our employers, etc. then quitting to go "have fun" for the rest of your days, and expecting to be paid or supported doing it is not.

Those who set their expectations on this are basing their life on worldliness, and setting them up for bitter disappointment.

Other than Levites being required to retire at age 50 serving in the Temple, there is no real example of our current expectations of retirement among God's people in Scripture.

Savings yes, planning in advance for contingencies, lesser workload abilities, etc. yes.

In a sense, the sabbath is part of the plan, perhaps sabbatical years (every 6 or 7 years), but not stopping doing gainful work.


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## Constantlyreforming (Mar 30, 2012)

For instance, should one retire at 55 if they have enough money to sustain themselves and their spouse?

6 days you shall do your labor, but the 7th day is GOd's. Where are the directions for the one who rests from work all 7 days?


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## Miss Marple (Mar 30, 2012)

You can work at other things. If you retire at 55 you may pursue many other callings and interests.

As long as you aren't "eating the bread of idleness" it seems fine to me.


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## Philip (Mar 30, 2012)

I would say there's nothing wrong with retiring from paid work in order to serve the church full-time.


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## Scott1 (Mar 30, 2012)

Constantlyreforming said:


> For instance, should one retire at 55 if they have enough money to sustain themselves and their spouse?
> 
> 6 days you shall do your labor, but the 7th day is GOd's. Where are the directions for the one who rests from work all 7 days?



55 is not an age related to anything, even by analogy in Scripture. It is a (postmodern) invention.

The biblical principle would include considering if life is all about having enough to support oneself and one's spouse as the end game. What about other things God would have you do with more?

Are there any needy in the family?

Any needs outside the family?

Would God have one engage in productive work at age 56? Maybe even hire the poor?

It would not be normal for an able body person to rest from work 7 days a week. Remember, the often neglected first part of the fourth commandment is work six days.


> Exodus 20
> 9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:


So having high aspiration in life to get out of productive gainful work 7 days is not really biblical.

And that's part of the problem, there is a cultural expectation it is, and it is influencing God's people.


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## Peairtach (Mar 30, 2012)

If you're fit and well in your retirement, you should use it for God's glory in whateveer way you can.

Some people are clapped-out by the time they retire.


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## Scott1 (Mar 30, 2012)

Philip said:


> I would say there's nothing wrong with retiring from paid work in order to serve the church full-time.



If that is God's plan for you (and your family).

It would especially be a blessing if the person had saved enough to serve on the mission field self-funded. (That would be gainful work, and a double blessing).


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## Rich Koster (Mar 30, 2012)

The Levites were to retire from doing certain services at age 50. See Numbers 4, 8 23-26. Retirement is not necessarily a bad thing. Retirement with a goal of idleness is.


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## Constantlyreforming (Mar 30, 2012)

interesting and great responses so far. Thanks for your insight....all of you. I think this is a good interesting and not often thought of discussion.


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## Scott1 (Mar 30, 2012)

You may find materials by the late Larry Burkett helpful in understanding this topic.

Although I have not read it, the last book he wrote was _Preparing for Retirement_.
http://www.amazon.com/Preparing-Retirement-Larry-Burkett/dp/0802463835



Many of his earlier books, including _Debt Free Living_, the _Financial Planning Workshop_, and the basic Bible study, _How to Manage Your Money,_ all address this topic within the context of a Christian view of life.

The topic really can't be assessed for the believer outside of total life stewardship, obedience, and faith.


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## Bill The Baptist (Mar 30, 2012)

This is an interesting discussion, but thanks to our current government, few of us who are younger than 40 will ever be able to retire anyway.


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## christiana (Mar 30, 2012)

Retirement has been a wonderful time of my life! Riding home my last day of work an an R.N. I told our Lord that the rest of my days would be spent getting to know Him and His word better and to live each day in a way that would please Him. I believe there is a special place and chapter in life for the retired but it must be used wisely and to His glory! I retired the same year my husband died and have lived independently since then. My five children live within a few miles of me but none attend the church I do and only one is a calvinist. I am so grateful to our Lord for this past 16 yrs of retirement and for all I been able to read and study on reformed theology and the puritans! Soli deo gloria!


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## O'GodHowGreatThouArt (Mar 30, 2012)

Rich Koster said:


> The Levites were to retire from doing certain services at age 50. See Numbers 4, 8 23-26. Retirement is not necessarily a bad thing. Retirement with a goal of idleness is.



Unfortunately that is the goal (whether primary or secondary) for most in this society. They want to not have to work again when they hit retirement age.

As others said before, retirement isn't a bad thing. Some places, like the military, mandate it at a certain age. Other times it's better for you to leave if you're unable to perform your duties like you used to. But merely stopping altogether and spending all your time at home doing little if any work isn't what God had in mind for those who are still capable of doing some form of work.


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## Rich Koster (Mar 30, 2012)

O'GodHowGreatThouArt said:


> Rich Koster said:
> 
> 
> > The Levites were to retire from doing certain services at age 50. See Numbers 4, 8 23-26. Retirement is not necessarily a bad thing. Retirement with a goal of idleness is.
> ...



There is another bigger problem of wanting to ride the gov't doll from cradle to grave, but that's another thread for another day. I would like to retire when I have enough saved or residual income, to cover my cost of living overhead. I'd like to get a place big enough for growing our own food items and having some chickens, goats and maybe some sheep. I really don't plan on "retiring", just ditching the timeclock and working on our own land, with my wife. Who knows, I may spend more time "working" than I do now, but it will be at a pleasant pace and I will be able to enjoy it.


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## py3ak (Mar 30, 2012)

christiana said:


> Retirement has been a wonderful time of my life! Riding home my last day of work an an R.N. I told our Lord that the rest of my days would be spent getting to know Him and His word better and to live each day in a way that would please Him. I believe there is a special place and chapter in life for the retired but it must be used wisely and to His glory! I retired the same year my husband died and have lived independently since then. My five children live within a few miles of me but none attend the church I do and only one is a calvinist. I am so grateful to our Lord for this past 16 yrs of retirement and for all I been able to read and study on reformed theology and the puritans! Soli deo gloria!



Nancy, what a blessing it is that after circumstances required you to be Martha for years on end, that the Lord gave you a space in which it was possible to be Mary! I think it would be a tremendous boon to our churches if more retirees used the extra time they had disposable for reading and contemplation.


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## J. Dean (Mar 30, 2012)

Rich Koster said:


> The Levites were to retire from doing certain services at age 50. See Numbers 4, 8 23-26. Retirement is not necessarily a bad thing. Retirement with a goal of idleness is.



Yep. We can retire from our full time profession without retiring period. My mom is retired, but she's still busy. She does have more leisure time (and we all need to be VERY careful to not label leisure as a sin), but she's not sitting around the house doing nothing either.

I look forward to retirement to 1.) spend more time working on my writing, 2.) hopefully spend some time with some missionary assistance (my wife's uncle did this, going down to Haiti every winter for four to six months helping with church maintenance and construction-related labor, and 3.) _some_ leisure! Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater!


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## SolaSaint (Mar 31, 2012)

Thanks for the OP. I've been contemplating retirement lately. I'm 54 and can retire early at 56. There are a lot of variables that come into play when one actually sits down and thinks about it. We have to think about how it will effect our spouses and children and maybe even our parents if they are in any way dependent upon us. Obviously the American dream of retiremnet as depicted on television and radio isn't a biblical one. I think before we seek voluntary retirement we truly need to seek God's guidance on where he wants us to continue our earthly journey with Him. I agree with all posters who have stated that retirement isn't to be a total abandonment of any work in pursuit of 100% leisure. Thanks again and I hope to see more posts on this subject. Also a big consideration these days is how is our Gov't going to effect our lives. When I do retire I will be receiving 3 checks, all from the Gov't. That scares me, especially since our wonderful leaders have over spent and over borrowed. But there I go not trusting God.


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## Peairtach (Mar 31, 2012)

Constantlyreforming said:


> For instance, should one retire at 55 if they have enough money to sustain themselves and their spouse?
> 
> 6 days you shall do your labor, but the 7th day is GOd's. Where are the directions for the one who rests from work all 7 days?



The Fourth Commandment isn't instructing us to work 24 hours a day, 6 days a week. It instructs us to set aside 1 day in 7 for worship and rest. 

The other 6 days are for worship, rest, work and play. 

Clearly God's Word also teaches us to earn a living, use our time wisely and not be lazy, but that is not incompatible with retirement.

A person who can afford to retire has earned it by working for it, or through paying taxes towards the state pension.


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## Zach (Mar 31, 2012)

From both a biblical and experiential perspective for one to retire they have to retire _to_ some kind of work rather than from their current work. My Great-Grandfather is 100 years old and still goes into the office everyday and he has said he is convinced he would have "rusted away" had he not committed to doing that. The kind of work people retire to will of course be very different, but it's unbiblical and unhealthy to plan on having 20-30 years of play.


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## deleteduser99 (Mar 31, 2012)

A.W. Pink stated that he wanted to be found at his post when he died, and he was. One pastor friend of mine is in his late seventies yet when I met him was a vibrant individual, and he's a man who keeps very busy. When you see men work like this it's impossible to justify an inactive retirement.


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## Philip (Mar 31, 2012)

Harley said:


> When you see men work like this it's impossible to justify an inactive retirement.



No it's not, actually. I know several who have had to become less active for reasons of health.


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## Rich Koster (Mar 31, 2012)

Philip said:


> Harley said:
> 
> 
> > When you see men work like this it's impossible to justify an inactive retirement.
> ...



Disability is different than idleness. I am close to being forced out of my job due to licensing requirements. Does that mean I get to do nothing if I get forced out? No. It means that I move on to something else of a different nature.


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## Spengler (Mar 31, 2012)

Bill The Baptist said:


> This is an interesting discussion, but thanks to our current government, few of us who are younger than 40 will ever be able to retire anyway.


Count me in that group, although slightly older than 40. I'm nt sure how soon it will be before I outgrow my usefulness.


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## Scott1 (Mar 31, 2012)

And remember the Puritan adage:
"Idle hands are the tools of the devil..."


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## J. Dean (Mar 31, 2012)

Scott1 said:


> And remember the Puritan adage:
> "Idle hands are the tools of the devil..."



I agree completely, but I would also caution that overwork can become a distraction from God and a road to an early grave. I've seen people work themselves to death, am seeing it with somebody I know right now.


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## deleteduser99 (Mar 31, 2012)

Philip said:


> Harley said:
> 
> 
> > When you see men work like this it's impossible to justify an inactive retirement.
> ...



I probably worded that wrong, I meant idleness.


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## Organgrinder (Apr 11, 2012)

My retirement is about 4 and half years away. I've always heard about folks getting involved with church work and missions. I hope that is more than just riding a church van to a mall or going to some country gospel thing with the other old people. 

My real question is: What do I do with 35 years of disobedience and being a nominal believer? The idea of having God use me for anything is really beyond my comprehension. Truly I'm a bit nervous about my sedentary christian life staying that way into retirement. I have my organ gig as long as I want it but I'd give it up tomorrow to be in Reformed and confessional worship. 

Most of my christian has been in non-Reformed SBC churches where very few retired seem to do anything. I embraced the Reformed faith in 2011 and I am interested in the OPC.


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## kvanlaan (Apr 13, 2012)

Wasn't retirement when things really got interesting, way back when? That is, didn't you give up your 'day job' and 'retire' to the city gates with the other elders if you were considered wise, etc.? That sort of puts your second career head and shoulders above the first, no? Seems like a meaningful retirement to me.


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## Curt (Apr 14, 2012)

When I was 66 I retired from full-time pastoral ministry. Then I moved to Prague to carry on the work of Lifework Forum. The plan was to labor a little less but remain very active in ministry. It hasn't worked out that way. We're just as busy as before.

I think this may be the sort of thing God had in mind when laying down the rules for Levite retirement.

---------- Post added at 03:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:40 PM ----------

When I was 66 I retired from full-time pastoral ministry. Then I moved to Prague to carry on the work of Lifework Forum. The plan was to labor a little less but remain very active in ministry. It hasn't worked out that way. We're just as busy as before.

I think this may be the sort of thing God had in mind when laying down the rules for Levite retirement.


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## Wretch67 (Apr 15, 2012)

Luke 12:15-21

Today is all we are promised, brother.


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