Anonymous Asks (352)

“How should Christians view retirement?”

There is a little bar on a major street near where I used to live. It’s owned by a Greek fellow who makes what I think is the best (and by far the cheapest) souvlaki dinner in the neighborhood. I have eaten there enough times to lose count. From about 3:30 p.m. onward, up to a dozen retired white men occupy most of its barstools, some of whom I became friendly with over the years. A trip to the bar gets them out of the house and gives their wives a break. They drain their pints with care, milking out of them as much socialization and conversation as possible for their dollar, then head home in time for dinner.

Most don’t wobble when they leave, but two of them passed away in the last twelve months.

From Barstool to Beach

Not all lives peter out on a barstool. A former co-worker is more ambitious than my senior male acquaintances. She worked like ten men most of her life, making millions along the way through shrewd investing. The goal is Hawaii, last I heard, where she hopes to enjoy a final few years of sun, tranquility, travel and self-improvement. Unfortunately, though she has now reached the normal time for retirement, her Roman Catholic conscience compels her to care for her aging mother in a small, northern town the old lady refuses to leave. Instead of beaches and sun, she regularly gets ice storms and temperatures in the -30s, along with her daily dose of headstrong octogenarian ingratitude. You know what they say about the best-laid plans …

Those are two extremes. Neither sort of retirement should appeal to most Christians, even if we were able to pull off the Hawaii plan successfully. We have better things to do than pass the day or merely live to amuse ourselves. If we don’t, we are not doing Christianity right.

Created for Good Works

Our Savior did not live, suffer, bleed and die so I could lie on a beach in my declining years or shuffle my way around the nice house with which I rewarded myself for a successful business career. He did not rise from the dead in order that I might finally figure out whether I prefer craft beer to the occasional shot of Irish whiskey as I wind my lethargic way to the Father’s house for eternity. He did not sit down at the right hand of God so that I could travel the world or write the definitive autobiography. As Paul put it to Titus, he “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works”. Again, he writes, “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” One more? Sure. “All scripture is breathed out by God … that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

All together now: Why did the Lord Jesus leave us here instead of taking us home with him? Well, good works are a big, big part of it, and almost anything else you might suggest as his primary reason could probably also be characterized as a good work, no?

Laying Down the Shovel

A man may retire from business, entrepreneurial endeavors, work in government, education or law enforcement. A doctor may lay down his scalpel, and most laborers lay down their shovels early these days: their backs don’t hold up. But when, I ask you, should a Christian “retire” from his good works? The question answers itself with a resounding “Never!”

Missionaries come home from the mission field when their bodies or minds are too beat up to do the work anymore, or when circumstances and the Lord lead them to believe they have accomplished what they went for. Is that the end of their good works? Probably not. My own father never really retired in the sense that most people do. Sure, he gave up platform ministry when he was no longer able to do it, well into his eighties. Sure, he gave up visitation and hospitality when his mobility declined, and he and Mom were no longer up to preparing meals and caring for guests. But he never gave up looking for every opportunity to speak about Christ to his neighbors, even in his nineties when he would sit at the bottom of the driveway in his wheelchair hoping to engage a passer-by. He never gave up praying for others. There was a little room down the end of the hall in the old folk’s home where he spent his last days, and I could wheel him in there to pray together. His eyes would sparkle at the prospect.

What the Lord Will Do Next

Most importantly, he never thought of himself as no longer part of his local church just because he was too infirm to attend the meetings. When we spoke about God’s people down the road, it was always “we”, not “they”. He was always far more interested in what the Lord was about to do next than in reminiscing about the past.

How should Christians view retirement? If we are honest, we will admit that as we age we will inevitably do less notwithstanding our best efforts, and that we may have to learn to minister in different ways than in our youth. But quit early to sit on a barstool or a beach? Not a chance. Not when there is still eternal reward to be gained and the prospect of finishing well.