Life Transitions

The Book of Acts in the Bible is a pivotal transition. Jesus, having ascended to be with the Father, has left the disciples with a divine helper, The Holy Ghost. This transition transforms the disciples into apostles. Max Lucado, in his Encouraging Word Bible, expresses it in this manner, referring to the apostles:

They aren’t the same men. Oh, I know they look like it. They have the same names. The same faces. The same mannerisms. They look the same. But they aren’t. On the surface, they appear no different. Peter is still brazened. Nathanael is still reflective. Phillip is still calculating (Lucado, 2020)

After Jesus' departure, the apostles, no longer under His direct guidance, are not left to fend for themselves. Instead, they are empowered to step up as leaders. This transformation is not just a change in their roles but a profound testament to their potential. It serves as a powerful inspiration for us, reminding us that in times of transition, we, too, have the potential to step up and lead, to embrace change as a catalyst for growth and new opportunities. This potential for personal growth and transformation is particularly relevant in retirement, a significant life transition that can be a gateway to a new and fulfilling chapter of life.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen (Mathew 28:19-20, NKJV).

As we journey through life, we will inevitably encounter various transitions. One of the most significant and potentially challenging is the widely known “Retirement Dilemma.” Dr. Riley Moynes, in his enlightening TedX talk, delves into the four distinct phases of retirement. His book, The Four Phases of Retirement: What to Expect When You’re Retiring, further explores these phases in more detail. The first phase, the vacation phase, is a time of liberation and self-discovery. However, this phase is relatively short-lived, lasting about a year before the second phase, or boredom sets in. In the second phase, we question if this is all there is to retirement. Fear, anxiety, and depression may take hold. Phase three is a period of exploration and adaptation. We ponder: How can I make my life meaningful again? In phase three, we will experiment with ideas for contributing to the world again. Not everyone progresses to phase four, but those who do find a renewed sense of happiness and purpose, offering a hopeful perspective on the potential for personal growth and transformation in retirement (Moynes, 2016)

In 1969, a group of visionary entrepreneurs convened in Chicago and birthed the retirement planning industry. This group later established the College of Financial Planning in 1972. In 1974, Congress passed the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to bolster employees' retirement, particularly considering that smaller employers could not provide pension programs. This legislation provided for implementing the Individual Retirement Account (IRA), which offers an alternative to Social Security. Interestingly, the rise of the financial service industry also coincided with introducing another new pension program, the defined contribution plan (401k). Employers hastened to transition from the cumbersome defined benefits plan to the more manageable defined contribution plans. Now, employers are no longer solely responsible for providing retired employees with a pension for life. Instead, they can contribute a small percentage of employees' income, say 3%, towards their retirement plans. A significant shift in the retirement landscape, indeed!

There is only one mention in the Bible about retirement. You will find it in Numbers 8:23-26.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “This is what pertains to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting; and at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more. They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.”

You will notice the phrase “minister.” This implies that the older Levites may still counsel and educate their younger counterparts. This raises the question: Is there such a thing as retirement? We can assume God wants us to continue working in some capacity if we are physically and mentally capable. Remember, God spoke these words to Adam in the Garden of Eden.

Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it (Genesis 2:15, NKJV).

The term “retirement” was foreign before the twentieth century. It became a popular slogan after the Social Security Act of 1935. Today, the term “retirement” is a popularly accepted norm in our society. The government and the financial service industry promote retirement planning as a serious financial concern for all Americans. However, the greatest issue facing seniors today is the false ideology which states you must retire (House, 2022).

Financial planning is not the culprit—it is believing that retirement is the end of all life. The world is the offender, bombarding us with meaningless jargon to comfort us as they send us to pasture. Financial planning is necessary to move us to financial independence, protect our loved ones, or build an estate to carry on our legacy.

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? (Luke 14: 28-30, NKJV)

It is essential to understand that work does not define who we are but gives us a purpose vital to God’s plan. In contrast, scripture rebukes idleness and sloth and affirms that work has genuine value.

He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. (Proverbs 10:4 NKJV).

Wealth accumulation is a byproduct of work, but it is not the objective of work. Our income is a gift from God. Accordingly, all work is honorable—including manual and mental work. Likewise, work should be accompanied by a sense of calling as part of God’s created order for humanity (Blue, 2016)

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV).

Neither leisure nor retirement from kingdom activity is part of God’s plan. It is important to maintain a healthy balance in your life. There should be a rhythm between work and leisure activities to enjoy periods of refreshment, renewal, restoration, and relationships. Our mission in Christ is to spread the Gospel of Jesus and be a light in a darkened world. Our work embeds a natural environment where we can exhibit kingdom values and hope to others (Blue. 2016).

Do we have a financial responsibility to prepare for retirement, or can we move from one life phase to another without the stress of believing we must conform to some aristocratic meme telling us we must set aside a pot of gold for later years when we become useless to society? (House, 2022)

We balance our time between several activities, such as family, church, world, government, and work. God should be at the center of our lives. Life priorities are not sequential but simultaneous; however, they can rotate their relative importance depending on our current circumstances.

A recent study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, funded by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), showed that if you delay your retirement by one year, you increase your longevity by 11%. This study concluded that early retirement was associated with increased mortality risk. Contrarily, a prolonged working life has increased survival benefits (Wu et al., 2016).

The Bible supports saving and investing. Proverbs 21:20 states that it is wise to save.

There is desirable treasure, And oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man squanders it (Proverbs 21:20, NKJV).

However, when savings become an obsession, our love turns away from God to money, which should concern us. We often forget our inheritance is in Heaven, not here on earth. One day, God will hold us accountable for how we managed the blessings He gave us. We are to be good stewards of all God blesses us with—including money. If God blesses us with an overabundance, we should be more generous by blessing others—not fixating on wanting more. We find guidance from the Bible in “The Parable of the Rich Fool.”

Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Then, He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12 13-21, NKJV).

The ideas expressed here will cast doubt on the worldly assumption that retirement is mandatory. We may slow down as we age, but if we have breath here on earth, God has more work for us to accomplish. The type of work may change over time, but instead of stressing about retiring, we should focus more on the work that lies before us, along with our walk with Christ.

Your faithful servant.

References

Blue, R. (2016). Master your money: A step-by-step plan for experiencing financial contentment. Moody Publishers.

House, G. L. (2022). Investing in a secular world; discovering biblical truths about money. Christian Faith Publishing.

Lucado, M. (2020). The old encouraging word bible. Thomas Nelson Incorporated.

Moynes, R. E. (2016). The four phases of retirement: What to expect when you’re retiring. Coach Press.

The Holy Bible: NKJV New King James Version. (2016). Nashville, Tennessee: Holman Bible.

Wu, C., Odden, M. C., Fisher, G. G., & Stawski, R. S. (2016). Association of retirement age with mortality: A population-based longitudinal study among older adults in the USA. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 70(9), 917–923. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2015-207097