Charles Simeon was the pastor of Trinity Church, Cambridge, in the late 1700s. In 1807, after serving for 25 years, his health suddenly deteriorated. He was only 47 years old. His condition necessitated a leave of absence from the ministry. This debilitating health condition lasted almost 13 years, but it passed away almost as suddenly as it had come. He was on a visit to Scotland in 1819 when he testified that as soon as he crossed the border, he found his health amazingly restored “as the woman was after she had touched the hem of the Lord’s garment.”
In his earlier ministry, Charles had promised himself that he would pursue an active life up until age 60, and then enter a Sabbath evening (retirement). Now, he seemed to hear his Master saying, “I laid you aside, because you entertained with satisfaction the thought of resting from your labor; but now you have arrived at the very period when you had promised yourself that satisfaction, and have determined instead to spend your strength for me to the latest hour of your life, I have doubled, trebled, quadrupled your strength, that you may execute your desire on a more extended plan.”[^1]
“How many Christians set their sights on a “Sabbath evening” of life—resting, playing, traveling, etc.—the world’s substitute for heaven since they do not believe that there will be a heaven beyond the grave. The mindset of our peers is that we must reward ourselves for the long years of our labor. When you don’t believe in heaven and are not content in the glory of Christ now, you will seek the kind of retirement the world seeks. But what a strange reward for a Christian to set his sights on! Twenty years of leisure while living amid the Last Days of infinite consequence for millions of people who need Christ. What a tragic way to finish the last mile before entering the presence of the King, who finished his last mile so differently!”[^2]
Many people view retirement as a mythical destination of uninterrupted bliss after a lifetime of burdensome toil. They have worked their whole lives with the dream of disengagement from responsibility, with the corresponding freedom to do, or not do, whatever they wanted. However, Ralph Winter, founder of the US Center for World Missions, wrote the following when he was 60 years old: “Most men don’t die of old age; they die of retirement. I read somewhere that half the men retiring in New York die within two years. Save your life and you’ll lose it. Just like other drugs and other psychological addictions, retirement is a virulent disease, not a blessing. Where in the Bible do they see retirement? Did Moses retire? Did Paul retire? Peter? John? Do military officers retire in the middle of a war?”[^3]
From a biblical perspective, I understand that retirement is deceleration, not disengagement. Advancing age decreases physical strength and stamina. Even a healthy 75-year-old can’t do the same amount of work he did when he was 40. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t do anything productive, nor does it mean he should spend the bulk of his time pursuing pleasure. Consider what Jesus says to His disciples in John 15:16: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” This sounds like the very first blessing and command in the Bible: “Be fruitful and multiply.” Additionally, the Psalmist wrote, “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him,” (Psalm 92:12-15). These Scriptures and others teach us that the plan of God for our lives is fruitfulness that brings glory to Him. Is your retirement goal to have a life that still produces fruit? Will your retirement choices demonstrate that the Lord is your Rock and there is no unrighteousness in Him?
Some argue that retirement is not biblical. I wholeheartedly agree that the contemporary Western concept of retirement is unbiblical. However, God instructed Moses in Numbers 8:25-26 that the Levites were to “retire” from regular service in the Tabernacle at age 50. The offering of the sacrifices and the transportation of the Tabernacle were hard work. After age 50, they could still serve and encourage their brethren, stand guard to prohibit unauthorized persons from entering the Tabernacle, and so on, but were not permitted to do the daily “heavy lifting.”
The world views retirement in the realm of what I want. I’ve paid my dues, I’ve earned the right to do what I want. That is the antithesis of what Christ commands us as His followers. 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 commands us to do everything for the glory of God and the blessing of others. That command fits the analogy of fruit-bearing Jesus used. Carefully ponder the familiar opening verses of John 15. You will discover the progression from bearing fruit, to more fruit, to much fruit. How are those stages attained? First, be attached to the Vine and abide in Him. Second, be willing to allow the Vinedresser to prune away the things He sees that hinder fruitfulness in your life. We’re never too old for this. Finally, His Word must abide in you, that is, take up residence in your heart and mind. If, and when, that happens, you will become focused on God and others more than yourself and your desires.
Back in Psalm 92, the psalmist uses the palm tree as an example of fruitfulness. Since date palms are common in the Middle East, I assume this is what the psalmist pictured. Have you ever considered a palm tree as a symbol of righteousness? Most people probably don’t look at palm trees and think, I need to be more like that! Why this analogy? First, productivity. Date palms are slow-growing trees. It takes from 5 to 8 years before a date palm produces fruit. The tree will make approximately 22 pounds of fruit in its first crop, but then it will rapidly increase the fruit it bears, yielding more than 200 pounds of fruit when it’s 30 years old! While its productivity declines after 60 years, a date palm can still produce fruit when it’s 80 years old and older. Do you see any similarities to retirement age there?
A further analogy is the stability of the palm tree. Palm trees consist of spongy, flexible tissue. They don’t have a tap root system like many other trees. Instead, they have thousands of roots, forming a dense system—resembling spaghetti in some ways—radiating in all directions. These characteristics make them very resilient and unaffected by seasonal changes. They can survive droughts, floods, and storms. Palm trees can bend 40 to 50 degrees without snapping and can even withstand hurricane-force winds. At the end of a storm, they’ll return to their upright position with their root systems intact. Surprisingly, storms can stretch and even strengthen a palm tree’s roots. In many cases, palm trees are stronger in the aftermath of a mighty windstorm.
Those who have reached “retirement age” have withstood many storms and, hopefully, have become more deeply rooted and flourishing in the love of Jesus. Their age, experience, and wisdom are desperately needed in the work of the Kingdom. Mission organizations across the spectrum of Christianity are looking for “finishers,” older people with technical skills, life experience, and wisdom to help finish the task of making disciples of all peoples. What does all this have to do with retirement? In this area, as in others, too often, we as Anabaptists have “adjusted” the radical teachings of Jesus to fit the “American Dream.” We have, in some ways, maintained an outward appearance of separation from the world, but have embraced the world’s values.
So, how can we who are supposedly separated unto God spend our retirement pursuing the same things that unbelievers do? These things may not be wrong in themselves, but of what eternal value is a life centered on a non-stop merry-go-round of golfing, cruises, shuffleboard, water sports, dining out, and other forms of recreation or amusement? What about the finances tied up in vacation homes or hunting cabins that sit empty much of the year, and garages and storage units full of adult toys of all descriptions? Some of these can be useful in ministry, but many of them aren’t being used that way. If the goal is to “eat, drink, and be merry,” we are in danger of facing the same judgment as the prosperous farmer in Luke 12:16-21. It was not wrong for him to be successful; it is the Lord who gives the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). Neither was it bad for him to plan for the future (Proverbs 6:6-11). The problem was his focus; it was all about him and what he wanted!
The Bible doesn’t discourage planning for the future. However, it does command us to focus on eternal realities rather than temporal ones. What are my goals for saving and preparing for retirement? Are they to bring glory to God or to serve myself? I was challenged recently in a discussion on preparing for retirement to hear one of the speakers say that part of the reason for setting aside resources for retirement is so that you can continue to support the Lord’s work at the level you did when you were working full-time. That is a worthy goal.
From my vantage point in life, these things are no longer theoretical. I will be 67 years old this year and am faced with decisions about what my future looks like. I do anticipate having a bit more time to pursue some hobbies and interests I haven’t been able to do in recent years. Some of these can be used to bless others; however, I don’t want them to become the focus and goal of my life. I look forward to greater freedom to travel and visit children scattered across several states. I also anticipate the freedom to accept more teaching and preaching assignments as health and schedule permit, whether international or domestic. This is my prayer for retirement, and I hope it is yours also:
“O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also, when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come” (Psalm 71:17-18).