Rethinking Retirement

I am going to begin my journey in blogging with a series of posts pertaining to retirement and specifically "Rethinking Retirement". I will probably digress somewhat from this subject a time or two, commenting on other pertinent and relevant topics related to the purpose of my blog as they arise, but I will endeavour to get through this as thoroughly as I can without losing too much of the flow of thought and ideas. It is my intention and purpose here to discuss mainly topics related to matters of family, community, the church, culture, missions and theology from a Christian worldview. I will have links to a variety of articles and resources.

Having taken an early retirement near the end of 2007, sooner than I had planned or would have preferred, due to the economic conditions plaguing the auto industry, I've tried to look at it as a new phase in my life and not as an anticipated time of constant leisure. Conforming to God's plan and will for our lives is always something that we should be striving for in gainful employment and in the "post employment stage" of life.

Last week as I listened to The Albert Mohler Radio Program and the specific program on this topic, "Rethinking Retirement", I was not only convicted by it but encouraged too. It's not that many of us don't love retirement because we do and it's not that there is something fundamentally wrong with the desire for leisure, but there needs to be more to retirement than many are finding. Two main thoughts just seemed to resonate with me and remind me that there is much to do.

The first point is living and finishing well for the glory of Christ. David prayed for this in Psalm 71:18

So even to old age and gray hairs,
Oh God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
to another generation,
your power to all those to come.

The second point is about giving an example to all those folks in the body of Christ who are approaching end of vocation for a variety of reasons, whether they be age, economic, health concerns, forced termination etc. It's about giving others someone that they want to follow and enjoin in kingdom work. We need to make this something that catches on where others will say " I want to do that too", as they go into what I would call the "post employment years".

So then, it is not about retirement but about persevering in the work of The Lord, having a passion to make the greatness of God known to generations we are leaving behind and making this new found kingdom work attractive to others soon to be reaching this point in their lives!

The Albert Mohler Radio Program
"Rethinking Retirement" Listen HERE

Read "Rethinking Retirement" -by John Piper Click HERE