Retirement

Retirement

MY QUESTION for GOD

What does the Bible say about retirement?

A MOMENT with GOD

The Lord also instructed Moses, “This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five, and they must retire at the age of fifty. After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service.”

Numbers 8:23-26

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Ephesians 4:16

The Levites were officially assigned to serve God in the Tabernacle from age twenty-five to fifty. At age fifty, they were required to retire. They could still assist other Levites in active duties, but they could not officiate in the service. We should not assume the Bible is suggesting that fifty is the age all workers should retire! This is one of the few references to retirement in the Bible. God may have commanded it to encourage the younger Levites to grow into positions of responsibility. It was important for this new nation to have plenty of strong leaders. Nowhere does the Bible say that retirement means stopping work and service altogether. Rather, retirement brings a change in how we work and serve. There are few things more important than developing strong leaders in the church, and sometimes older leaders must shift from leading to mentoring new leaders for the future strength of the church.

DIVINE PROMISE

AMONG YOU IT WILL BE DIFFERENT. WHOEVER WANTS TO BE A LEADER AMONG YOU MUST BE YOUR SERVANT, AND WHOEVER WANTS TO BE FIRST AMONG YOU MUST BE THE SLAVE OF EVERYONE ELSE.   Mark 10:43-44