Question 1

What does the Bible say about retirement?

Accepted Answer

Numbers 8:24-26“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. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites.”Deuteronomy 34:7Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever.Joshua 14:10-11“Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then.”The Bible does not give an age for retirement, with the exception of the Levites who served in the Tabernacle. The appropriate retirement age can be chosen by each individual, based on economic concerns or physical limitations. But stepping away from our regular work should not dictate our attitude toward other work that may need to be done.

Question 2

How can I best transition to retirement?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 17:6Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.Isaiah 46:4“I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.”We can best transition to retirement by remembering that the most important aspects of life continue through retirement—relationships—and we should nurture those. Our relationship with God should continue to grow as we age. And focusing on other valued relationships when more time is available can make our golden years truly golden.Proverbs 16:31Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.Recognizing the benefits of a godly life can help you grow older gracefully.Numbers 20:26“There you will remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron will die there and join his ancestors.”We can best transition to retirement by planning for a successor.Ecclesiastes 6:1-2There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity. God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless—a sickening tragedy.Realizing that we will eventually die, we should plan for the distribution of our inheritance to those we leave behind.

Question 3

How can I continue to be productive in my retirement years?

Accepted Answer

Hebrews 6:11-12Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.To be productive in our retirement years, we should continue to love others.2 Peter 1:5-9In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.To be productive in our retirement years, we should continue to grow and learn spiritually.Psalm 92:12-15The godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. They will declare, “The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!”Titus 2:1-4As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children.To be productive in our retirement years, we should live godly lives and teach others to do the same.Numbers 8:24-26“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. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites.”1 Corinthians 12:5There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.Colossians 3:24Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.To be productive in our retirement years, we should be flexible to changes in our roles as we continue to serve the Lord.Proverbs 3:27Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.Romans 12:13When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.1 Corinthians 12:7A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.Titus 3:14Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive.1 Peter 4:11Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever!To be productive in our retirement years, we should help others with all our God-given strength and energy.Job 12:12-13“Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old. But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are his.”Proverbs 20:29The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.To be productive in our retirement years, we should use our experience, wisdom, and understanding as gifts from God to help others.

Question 4

What must I never stop doing?

Accepted Answer

1 Kings 11:4In Solomon’s old age, they [Solomon’s foreign wives] turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been.1 Chronicles 16:11Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.Psalm 71:18-19Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me. Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God?Psalm 105:4Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.Psalm 119:44I will keep on obeying your instructions forever and ever.Ecclesiastes 11:8When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless.Luke 2:36-38Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.2 Corinthians 4:8We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.Galatians 5:13You have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.Philippians 1:9I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.2 Timothy 4:7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.Hebrews 4:14Since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.1 Peter 4:19So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.1 Peter 5:5In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”Revelation 2:3“You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.”Regardless of our age, we should continue to worship, praise, hope, rejoice, trust, grow, search, obey, do right, serve, and faithfully endure.

Retirement