Is Retirement Biblical?
It is hard to find instructions concerning retirement in the Bible. One example
where we do see it, though, says a great deal. We can also infer what godly
retirement should look like from biblical principles of godly living and from
understanding who we are in Christ. A godly perspective of retirement begins with
a biblical understanding of work. Knowing God’s purposes and instructions for
work can help us to understand His purposes for us when our careers end or
change.
The only mention of retirement in the Bible is for the Levites who were instructed
to withdraw from service in the tent of meeting.
“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘This applies to the Levites: from 25
years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of
meeting. And from the age of 50 they shall withdraw from the duty of the service
and serve no more. They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by
keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in
assigning their duties.” (Numbers 8:23-26, ESV)
This passage includes instruction for the Levites in both service and retirement
from their duties, and it captures the essence of instruction to retired Christians.
Even after withdrawing from duty of service, “they minister to their brothers…by
keeping guard.” Christians are called to be ministers of the gospel and guardians of
our brothers throughout our lives, even if our duties in work change. The duties of
our work include ministry, but our ministry exists independently of our work.
Work is a Gift of God
It can be helpful for us to understand that work is not the result of sin, but part of
our Creator’s design for living. We know this because Adam was instructed to
work in the garden before he and Eve sinned and brought corruption to the
universe. “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to
work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15, ESV) The aspect of work that took on new
meaning after Adam and Eve’s fall is that it became toilsome and hard because of
God’s curse upon the land. As with many other things in creation, work itself is
good, but sin has made it hard and painful.
Note that Adam’s original labor was not for money, nor an immediate requirement
for food, nor clothing, nor shelter. Money did not exist. Adam had no need of
clothing because he had no shame, and God provided food on the trees of the
garden. We see that God supplied Adam’s every need apart from Adam’s work,
including love and companionship. God’s purpose for Adam’s work was about
more than meeting his physical needs. After sin, part of God’s curse upon the
ground was that humanity would labor hard to provide for its physical needs. Even
so, the other benefits and purposes of work remain, and we should remember them
when considering retirement from a career that provided for those needs. While
those other benefits are unclear from Genesis, we see them elsewhere in the Bible
as well as through observation of people’s cognitive, emotional, and physical
health relating to their work.
Work’s Purposes and Benefits Apart from Money
To capture both the purpose and benefits of godly work, read Colossians 3, 2
Thessalonians 3:10-12, and 1 Timothy 5:11-15.
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where
Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above,
not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with
Christ in God…Put to death therefore what is earthly in you.” (Col. 3:1-5a, ESV)
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that
from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the
Lord Christ.” (Col. 3:23,24, ESV)
Our Purpose in This Life
Colossians 3 defines our earthly work by first defining who we are in Christ.
Christians are called to set our minds on things above; eternal things. Our time on
earth is short, we have died to ourselves and live for Christ, and we work for Christ
instead of for people. This should radically shift our view of employment and why
we work. If Christ is our boss and our primary work is for eternal purposes, then
our missional work spans our lifetime, but it is not tied to any particular job. Our
job becomes primarily a platform for ministry while supplying for our financial
needs in the process. Consider the author of Colossians, Paul, who was a tentmaker
by trade but was known for his ministry. His tent-making profession was simply a
means to an end to cover his finances and allow him to carry out his greater calling
without being a financial burden to others. Tent-making was a job, but it was not
Paul’s true “work”.
Work Builds Character
The spirit and benefits of work are seen in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 and 1 Timothy
5:11-15 as well. Here we read that a lack of productive work encourages people
toward idleness and gossip, and away from Christ. Work not only earns a living,
but it builds character. We need something productive to do with our hands and
time, so that we don’t have time to become involved with business that we should
not be a part of.
“…If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among
you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we
command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to
earn their own living.” (2 Thess. 3:10b-12)
“But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away
from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned
their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to
house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they
should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their
households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.” (1 Tim. 5:11-15,
ESV)
1 Timothy 5 is speaking specifically to the care of widows by the church, but the
principles behind its reasoning hinge on the effects of unproductive living. At the
time of the writing, women were most often workers in the home. If they lost their
husband and/or had no children to care for, they could be left with nothing
productive to do, a dangerous position for both men and women. Paul encourages
women to marry, bear children, and manage their households for the sake of their
own character and the strength of their faith in Christ. Hence, Timothy was
discouraged from providing for young widows from the church. While physical
needs are important, strength of faith and character are more so.
Howard Dayton, founder of Compass Financial Ministries, writes well in his
book Your Money Counts, “A primary purpose of work is to develop character.
While the carpenter is building a house, the house is also building the carpenter.
Skill, diligence, manual dexterity, and judgment are refined…A close friend has a
sister who has been supported by her parents for more than 30 years. She has never
had to face the responsibilities and hardships involved with a job. As a
consequence, her character has not been properly developed and she is immature in
many areas of her life.”
Work of many kinds has benefits. “In all labor, there is profit…” (Prov. 14:23a)
Some of which are that it can build and sustain a humbling appreciation of the
struggles of others because it often creates opportunities to interact with people we
might not associate with otherwise. Whether as colleagues, managers, or
interacting with customers, a professional relationship inspires respect and
thoughtful behavior. Work forces us to maintain high levels of cognition and time
management to complete tasks. It also provides a sense of fulfillment and purpose
in society.
Jesus Condemns Hoarding for Self-Gratification
In Luke 12, Jesus tells the parable of a rich fool who shares a common perspective
with many Americans today. “And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample
goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, and be merry.” Part of the so-called
“American Dream” is to work and save up ample money for a long retirement of
recreation and relaxation.
For many Christians, this parable can be confusing. Should we save for retirement
or not? Take heart, diligent savers! The point of this parable is not to condemn
saving for the future. Rather, it is a condemnation of focusing on earthly pleasure
and escaping from productive life; to him who “lays up treasure for himself and is
not rich toward God.” We should save for the future so that:
1. we are prepared for the season of life to come when we cannot work like we used
to.
2. we are prepared for the costs of medical needs that inevitably come with age.
3. we avoid becoming a financial burden upon our children and families later in life.
4. we prepare an inheritance for our children, grandchildren, or ministries after we
die.
Meanwhile, we should try to mindful of our actual needs and not hoard money or
possessions to seek riches. We should be aware of the needs of others and respond
accordingly. We should not seek to retire to a life of unceasing leisure for the
remainder of our days.
Are you Prepared for Serving God in Retirement?
When Christians consider retirement, we should remember that our lives are
ultimately meant to serve Christ throughout all of our days. Even when our paid
career comes to an end or we pivot in a new direction, our ministry should carry
on. The wisdom that comes with age is valuable in living out the faith and making
disciples, and we are called to use it and share it.
Remember that financial compensation does not define dignified work. In
retirement, we can volunteer, serve in the church, take a part-time job, or choose
from any number of options that keep us active in the community and testifying to
the gospel. The key is to stay mentally and physically active and serve in the
manner that God calls you to. At some point, you may need to slow down, but
don’t cash out to a life of self-seeking leisure. Work in all forms has important
benefits and God wants His people to make the most of our days until He calls us
home.
If you’d like help getting your arms around your financial situation, our Peace
of Mind Checklist can help.
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