Comments on: Biblical retirement http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/ Christian Personal Finance - Financial help blog, debt help and other financial resources Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:22:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Larry Weber http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-165917 Larry Weber Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:33:40 +0000 http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/#comment-165917 Retirement is a time to make the greatest difference in your life. It is not just a time to feed the geese, play golf all day, or have a continual party. Sure, you can cut back on the traditional nine to five work week and have some fun. However, your greatest contribution in life may come during the last chapters of life. You can get involved with the local school board, coach your local youth sports team, teach Sunday school, get involved in local politics, or mentor a local business leader. Use the life wisdom and skills that God gave you to make a difference for Christ and your community in the later stages of your life. The most direct reference in the Bible about the concept of retirement is found in Numbers 8:23-26 (NIV) : 23 The LORD said to Moses, 24 “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, 25 but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. 26 They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.” The commentary of the NIV states: “After a Levite reached the mandatory retirement age of 50, he was still free to assist his younger co-workers but he was no longer to do the difficult work he had done in his prime”. I love this passage in the Bible. Retirement is a time to assist others by mentoring, helping, and coaching. You move from “doing” most of the everyday work to mentoring and coaching others. This means you use what you’ve learned through your life to help others in their journey to become better people and leaders in their respective areas of expertise. Retirement is also about helping others by sharing the life lessons you’ve learned through the school of hard knocks. It is a time to share your successes and failures with people who can benefit from your life experience. It is especially important to tell others where you messed up in life so they won't make the same mistakes. Retirement may mean stepping down as “the expert” in your field of expertise to serve as a sage to the next up and coming leader. A sage is someone who “has been there and done that and now wants to help others do the same”. It is important to give back and not to give up in the last chapters of life. Fight for the God given potential in others. Help someone in need. Don't give up on your kids. Keep your marriage alive. Stay in the battle. Go out swinging. You may retire from the normal work routine but you never retire from serving God. Retirement may just be your finest hour. Larry Retirement is a time to make the greatest difference in your life. It is not just a time to feed the geese, play golf all day, or have a continual party. Sure, you can cut back on the traditional nine to five work week and have some fun. However, your greatest contribution in life may come during the last chapters of life.

You can get involved with the local school board, coach your local youth sports team, teach Sunday school, get involved in local politics, or mentor a local business leader. Use the life wisdom and skills that God gave you to make a difference for Christ and your community in the later stages of your life.

The most direct reference in the Bible about the concept of retirement is found in Numbers 8:23-26 (NIV) : 23 The LORD said to Moses, 24 “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, 25 but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. 26 They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”

The commentary of the NIV states: “After a Levite reached the mandatory retirement age of 50, he was still free to assist his younger co-workers but he was no longer to do the difficult work he had done in his prime”.

I love this passage in the Bible. Retirement is a time to assist others by mentoring, helping, and coaching. You move from “doing” most of the everyday work to mentoring and coaching others. This means you use what you’ve learned through your life to help others in their journey to become better people and leaders in their respective areas of expertise.

Retirement is also about helping others by sharing the life lessons you’ve learned through the school of hard knocks. It is a time to share your successes and failures with people who can benefit from your life experience. It is especially important to tell others where you messed up in life so they won’t make the same mistakes.

Retirement may mean stepping down as “the expert” in your field of expertise to serve as a sage to the next up and coming leader. A sage is someone who “has been there and done that and now wants to help others do the same”.

It is important to give back and not to give up in the last chapters of life. Fight for the God given potential in others. Help someone in need. Don’t give up on your kids. Keep your marriage alive. Stay in the battle. Go out swinging.

You may retire from the normal work routine but you never retire from serving God. Retirement may just be your finest hour.

Larry

]]> By: Brian http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-117717 Brian Tue, 31 May 2011 01:08:29 +0000 http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/#comment-117717 At a national/cultural level, we're far too focused on "retirement." To the point that it's literally breaking the bank (aka dollar). A few commenters (who I assume from their stage in life are from the Boomer generation) speak of having 2 retirements (more specifically government pensions) in addition to the inevidable Social Security. I think that's hoarding. Yes, they probably worked hard for it. But something isn't right with the 'system' if it allows for someone not currently working to be paid more per month than many who are working full time... I think since we're not correcting the error ourselves, God is working it out through our fiscal disarray. At a national/cultural level, we’re far too focused on “retirement.” To the point that it’s literally breaking the bank (aka dollar). A few commenters (who I assume from their stage in life are from the Boomer generation) speak of having 2 retirements (more specifically government pensions) in addition to the inevidable Social Security. I think that’s hoarding. Yes, they probably worked hard for it. But something isn’t right with the ‘system’ if it allows for someone not currently working to be paid more per month than many who are working full time… I think since we’re not correcting the error ourselves, God is working it out through our fiscal disarray.

]]> By: Larry http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-104625 Larry Sun, 06 Feb 2011 22:52:55 +0000 http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/#comment-104625 Praise be to God for allowing me to be in a position to retire with sufficient resources to allow my family to proceed even in my absence. I'm torn and am glad to read the wise comments of those on this board. I have retired, but it happened as an after-thought. For many years I labored to be a productive part of society...trying to fill the squares that I thought would put me in good stead with the world. I stayed 29 years in the military, progressing up the ranks nicely from where I started. After retiring I taught middle school special education in an attempt to give back and provide a viable role-model for the disenfranchised kids. The public school system proved sadly disconnected with the emotional/academic requirements of kids that struggle and those that don't. I decided to get out of the rat-race (with another retirement) and pursue a more purposeful life, since the money I have is more than enough to suit my needs. Pursuing these Earthly pursuits have put my personal life into disarray (divorce/separated from my kids) and has put me in a position of being unhappy with life in general. I have accomplished more than many, but still find true happiness illusive. To pursue money further, I feel, would approach over-indulgence and gluttony. So, to retire and do God's work is a blessing as many of my friends have died of various diseases and maladies without fulfilling their Earthly goals. Pastor Boone has an interesting slant that speaks to the selfless pursuit of God's bidding without being caught up in the rat-race/Earthly pursuits put before us. Being happy with what you have and looking to benefit those less fortune than yourself, that is the essence of God's Intent. Larry Praise be to God for allowing me to be in a position to retire with sufficient resources to allow my family to proceed even in my absence. I’m torn and am glad to read the wise comments of those on this board. I have retired, but it happened as an after-thought. For many years I labored to be a productive part of society…trying to fill the squares that I thought would put me in good stead with the world. I stayed 29 years in the military, progressing up the ranks nicely from where I started. After retiring I taught middle school special education in an attempt to give back and provide a viable role-model for the disenfranchised kids. The public school system proved sadly disconnected with the emotional/academic requirements of kids that struggle and those that don’t. I decided to get out of the rat-race (with another retirement) and pursue a more purposeful life, since the money I have is more than enough to suit my needs. Pursuing these Earthly pursuits have put my personal life into disarray (divorce/separated from my kids) and has put me in a position of being unhappy with life in general. I have accomplished more than many, but still find true happiness illusive. To pursue money further, I feel, would approach over-indulgence and gluttony. So, to retire and do God’s work is a blessing as many of my friends have died of various diseases and maladies without fulfilling their Earthly goals. Pastor Boone has an interesting slant that speaks to the selfless pursuit of God’s bidding without being caught up in the rat-race/Earthly pursuits put before us. Being happy with what you have and looking to benefit those less fortune than yourself, that is the essence of God’s Intent. Larry

]]> By: Jane Hinrichs http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-104331 Jane Hinrichs Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:47:01 +0000 http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/#comment-104331 Bob, These are great thoughts -- it has been something I've been thinking about for a couple of years. American Christianity needs to get down to what the Bible really says about money. Have you read Radical: Taking back your faith from the American Dream by David Platt? Excellent book! And I so agree with Pastor Kevin Boone's comments. Thank you Pastor Boone. Both you and Bob have spoken such great truths to this web community. May we all Glorify God and be the best stewards we can be. All is His. Everything. Bob, These are great thoughts — it has been something I’ve been thinking about for a couple of years. American Christianity needs to get down to what the Bible really says about money. Have you read Radical: Taking back your faith from the American Dream by David Platt? Excellent book!

And I so agree with Pastor Kevin Boone’s comments. Thank you Pastor Boone. Both you and Bob have spoken such great truths to this web community. May we all Glorify God and be the best stewards we can be. All is His. Everything.

]]> By: Kevin Boone http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-95020 Kevin Boone Sun, 26 Dec 2010 00:02:57 +0000 http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/#comment-95020 Good site. I've been re-reading the teachings of Christ and have been looking at Matthew 6:19. The Greek Words seem to communicate that Jesus is saying not to "hoard" in a "horizontal" sense. The "horizontal" pictures stacking things up in storage. Also, the phrase "Lay not up" seems to mean to not "store up for future use." The opposite of horizontal would be a perpendicular position of our material possessions, including money, where we can easily access it and use it for the Kingdom or allow others to do so. I'm a Seminary grad. but I'm not good with biblical languages. I've read credible scholars who say the horizontal aspect is found in this verse and that's what Jesus meant for His hearers to visualize. Anyway, I trying to balance storing back substantial amounts of money with the urgent need for those dying each day of malnutrition, preventable diseases, etc, and more importantly, the money needed to send missionaries to also share the gospel, or fund our own traveling, missions, etc. I can see the wisdom in both emergency funds and mass amounts of retirement money, but it seems the emergency money is more Kingdom minded than loads of hoarding money through the years while the money is needed NOW! But even in Matthew chapter 6:19-34, it seems even having 5000$ in savings, for example only, isn't necessary if we trust God will take care of us like He does the birds, etc. I'm at the place where my wife and I have a small emergency fund, but we have decided we are to spend God's money now, while there is time left. I know there is other angles on this and I am seeking those. Grace and understanding to us all, Pastor Kevin Boone Good site. I’ve been re-reading the teachings of Christ and have been looking at Matthew 6:19. The Greek Words seem to communicate that Jesus is saying not to “hoard” in a “horizontal” sense. The “horizontal” pictures stacking things up in storage. Also, the phrase “Lay not up” seems to mean to not “store up for future use.” The opposite of horizontal would be a perpendicular position of our material possessions, including money, where we can easily access it and use it for the Kingdom or allow others to do so. I’m a Seminary grad. but I’m not good with biblical languages. I’ve read credible scholars who say the horizontal aspect is found in this verse and that’s what Jesus meant for His hearers to visualize. Anyway, I trying to balance storing back substantial amounts of money with the urgent need for those dying each day of malnutrition, preventable diseases, etc, and more importantly, the money needed to send missionaries to also share the gospel, or fund our own traveling, missions, etc. I can see the wisdom in both emergency funds and mass amounts of retirement money, but it seems the emergency money is more Kingdom minded than loads of hoarding money through the years while the money is needed NOW! But even in Matthew chapter 6:19-34, it seems even having 5000$ in savings, for example only, isn’t necessary if we trust God will take care of us like He does the birds, etc. I’m at the place where my wife and I have a small emergency fund, but we have decided we are to spend God’s money now, while there is time left. I know there is other angles on this and I am seeking those. Grace and understanding to us all, Pastor Kevin Boone

]]> By: tew http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-70505 tew Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:01:18 +0000 http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/#comment-70505 If I do not "retire" from secular work and move full time into "church" work, then I have no right to retire. If I will not work, then I should not eat. The view is that "I have a right to retire", or "I put my time in", or, "I earned it", etc., all of which are false. God clearly teaches us that we work. No where does he give us the green light to ever quit. Retirement is a worldly tradition. If we are able to work, then we must work. To say that I have enough money to retire means that I am willing to keep it for myself so I do not have to work. Keeping it for myself then means that I intentionally keep it from the poor, needy, church projects, etc. We replace that given money by "working"... The poor we will always have with us dictates that we can never convince ourselves that we ever have the right to withold earnings from them because of selfishness. From the sweat of our brow is forever. We should also never try and rationalize to ourselves that "well, I'll just go do volunteer work" will somehow please the creator when we know full well that we are capable of continuing to earn for the work of the Lord. If I do not “retire” from secular work and move full time into “church” work, then I have no right to retire. If I will not work, then I should not eat. The view is that “I have a right to retire”, or “I put my time in”, or, “I earned it”, etc., all of which are false. God clearly teaches us that we work. No where does he give us the green light to ever quit. Retirement is a worldly tradition. If we are able to work, then we must work. To say that I have enough money to retire means that I am willing to keep it for myself so I do not have to work. Keeping it for myself then means that I intentionally keep it from the poor, needy, church projects, etc. We replace that given money by “working”… The poor we will always have with us dictates that we can never convince ourselves that we ever have the right to withold earnings from them because of selfishness. From the sweat of our brow is forever. We should also never try and rationalize to ourselves that “well, I’ll just go do volunteer work” will somehow please the creator when we know full well that we are capable of continuing to earn for the work of the Lord.

]]> By: Ed Wilson http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-65958 Ed Wilson Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:48:21 +0000 http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/#comment-65958 I am retiring 1/1/2011 and still would like to keep on going; however, I realize it is time for me to let go and let God take care of my retirement. I am retired military 1st in 1980 and will be retired Civil Service 2nd with 50 years total government service. It is hard for me to retire, but I have decided that I will contribute my time, service, and money as a violenteer. I have already checked into the base hospital here at Tinker AFB and I was informed that I would be more than welcome to help out. I undeerstand they can use all the help they can get. I am very thankful for my retirement and future provisions for my wife. I am retiring 1/1/2011 and still would like to keep on going; however, I realize it is time for me to let go and let God take care of my retirement. I am retired military 1st in 1980 and will be retired Civil Service 2nd with 50 years total government service. It is hard for me to retire, but I have decided that I will contribute my time, service, and money as a violenteer. I have already checked into the base hospital here at Tinker AFB and I was informed that I would be more than welcome to help out. I undeerstand they can use all the help they can get. I am very thankful for my retirement and future provisions for my wife.

]]> By: Ben Lozano http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-42703 Ben Lozano Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:27:21 +0000 http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/#comment-42703 BRO, that is wisdom speaking right there. Great Word!!! BRO, that is wisdom speaking right there. Great Word!!!

]]> By: P31Woman http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-15350 P31Woman Sat, 05 Sep 2009 02:36:05 +0000 http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/#comment-15350 I agree Bob. I know many people who have retired from their working job only to use the 401K to support them on the mission field or help them devote 40 plus hours per week doing work at the church. I agree Bob. I know many people who have retired from their working job only to use the 401K to support them on the mission field or help them devote 40 plus hours per week doing work at the church.

]]> By: Lucia Callaway http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-14046 Lucia Callaway Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:51:06 +0000 http://christianpf.com/bible-verses-for-retirement/#comment-14046 Joshua... thanks for the retirement Bible verses (Numbers 8:23-26). I was making a program for a Retirement celebration at our church and was looking for verses about retirement in the Bible. That is exactly what I was looking for. God Bless you! Joshua… thanks for the retirement Bible verses (Numbers 8:23-26). I was making a program for a Retirement celebration at our church and was looking for verses about retirement in the Bible. That is exactly what I was looking for. God Bless you!

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