God's Retirement Plan

Today I turn 65. For many of my friends this has been their awaited birthday. Woo hoo! Retirement has come! For me it is Sunday and I get to share a teaching from 1 Thessalonians, and to enjoy a time of praise and worship and to be with my church family. It is pretty much just another Sunday. I do not mean to down play my accumulating years and I do understand I do not have the same body I had a few years ago. It is clear this 1953 model has some mileage and wear that allows me to anticipate trading it in on that new model God has promised. I do, at times, wonder about the American obsession with retirement. Everyone is busy preparing for it. We look for the best plan we can get when we search for a job. We consider which state is the most retirement friendly. We look to the joy of medicare and part "A" and "B" and "D" and fifteen thousand various supplemental and advantage plans to "cover the gaps".  And there is the Social Security issue. Take it early, or now or later or will it all be gone anyway? How did our future get so crowded with what we will do when we finally get older? Is there something magical about the number of years that you have lived? When we lived in Wichita, KS the gentleman who lived next to us turned 100 years old. He and his wife still lived independently and he still got around with just the occasional help of a cane. The local news came out to interview him and asked him this most reasonable question, "What do you attribute to your long life?" I will never forget his answer. He said, "I haven't died yet."

 None of us know the days that have been allotted us. I have been granted more years than my maternal grandmother, my paternal grandfather, and my mom. My dad hit 84 and I think his mom was 94. I am hoping for her genes. The most common question I am receiving is, "When are you retiring?" I point to Charles Stanley who is writing and consistently preaching at 84 so I have another 20 years or so. I love what I do. I love what I study. I love the people I minister with. I love the truth that I get to experience the promise that, "His mercies are new every morning". So why would I want to stop now? It has taken me this long to just begin to see a bit of the Hebrew culture behind the New Testament writings. According to my primary care physician and my recent surgeon I am in great shape. They do throw in that irritating conditional clause, "For your age" thing. I asked Dr. Singh what that meant. Was it because I didn't drool when I talked, or got to his office on my own power? Why can't I just be in good shape? He responded that he sees lots of men in their 40's who would long to be in my physical condition. That helped a little, or it is an indictment against 40 year old males on the fast track to an early retirement from life.

The real question to consider is, what is God's retirement program? I found a few examples in Scripture. First, Genesis 5:23-24, "So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." Live long and then be taken into God's presence, apparently bypassing death. That seems like a great option. The second is found in 2 Kings 2:11, "Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire, separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." Now that would be cool! Same no death option but add a pyrotechnic feature with a chariot and horses of fire! Not a bad way to go. However the most common retirement program is more like this, "So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David" (1 Kings 2:10). This program is listed at least thirty-six times in the Scriptures. Being "full of days" or having lived X number of years and begot sons and daughters and died is pretty common as well.

There is no reference to Social Security, Medicare or even retirement in God's Word. People just lived and worked and cared for their families. When parents became aged their children cared for them and the grandchildren learned from previous generations. Now, it is true that responsibilities changed, but no one looked to a particular age so they could do what they wanted. No one said,"Hey, I've put in my time so now we can travel and take cruises and buy the boat." I do not see the disciples asking the Lord what their retirement package was. The Lord's service was a life time commitment. I do not fault those who have planned and are off to enjoy those later years without the day to day work and career responsibilities. But, maybe the Lord has granted those extra years to do some short term mission trips or even help out at a home mission office. Maybe you have more to offer the teen group or children's church program than most people tied to that 9 to 5 thing. I find it hard to believe that God has granted those extra years to retire from serving His body. No matter what your age you are still an essential part. I Corinthians does not say the hand is no longer a part of the body at age 65 or 85 for that matter.

Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed in light of the Lord's blessings and service. It seems God's idea of retirement goes something like this. "Well done my good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord." By the way, it does not say enter into the joy of retirement. Matthew 25 indicates that we will still have stuff to do. Maybe have even more responsibilities than we have now. But, that is a part of God's retirement program.