Imagine yourself facing retirement, standing at a crossroads, holding two maps. One is filled with financial advice and suggestions for leisurely pursuits. The other, interwoven with biblical wisdom, offers spiritual principles and insights on purpose and service. Puzzled, you find yourself torn between two perspectives—one driven by societal norms and the other by biblical truths. Which map is the one to follow?
Hopefully, this overview of biblical perspectives on retirement will help guide us on our journey through one of life’s most important phases. It seeks to help align our faith and beliefs so that retirement will be a spiritually anchored experience.
Retirement defined
In the United States, the number of baby boomers reaching retirement age has been about 10,000 a day since 2011 and will reach a peak around 2030.1 Retirement will have far-reaching societal impact. It is that part of life when people choose to leave behind their full-time employment or career. Generally, they transition into a phase of life that gives them increased control over their time to pursue family interests, personal projects, leisure goals, and other activities that contribute to a fulfilling and enjoyable lifestyle. It is commonly associated with a reliance on pensions, savings, social security, or other forms of income rather than a regular salary, especially in the United States.2
Biblical foundations
The Bible has valuable insights on how to manage and optimize our lives during the retirement years. The following areas are pivotal for a biblical understanding of retirement principles:
Shifting and redirection. While the term retirement, as understood today, does not explicitly appear in the Bible, the concept has roots in Scripture. Numbers 8:23–26 instructs the Levites to retire from their regular service at the age of 50. Though their work responsibilities changed at this age, their connection to the tabernacle services remained. This transition highlighted a shift in focus rather than a complete withdrawal from work and responsibility. This biblical precedent sets the stage for understanding retirement not as a departure from purpose but as a redirection of energy and service.
Work and labor. To comprehend the theology of retirement, it is helpful to explore the biblical perspectives on work. In Genesis 2:15, God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to take care of it. The Bible constantly emphasizes the value of labor, highlighting work as a means of fulfilling God’s purpose and contributing to the well-being of society.
Recognizing that work is an ongoing divine assignment allows us to view retirement not as an escape from responsibility but as a shift in our roles within God’s grand design. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do” (NIV). Retirement, then, becomes an opportunity to discern and engage in a new arena of good works.
Rest and renewal. As Christians transition into retirement, while they recognize the ongoing value of work, they need to balance this understanding with the biblical significance of rest. God established the Sabbath as a day of rest, setting an example for His creation in Genesis 2:2, 3. The Sabbath is not just a cessation of work but a dedicated time for communion with God (see also Heb. 4:1–10).
Similarly, we may view retirement as a season of rest and renewal. Without the demands of traditional employment, a person can spend more time deepening their relationship with God. They can invest more time in spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, meditation, witnessing, sharing, journaling, and studying Scripture.
Stewardship and responsibility. The Bible extensively references stewardship and the lifelong accountability we have to manage the resources entrusted to us by God. Among these resources are our most valuable responsibilities—the four Ts of time, talent, treasure, and temple. Regarding time, Ecclesiastes 3:1–8, the famous passage on the seasons of life, teaches that there is an appropriate time for everything. Concerning talent, Romans 12:6–8 encourages us to intentionally use our individual gifts, regardless of the season of life.
Service and potential. Equally pervasive is the service thread woven throughout Scripture, and its role in retirement is no exception. Galatians 5:13 reminds believers to serve one another humbly in love. Retirement offers a unique opportunity to further develop our service potential without the constraints of professional stresses and obligations.
Ministry in retirement
History, including the Bible, is full of colorful and creative persons who modeled best practices for retirement and left a legacy of how to successfully navigate the senior years. Here are a few examples:
Moses. Known for his leadership, Moses was 120 years old when he died, and “his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated” (Deut. 34:7, KJV). After a long life of service, Moses retained his vitality. His life also illustrates the shifting seasons of life—that is, 40 Egyptian years, 40 Midian years, and 40 leadership years.
Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25–38) are enduring examples of persons who, in their later years, developed their spiritual potential through worship, fasting, and prayer. Witnessing and testifying to the first coming of the Messiah, they had a keen awareness of God’s presence and demonstrated lives of purpose and fulfillment.
George Müller, a Christian pastor and evangelist, modeled service in retirement. After a fruitful career as a preacher, he established orphanages for homeless children. His dedication to service, which continued into retirement, exemplified the biblical principle of channeling or rechanneling one’s energy into meaningful service during later life.
Whether through volunteering, mentoring, or supporting charitable causes, retirees can employ their experiences and skills to improve the lives of those around them. Service to society and the church becomes a means of expressing gratitude for the blessings received throughout one’s career and offers a powerful demonstration of Christ’s love for the world.
Counsel for retirement
Ellen White continued actively serving during her senior years. Her writings echo the biblical sentiment that retirement is not disengaging from service but a new opportunity to prioritize time and talents. She emphasizes the need for careful preparation and continual growth in character. Her book The Retirement Years3 is an excellent source for practical insights on retirement.
One of her prominent themes is the principle that service to God and others and doing good should continue as long as we are alive. Illustrating this, she wrote concerning the apostle John that it was after he entered his senior years “that he received more communications from heaven than he had received during all the former years of his life.”4
Purpose, planning, and legacy
Contemporary research on retirement supports the biblical insights we have looked at. Studies affirm that individuals who approach retirement with clarity of purpose, planning, and social engagement experience higher levels of life satisfaction and well-being.5
True success prevails as our plans and purposes align with God’s purpose (Prov. 19:21). God has entrusted to us gifts and abilities, and the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14–30 teaches about the responsibility of multiplying them. Engaging in continued learning, exploring new interests, and maintaining the best possible health and wellness while deepening our relationship with God will contribute to the ongoing development of character and life satisfaction. Viewed from this perspective, retirement becomes a canvas for God’s transformative work, shaping us into vessels even more ready for His purposes.
A crowning opportunity of retirement is the opportunity to enjoy and pour ourselves into family and children. The sharing of counsel and life experiences and investing in the lives of family members is priceless. It is also the time to decide what and where to leave our estate and resources after death. All these important activities and our final directives are part of our stewardship and legacy.
Retirement thus becomes a time to consider not only a financial inheritance but also spiritual and relational aspects. Remembering that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35) encourages retirees to invest in the lives of others, share their wisdom, and leave a lasting imprint on the family, community, and kingdom of God.
Challenges
While the biblical perspective on retirement encourages a positive and purposeful outlook, one should also consider potential threats that may seek to compromise the retirement experience. Such challenges include the following:
Identity trials. Retiring from an occupational role may require reordering our perceptions of identity and values. Galatians 2:20 emphasizes the importance of cultivating a sense of self that is rooted in Christ rather than professional achievements and resisting feelings of FOMO (fear of missing out).
Resource unpreparedness. Financial planning is vital to ensure a secure and comfortable retirement. Prudent stewardship avoids unnecessary difficulties (Prov. 21:20). Further, we should not overlook planning for end-of-life matters such as healthcare directives.
Spiritual slippage. Retirement can be a period of spiritual depth and excellence but also a time of spiritual lethargy. Keep spiritually toned by remaining vigilant in praying, studying the Word, and serving others (Col. 4:2).
Declining health. As our bodies age (Eccles. 12:1–8), our vitality diminishes. We confront thoughts of decline and approaching demise. However, we can be profoundly encouraged and buoyed by the promise of heaven (John 14:1–3; 2 Cor. 4:18), eternal life (John 3:16), and future immortality (1 Cor. 15:54, 55).
Anchors
Conversely, approaching retirement with careful preparation and the right mental and spiritual mindset can offer abundant benefits. Some examples include the following:
Emotional well-being. Resist anxious thoughts and patiently pray and lay such issues before God (Phil. 4:6, 7).
Wellness potential. No one can guarantee what our future health challenges may be, but we are assured that God wants us to be in physical and spiritual health (3 John 1:2). Therefore, our part is to provide ourselves with the best possible preventive and medical care and be a good manager of our health (1 Cor. 6:19, 20).
Financial security. Proper financial planning will help ensure that retirees can enjoy their retirement years without unnecessary financial stress. As we invest wisely and sow with God, blessings will come (2 Cor. 9:6).
Continued growth. Founding retirement on God’s leading ensures that believers will bear fruit and experience development to the very end of their lives (Col. 1:10; see also Ps. 92:14; Job 12:12).
A continuation
As we stand at the crossroads of this next stage of life, we have ample guidance for the retirement journey. With ready Bible principles, effective tools, a resilient spirit, and God’s providence, every seeker will find retirement a time of purpose and fulfillment in this life and preparation for the life to come. Retirement is not a conclusion but a continuation of God’s divine plan for each of us.
- America Counts Staff, “By 2030, All Baby Boomers Will Be Age 65 or Older,” United States Census Bureau, December 10, 2019, https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/12/by-2030-all-baby-boomers-will-be-age-65-or-older.html.
- Zhe Li, Retirement Trends in United States, 2000-2022 (Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2022), 1, https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN11959.
- Ellen G. White, The Retirement Years (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1990).
- Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), 573.
- See Bettina Kubicek, Christian Korunka, James M. Raymo, and Peter Hoonakker, “Psychological Well-Being in Retirement: The Effects of Personal and Gendered Contextual Resources,” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 16, no. 2 (April 2011): 230–246, https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022334; Vivek H. Murthy, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community (Washington, DC: Office of the Surgeon General, 2023), https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf.
