A few weeks ago, I retired from a more-than-full-time job. For decades, I was an endocrinologist, first in New Jersey and then in Santo Domingo.
As I told people I was retiring, it was interesting to hear the similarity of their reactions: “Great—you’ll have more time to relax.” “Now your schedule will be less intense.” “Finally, you can slow down.”
In some sense, they’re right. My physical body is getting older. The longer I live, the more slowly I’ll move. But for now, I’m still active. And these comments made me evaluate what I think about work, retirement, and the Bible’s teaching.
Biblical Examples and Directives
I looked first to the Bible for examples. The apostle John was writing—including books of the Bible—into his 90s. Moses was 80 years old when the Lord used him to free the Jews, a journey that lasted another 40 years. Daniel was in his 80s when he was thrown into the lion’s den. Anna and Simeon didn’t depart from the temple even in their later years—and in response to their obedience, the Lord allowed them to identify the Messiah.
Other saints have followed their examples. Polycarp, a first-century Christian bishop of Smyrna, testified that he’d served the Lord “eighty and six years” as he was being martyred. Even in recent years, we’ve seen many Christian leaders continuing to work well into their golden years—including John Piper and Joni Eareckson Tada.
But maybe those were unusual cases. After all, I’m not an apostle or a martyr. Are normal people supposed to keep working after they retire? What does the Bible say?
I’m not an apostle or a martyr. Are normal people supposed to keep working after they retire?
Although there are several principles that could be applied to this stage of life, the only passage I found specifically on retirement was Numbers 8:23–26. The Lord tells Moses the Levites should begin their work at the tent of meetings at the age of 25. At 50, they should withdraw (retire), but verse 26 clarifies this phrase: “They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service.”
What does that tell us? The Levites continued to work—but in a different capacity. Instead of doing heavy labor, they supervised or directed. They used their knowledge, experience, wisdom, and discernment, which they should have learned over the years, to mentor the next generation. Their work responsibility didn’t end but simply changed.
The apostle Paul is another example of this shift. As he traveled, he evangelized and planted churches. When he was jailed, he continued evangelizing, although to different groups of people, such as the Praetorian guards (Phil. 1:12–13). But he also discipled the churches through his writings. Paul understood well what John the Baptist said: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). At any age, he was willing to obey what the Lord asked him to do.
Biblical Understanding of Work
The world will tell you retirement is meant for stepping away from work altogether and finally doing those things you’ve always wanted—traveling or reading or lounging. Those things aren’t wrong. But the desire to get away from work is built on a misunderstanding.
God instituted work before the fall. Though our tasks are often made difficult or painful by sin, the activity of work is—and always has been—good and purposeful. Work done well brings us joy and satisfaction. We can enjoy the process as well as the rewards. Losing ourselves in a task, puzzling through a challenge, or creating something new brings us God-honoring joy.
The desire to get away from work is built on a misunderstanding.
Even though we may retire from our professional careers, we should never retire from serving the Lord. As a physician for more than 40 years, I was in contact with disease, pain, and death. I was able to help people deal with the effects of the fall. It was an exhilarating experience to contribute not only to curing or managing diseases but also to helping many face and accept death. There have been opportunities to share the Lord with those who are hurting, insecure, and questioning why they’re going through their trials. The Holy Spirit has opened the eyes of many, allowing me to watch the God of peace crush Satan under our feet (Rom. 16:20).
As I came to the end of the road in medicine, I saw an expanding opportunity to work for the Lord in church ministry, training others to fight the good fight. Though the work is different, it’s still good.
Work of Retirement
We retirees need to do our own work—to leave behind the professional identities we’ve spent years building and instead enrich and fortify our eternal identities. For many, career identities have been idols we’ve fought for generations. Retirement is the time to finally destroy them and to fully embrace our identities as children of God. It’s no diminishment of who we are but rather a fuller, more freeing understanding of ourselves.
Revelation 22:3 informs us that in the New Jerusalem, we’ll serve the Lamb who sits on the throne. Let’s do that even now, worshiping and adoring him who is worthy of much more than we could ever give, in any opportunity he brings our way.