Retirement
One of the questions that I have been asked more and more lately is this: “JD, what are you thinking about…retirement?”
That’s a backhanded way of saying, “You are getting old.”
I’ve been asked that question often enough to have put together a standard answer. But before we get to that, let me make some personal observations about retirement. These are my views, my opinions, my thoughts:
I don’t believe in retirement…for pastors. You retire from a career, not a calling. I have some pastor friends who have retired to Idaho or Arizona to kick back, and I find that creepy.
I have great respect for anyone who can retire financially. That means you were intentional, you sacrificed, you saved, and you made good decisions. Good for you.
I do believe in retiring from certain tasks. I retired from playing golf at age 28. I remember the golf course I was on and the specific hole.
I believe there is no success without a successor.
I believe in life after retirement.
Those are my thoughts, and they lead to my standard answer regarding the retirement question. But I’m not going to give you my standard answer yet—because in the last month it has been tweaked. I have adjusted my answer, and even my views, because of Psalm 90.
Psalm 90 answers the retirement question.
Psalm 90 is the oldest of the Psalms, written near 1440 BC. It was written by Moses. Moses was 118 years old when he wrote this, he died at 120. He had been wandering in the desert with the Israelites for almost 40 years. According to Numbers chapters 13 and 20 God had informed Moses he would not enter the promised land, nor would any adult 20 years old or above because of their disobedience. The only exceptions were Joshua and Aaron.
So, Moses had been wandering and watching people die for forty years. Estimates are that there were 1.2 million adults in that desert so that averages out to about 7-8 funerals per day.
Moses was acquainted with death, with the brevity of life, and with his own mortality. So, he wrote this song, this poem, this prayer entitled, “Everlasting to Everlasting.”
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
Psalm 90:1-2 (NIV)
Moses acknowledged that God has been around forever. We have not.
You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
Psalm 90:3 (NIV)
We are not going to live forever. As the preacher says, “We are but dust…” And the little girl asked, “Mommy, what is butt dust?”
A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.
Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—they are like the new grass of the morning:
In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.
Psalm 90:4-6 (NIV)
Moses at 118 knew life was short. The oldest person who ever lived was Methuselah, who celebrated his 969th birthday. But even his life was like a short night shift to God.
We probably won’t live to be 900, or even 118:
“Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures…for they quickly pass, and we fly away…” Psalm 90:10 (NIV)
Moses predicted that we get to live to seventy, or maybe eighty. Moses was correct. The global life expectancy for men is 70, 75, for women. In our country it is 77 for men, 81 for women, 78 on average. The average COVID victim died at age…78. Let that mess with you.
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
Moses suggests three steps in handling life’s fleeting nature. These thoughts inform my retirement thoughts:
1. Stay Teachable
Moses asks God to teach him, to teach us. He was 118 years old, and still teachable!
Here is what concerns me about retirement. A lot of people stop learning. Moses didn’t.
Will Rogers quipped, “When you’re through learning, you’re through.”
Are you still learning? Are you still progressing? Or are you through?
2. Number Our Days
Moses asks God to teach us to number our days. Usually, we don't number our days; we number our years.
What does it mean to number our days? It means we should make every single day count!
Look at how this Psalm ends:
“And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!”
Psalm 90:17 (NLT)
Why are you waiting until retirement to live your life? Why are you waiting for vacation to live your life?
“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don't need to escape from.”
Seth Godin
Do you know what concerns me about retirement? Many people plan so much for retirement day, they don’t plan their lives before or after retirement.
What are you waiting for? Start living out your greatest purpose today!
3. Gain a Heart of Wisdom.
Wait, what? A heart of wisdom? It’s supposed to be a head of wisdom, right? Not exactly.
You know what concerns me about retirement? It can become increasingly selfish. We saved our money, we freed up our time, we lost our heart.
That happens to young people too!
Now some of us have heart. Many of you have enormous hearts. And some of us are wise. But do you have a heart that is wise?
Ever met a really intelligent person who had so little emotional awareness that they did a bunch of stupid things? Ever met a really wonderful person whose heart was so big they kept making dumb decisions?
John tells us that Jesus was full of grace and truth. Let’s be full of wisdom and heart.
So, what am I thinking about retirement? I’m not, actually.
My standard answer used to be: “Lori and I are trying to set up our lives to do what God wants, what we want and what we’re designed to do.”
Psalm 90 has tweaked that. Here is my new answer: “Lori and I are learning to set up every day to do what God wants, what He has called us to, what we’re designed to do, and to do it with a heart of wisdom.”