Is retirement biblical? Is it condoned in the Bible as a good, proper and rightful thing to do. Let's start by defining what "Retirement" is.
“RETIRMENT” can be defined as: “The action or fact of leaving one's job and ceasing to work”
As to what the Bible says about retirement, we have to look all the way back to “THE BEGIINING” of time and creation whereby God calls Adam to a life of “difficult work” (Genesis 3:19). Remember that Adam already worked in the Garden before he and Eve ate of the “Tree Of Knowlwdge”. What changed was that after they disobeyed God by eating of that fruit, that they were judged by God and subjected to a new life outside the Garden. That life entailed not having God’s provision and protection. From there forward, Adam would have to not only work, but work to provide for himself, “by the sweat of his face” (3:19) meaning hard work. People sweat when they work hard not when they don’t. This is what the Bible says.
“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19)
This draws us back to ask the main question as to, “Is retirment biblical? I would submit that it depends by what you mean by retire, but generally speaking- no, it's not. Why? Let me list a few reasons why.
FIRST: Because God said so. God said that Adam would have to work by the sweat of his face until when? "Till you return to the ground". That means until Adam physically died on earth. As such, the same is true for you and I.
SECOND: Because to fully retire in many cases entails amassing government debt and making others work to pay for your retirement. This is not a biblical model. For example, U.S. Federal workers under the Employee Retirement Systems (FERS) contribute only between 0.8% and 4.4% of their paycheck towards retirement. After they work 20-25 years, which is not a long time, they usulaly draw 75% or more of their normal paycheck in the form of a pension. They put in between 0.8-4.4% and take out 75%. For round numbers, if they make 100K in annual salary, they pay 9jnbetween $800.00 and in some cases, a maximum of $4,400.00 annually into their pention. Upon retirnment, they will withdraw $75,000.00 a year. No investment is good enough to meet those odds, so it falls upon the everyday tax payer to work and pay them through higher taxes not to work while paying even more taxes to pay a new, less experienced person to do the job they vacated. The government mandates that every day working people paying for these pensions. So no, I don't see this retirenment model as right or biblical as it means putting debt on our children, and mandates every day people who work hard at regular jobs to pay someone elses way.
Then there is the private sector which is the more proper way to slow down in some form of retirnement. Sadly, our system is broken and there is little if any legitamate form of saving for retirnment. The Bond Market has been leveraged beyond it's capacity to pay a reasonable return and is being upheld by the U.S. Treasury Department who simply digitally prints more money and gives it to the Treasury Department to keep the Bond Market from crashing. The banks pay very little interest an the stock market is basically gambling.
NO MENTION OF RETIREMENT
There is NO mention of retirnement in the Bible. We seem to want it in an effort to eliminate the "sweat from our face" (Genesis 3:19).
Our modern day idea of retirement was formed in the 1950's, and was basically an America idea at the time due to our wealth. As the US became wealthier, with access to better food, medical care and transportation, family dynamics change. For example, older generations started living longer and younger generations were financially capable of moving out and living on their own much sooner. As such, peple were able to have a much longer period of what we might call "retirenment, which was also much more active and pleasure focussed as a phase of life. But back then, that season still only spanned around 5-10 years before the person passed away.
Over the past 70 years, due to medical improvments and other developments, people have started living longer; in some cases people are retired almost as long as they have worked. As of 2024, one of the fastest growing segments of American society are those over the age of 85. Since many of them are thankfully in good health, they tend to focus on leasure (golf and travel), family (grandchildren), hobbies and more relaxation. These are good things when kep in persepective of God's calling upon their lives.
BACK TO THE BIBLE
Nowhere in the Bible does it mention that any of us with the ability to work should stop working. This does NOT mean that we ought to work until we die, but that the work we do later in life is diferent. As Christians, our goal ought to be to "finish well". A person may semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. As such, our retirenment is a phase of life where we can use our gifts, skills and abilities to glorify God differently than we we may have worked full-time. This doesn't mean that we ought not play golf or travel but that our comfort and enjoyment-our focus in this stage of life ought not be so self-absorbed that we miss the joy and calling that God planned for us.
THIRD: Retirement can and should be a wonderful time of taking it easy and not having to report to the stressful work environment we find ourselves in today. This is called "Semi-Retirenement". This is the proper idea of retirenment as it's here that we have the opporutnity to give back to society in the name of our Lord-helping serve at church and help others less fortunate than us with the goal to fulfill all that God has called us to. We can't take any of the wealth we amass with us, so we might as well glorify God with all He has lent us in the temporal to help other in light of eternity.
CONCLUSION
Let's remember the Westminster Shorter Catechism whish says that "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever." How will you fulfill that during retirement? Perhaps that's a good question for all of us to ponder.
