Retirement / Redirection / Redeployment

Retiring from a job is often a confusing, painful time of life. Why? Because for many of us, our job is what defines us. And when the job is gone, we don’t know what to do. The same confusion often occurs for stay-at-home moms when the last of their children leave the home (though many moms throw parties and cruise the Caribbean).

In either case, “What’s next for me?” is the unavoidable question.

For a Christian, the answer is this: “In this next phase of my life, I will continue to pursue God’s purposes for my life.” These purposes include:

• Growing in Christlike character (Col. 3:1–17)

• Serving others (1 Pet. 4:10–11)

• Introducing non-Christians to God the Father through Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:18–21)

• Helping Christians to obey Jesus’s teachings (Matt. 28:19–20)

• Loving God with every part of our being (Matt. 22:37–40)

While our life contexts will change (e.g., single or not, children in the home or not, working or not), God’s purposes for our lives do not change. In that regard, for the Christian “redirection” or “redeployment” are better words than “retirement.”

Below I list resources that will help you see that more clearly.

*An Uncommon Guide to Retirement by Jeff Haanen (2): A wise and balanced guide to retirement. In each of the ten short chapters, he presents “common” (or conventional) thinking vs. “uncommon” wisdom from God. For example, common wisdom says, “Work is just something you do until you make enough money,” while uncommon wisdom says, “Work is inherently good and a way we reflect the image of God” (p. 79). What he writes seems so obvious, which is the sign of a gifted teacher.

Rethinking Retirement by John Piper (3): This book provides a theological vision for retirement. Available as a free download or for purchase, Piper challenges us to see retirement as a continuation of our life calling—to treasure Jesus Christ and to display his worth to others.