10/30/2024
Retirement
Retirement ¬¬–– this is entirely biblical, isn’t it?
Oh, sure it is, you find it everywhere. Here now, let me site a few verses.
(one month later)
All right, I give up. Wow! What was I thinking. The opposite is the truth. Moses didn’t retire, David, Jeremiah, Jonah, Paul, John, and all the rest, no one retired nor is there any talk of it either. Not one word about retiring from Genesis to Revelation. Enough said, so where did the idea of retirement come from?
Actually, it is a relatively new paradigm, borne out of a culture where a person could stop work and rely upon savings and government support. Several generations ago, before social security, families took care of each other. I recall a big three-story house in Forest Grove, Oregon where several generations lived together. The necessity of this changed in the 1930s, in America at least. Social Security!
And I recall two of my grandfathers who worked as long as they could and were cared for by family when they could no longer plow the fields.
Things have radically changed in our own day with the afore mentioned income sources and the decline of the family with roughly 52% of married couples divorcing, and of course other social factors woven into the fabric.
So, I hear that I should retire from one or two, but the idea is out there. Let me, in just a few words, explain why I am not retiring.
First of all, I can still do the work, well much of the time. And just about as I have for decades. Indeed, I do see myself slowing down some, but not much. Still, I know what is coming. And when I see it developing, by the grace of God and words of wisdom from those close to me, I will relinquish what is obvious.
I watched my dad slow it down. He died at age 90. He sold Fuller Brushes for fifty years, and it was hard work, walking miles every day carrying that heavy case of products.
For the sake of our little MAC, I do have to see to it that the work goes on and I know my capacity will slowly limit my ability to do the heavy lifting, which is why I am planning for the future. Please understand that I am not in a hurry about it. At present we have wonderful leaders, teachers, preachers; we will be able to do the work. For those who have been around for some time they will bear witness that I have been looking out there for years now, and finding next to nothing, I have developed pastors from within. And this is working out just fine right now.
Let me use my sports coaching as an example. While coaching baseball at Tam High about nine years ago, it became obvious to me that I could no longer hit fly balls to the outfield during the warmups just prior to the start of a game. I could hit ground balls to the infield, so this is what I did. That was about it, I could do most else, and it is the same today.
We want to continue to ask our Lord to bring to us those whom He will call and establish. Some of the outreaches we are now involved in, I mean for example the television work, would likely cease. No worry here; we will see it develop.
But for me to retire altogether –– this is quite unbiblical
Slow down –– this is to be expected
Finally give it all up –– never!
