Turning up at the church hall for ‘Retirement Matters’ I didn’t know what to expect, except for the coffee and cake of course. There was a wide range of people, from those who have quite a while to go until they retire, to those who have quite a lot of experience of it!
We first explored what retirement means to each of us, the hopes and concerns. Retirement can be defined as stopping ‘paid’ work’. Most people are very pleased to stop work, but for some it can be a forced retirement at perhaps an earlier age than expected through ill health or redundancy. For some it is a loss of a community, friends or routine.
Some of the words used, associated with retirement were:
- free time
- rest
- not having to work
- loss of value
- more time to serve
- loneliness
- burden on society and family
- health
We then looked at what the Christian viewpoint could / should be: Our identity is in Christ We are still valued all the same as God’s children We must look at the eternal perspective – heaven Opportunity to share wisdom and experience with others Time to grow in godliness Time to pray Time to read and share Time to serve in different ways
As with all the other phases of life, Jesus is with us and faith plays a crucial role as we transition, providing guidance, comfort, and inspiration.
Some Bible verses we looked at were: Romans 12:1-2 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 2 Timothy 4:6-8 Romans 12:11 “Never be lacking in spiritual zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.”
A great way to finish the session and we were encouraged to advance glory in all that we do – whether we are looking to retire, are retired, or haven’t really thought about it!
Conclusion: Retirement matters – yes, it does!