Two Stories of Retirement: Common vs. Uncommon
Every year in the United States, more than 4.1 million people turn sixty-five. Behind that number is a much bigger story. Millions of people are stepping out of the full-time workforce and into a new chapter of life. And many of them are asking the same question: Who am I and what do I do now?
The Common Story We Inherit
Most of us have been passively forming an answer to that question long before we ever reach retirement. We have inherited a definition from what we see on TV commercials, broadcasted as a life free from burden and responsibility.
The cultural story of retirement is surprisingly simple:
Work hard for decades.
Save as much as you can.
Step away from it all.
Finally enjoy life on your terms
Retirement becomes the reward for surviving the pressures of work.
But the very word retirement carries its own narrative assumptions. Joel Malick puts it this way in his book, Afterwork: “The word retire carries an underlying connotation of something that's old, tired, worn out, not as useful as it once was, and even obsolete.”
Even if we would never say it out loud, the cultural assumptions linger beneath the surface.The cultural story quietly suggests:
Your most meaningful work is behind you.
Your influence is shrinking.
The goal now is comfort and security.
In other words, the story assumes life gradually narrows with age.
But there is a much better story.
The Story Jesus is Authoring
We believe that Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Rather than being the center of our own universe, Jesus is the one who is worthy of all worship and praise. Our entire life, especially our retirement years, exist to answer the question, “How can I live the rest of my life to God’s glory?”
And God is so good to invite us to live with purpose, direction, focus, and fruitfulness in our elder years. Psalm 92:14 says, “They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green.” People with “sap” are full of vigor, enthusiasm, joy, and purpose. Sap for a tree is like blood in the arteries and veins of a human. Even as we age, Jesus is inviting us to be full of vitality, resilience, joy, and hope. The Christian vision of life is not one of diminishing usefulness, but of deepening purpose.
An Invitation to Encore Years
What we are actually aiming for is an Encore of life. After the main act of our career year is God’s desire to accomplish a culminating work in our Encore years. John 15:8 says, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” We never graduate from participating in God’s story. He is always inviting us into more opportunities to be like Him and love others.
The invitation of the Encore years is continuing to know, believe, and live in God’s call on our lives to do His will, to walk into the works He has prepared for us, and to bear fruit for His glory.
Living an Uncommon Life
While many are living a common retirement, an uncommon retirement looks like Psalm 37:4-5:
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act.”
Delighting in God - as much as we ever have, we aim to enjoy Jesus and His call on our lives. When He is our greatest joy, we will follow Him anywhere.
Align our Desires - as we delight in Him, we desire to do His will.
Designing a Plan - we define and articulate the most important commitments and relationships of our lives. We aim at invest in our lives in meaningful ministry - making disciples and living a life of service.
Devote - We give ourselves to these commitments, surrendering all the results of our efforts to God’s hands.
While many are leaving career and headed toward the sidelines, the greatest story is being in the middle of God’s will. Embrace the uncommon definition of retirement and live in God’s story.
Wherever you are in the process of thinking about your Encore, there are a few simple next steps to choose from:
If you’d like to talk one-on-one, I’d be glad to connect.
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