Unlocking God's purpose for your retirement

Jim Brangenberg Jan. 23, 2023

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iRetire4Him: It's a statement about life, a declaration of faith, and a life plan. It is also a challenge worth choosing. iRetire4Him ignites the journey to redefining retirement. Let's break it down.

i

Me, myself, and i. The lower case i makes someone else the focus. He is. It is a personal statement that declares a conviction.

Retire

Retirement is a concept brought on by the postindustrial man in the 1950s. Before 1980, most people never lived much past 65 or 70 because they worked so hard. Americans equate retirement from a job to retiring from life. By definition, retirement means to pull away or withdraw. Financial retirement leads many to stop their career and withdraw from purpose and productivity.

The Bible only has one mention of retirement. At age 50, the Levitical priest stepped out of the priesthood's physical phase and into a mentoring phase. Butchering animals for sacrifice in the temple was hard work and involved a lifetime of learning. This single example of retirement in Scripture is a great model for the modern retiree.

Instead of sitting in the grandstands watching the younger generations lead the Kingdom on earth, retirement can be a chance to get back on the playing field, mentoring and coaching the action in your area of expertise.

4

3 + 1 = 4. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit + You. Add yourself into the equation with the Trinity of God. Work together with the Heavenly Father in your life. He teaches us to focus on others. Not for you but 4 Him to be 4 others.

Him: Almighty God

Him with a capital H is our Heavenly Father. When we focus on Him in this last phase of life, He is in the spotlight of all we do. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that He knows the plans for our future. Let's do it for Him.

Most of us work with our eyes set on some version of the American Dream: a second home, winters in the south, endless rounds of golf, sleeping in, no calendar, no boss, etc. This list sounds good. But is that all retirement offers?

Will this list lead to peace and contentment, or leave you bored and resentful? iRetire4Him means you can enjoy some of these things and still have a purpose that makes you want to get up in the morning.

The American Dream of retirement has deceived many of us. The American Dream promises wealth and prosperity with a lifetime of vacation, but it's filled with empty promises and false hopes.

The American Dream doesn't lead to peace and contentment. It leads to boredom and poor health. We all know someone searching for a purpose in life. They won't find it in constant pleasure. Most of them would give anything to be back at work, even the work they were doing for the last 40 years. Work appeared to provide them with purpose.

To talk about retirement, we need to learn about work. Work was provided by God to bring glory to Him. Our Father in Heaven is a worker, and we are to be like Him throughout our lives.

In Genesis 1 and 2, God laid out His plan for mankind. His blueprint included many responsibilities, but essentially, He directed us to work. He also commanded a day of rest every week to refresh and focus on family and Him. It is very important to recognize that work was given to Adam and Eve as a gift.

It was not a result of the curse of sin. We know that work is a gift because we love to work. Maybe you didn't love the work you had been doing, but you love it when you work and receive a sense of accomplishment. Re-read Genesis 2 and see how God created work for us. It was good.

As I mentioned before, retirement is only mentioned once in the Bible. Numbers 8:23–26 instructs the Levites to work from the age of 25 to 50. Even after the age of 50, they are encouraged to support the priest but no longer officiate in the service.

The Bible doesn't teach an end to our working years. Instead of saying, "I retired," you can learn to say "iRetire4Him." In this phase, we can have purpose and direction without the demands of the daily grind. Consider serving those in the game rather than sitting in the bleachers as spectators.

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think (Rom. 12:2 NLT).

This verse is crucial to understand. As Jesus followers, we get to live a transformed life different from the world around us. For us to do that, we need to change the way we think.

Retirement, the way the world touts it, is different than God's desire for your life. He wants you part of the game, not sitting in the stands. God made you in His image. He is a worker, and so are you. So, let's embrace iRetire4Him and see what's next.

Excerpted fromiRetire4Him,by Jim and Martha Brangenberg, 2021. Used with permission.

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Jim Brangenberg is an established leader in the faith and work movement who has over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and business owner. In 2013, God called him and his wife, Martha, to begin the iWork4Him Talk Show, where they have had the privilege of challenging thousands across the globe with the simple message that your workplace is your mission field. In addition, he and Martha have co-authored a series of collaborative books, iWork4Him, sheWorks4Him, and iRetire4Him. Learn More »

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