Is retirement biblical? I believe the short answer is no. Retirement is a cultural concept not a biblical one. The only time the idea of retirement is alluded to in the Scriptures is in Numbers 8:23-26. The Levite priests stopped their work when they turned 50. But if you read the context, they stop performing the work in the tabernacle, but they continued ministering. The focus was more on a transition than on retirement.

The first concept of retirement dates back to 1889, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck invented the idea of retirement, establishing the concept for the rest of us. The idea of our modern retirement came into being in the U.S. during the 1950’s and was a fairly American idea at the time. As the U.S. became wealthier, with access to better food, medical care and transportation, people lived longer and were able to have a longer period of retirement, which was a more active and pleasure focused phase of life.

The people of Okinawa have an outlook on life that is vastly different from those in the West. Guess what they call retirement in Okinawa? They don’t. They don’t even have a word for it. Literally nothing in their language describes the concept of stopping work completely. Instead, one of the healthiest societies in the world has the word ikigai (pronounced like “icky guy”), which roughly translates to “the reason you wake up in the morning.” It’s the thing that drives you most.

I’m coming up on age 68 and have no plans to retire.  I’m planning on taking my cues from Caleb in Joshua 14:6-15 where he receives his inheritance. In verse 7 he was forty years old when Moses sent him out to spy out the land. In verse 10 Caleb who is now (85 years old) says, the Lord has kept me alive these 45 years and in verse 12 he says, “Therefore give me this mountain” Caleb could have taken his leisure and had any land he wanted for his inheritance but instead said “Give me this mountain.” At 85 he was ready for his next assignment.

Bookshelves are filled with the secret to becoming a millionaire so you can retire by age 35 or 40. It amazes me the number of people who work themselves into the ground and pay a costly price health and relationship wise so they can retire early. Now that’s sad.

It’s fine to have an IRA or 401K plan and investments for later in life when your earning power is less, I have one. But do you really want to spend half of your life playing golf, traveling, or sitting around playing cards? What a waste! What a selfish way to live. Why would you waste the most productive years of your life just pursuing leisure?

 Question, are you really looking to retire early and have a 40-year vacation?

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