Lately a spate of people have asked me about retirement and they seem puzzled by the fact that in spite of being financially capable of retiring and having reached the age of 65, I don’t want to retire. I see the same thing from various sports announcers questioning the sanity of those like NFL legend Brett Favre and others who seem to keep playing until their bodies just cannot take it anymore.
I cannot speak for Brett Favre, but I suspect that he feels similarly to me in that he is not motivated necessarily by making more money, but stays in the game because he loves it.
Interestingly to me the Bible does not reference retirement other than saying some of the priests in Moses’ day should retire from their priestly duties of carrying heavy urns of water and instead take on more of a teaching role. Aside from that I couldn’t find a reference. God certainly hasn’t retired.
I spoke with someone the other day about this issue and he ruefully smiled and told me that I missed a one person that the Bible documents as having retired.
I looked at him and said, “I did?”
He responded, “Yes, what about Mary Magdalene? She retired from prostitution. Ba-ha-ha-ha!”
I replied, “She just changed professions and became a disciple of Jesus… Ba-ha-ha-ha!”
There is nothing wrong with “changing” jobs. In fact Matthew Henry said that when people perform their work “with an eye to God, they are as truly serving Him in it as when they are upon their knees”
Selah…
One of my heroes is Thomas Jefferson. Recently a friend sent me a list of his accomplishments during a long fruitful life. I hope you will find it as interesting as I did.
“Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped.
At 5, began studying under his cousin’s tutor.
At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.
At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.
At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.
At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
At 23, started his own law practice.
At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
At 31, wrote the widely circulated “Summary View of the Rights of British America” and retired from his law practice.
At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence .
At 33, took three years to revise Virginia ’s legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.
At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.
At 40, served in Congress for two years.
At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.
At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.
At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.
At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of Republican Party ( originally known as the Democratic-Republican Party ).
At 57, was elected the third president of the United States .
At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation’s size.
At 61, was elected to a second term as President.
At 65, retired to Monticello .
At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president.
At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence along with John Adams “
John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: “This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”
“When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe .” – Thomas Jefferson
“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.” – Thomas Jefferson
“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.” – Thomas Jefferson
“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” – Thomas Jefferson
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.” – Thomas Jefferson
“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” – Thomas Jefferson
“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”- Thomas Jefferson
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” – Thomas Jefferson
“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” – Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property – until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”
Oh to have leaders like Thomas Jefferson again…Remember life is short and time is running out… So…
Eph. 5:16
Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.