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John Piper challenges fellow baby boomers to forego the American dream of retirement and live out their golden years with a far greater purpose in mind.
They say it’s a person’s reward for all those years of labor. “Turn in your time card and trade in your IRAs. Let travel plans and golf-course leisure lead the way.” But is retirement really the ideal? Or is it a series of poor options that ignore a greater purpose—and will kill a person more quickly than old age?
John Piper responds: “Lord, spare me this curse!” And his resounding message is for anyone who believes there’s far more to the golden years than accumulating comforts. It’s for readers who long to finish better than they started, persevere for the right reasons (and without fear), experience true security, value what lies beyond their cravings, and live dangerously for the One who gave his life in his prime. With this brief book, Piper is sure to spur fellow baby boomers in their resolve to invest themselves in the sacrifices of love—and to grow old with godly zeal. .... from the publisher, Crossways.
You can get this yet to be released book for free, at the present:
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This describes exactly how I've felt for nearly a decade. After seeing how some of my loved ones lived after retirement, I realize I didn't want that. There's also nothing in the scriptures that teaches "retirement" the way we Americans do it.
It makes more sense to me to seek the Lord for how we should live our lives, and pursue what we enjoy most vocationally until we die in the harness. I love how Psalm 92:12-14 puts it:
"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;"
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Pat, several days ago media mogul Ted Turner did an interview with Morley Safer of 60 minutes (available on podcast). Ted stated that the average life expectancy after retirement is about 2 years.
The aging Ted said he had no plans of slowing down.
Let US continue on in the power of His might!
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. - Jesus Christ.
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Our view is that work should be gradually increased and gradually decreased throughout one's whole life.
By age 4 a child should have work to do, and at 84, an elder should be telling stories to the children.
The idea of age holding us back until 18 and then cutting us off at 65 is not only unnatural, it is wicked, and results in an idle populace that does not value work, does not know how to work, and spends money it does not have. Does that sound familiar?
Here's another idea now ready for realization: As life expectancy is increasing so must Christian eldering occur on a commensurate level. Older ones should be thinking:
"God has given me a longer life than my predecessors - I must use those extra opportunities for Him and for the service of his Kingdom. I must be a faithful guide to the younger ones in my world as long as I have breath."
The number of elderly saints wasting away in front of the television, rather than seeking the Lord and seeking ways to be a blessing is surely a tragedy in our day.
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My mother in-law is an inspiration in this area. She lives in a TINY rural town (my husbands graduating class was 9- which is a large class for this school). The local community church is not much larger than what could fit in a house, and yet my mother-in-law has had a huge impact on the world. She became a christian at age 39 through a bible study she hosted at her house that was put on by a traveling evangelist, and has been spreading God's word ever since. She turns 90 this year and yet continues to host and teach bible studies in her home. She has touched hundreds of lives who have moved on to other towns, states, and even countries! Physicaly she has slowed down, but spiritualy has continued to be a vessel that God uses to reach many! I pray that I am like her when I am 90!!!
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