retirementAre you retired? When I left teaching to have my first child, I told my husband I was retiring. I had no intention of going back into the classroom to teach. I wanted to stay home with my children.  Fortunately, we were on the same page.

While I retired from teaching in a traditional classroom, I’ve never stopped teaching.  My classroom just looks a little less conventional today. It may be a coffee shop with two or three students, a church gathering or a safe house where survivors of sex trafficking are living.

Retirement is not found in the Word of God.

I’ve looked it up in the NIV, NAS, and KJV of the Word and it doesn’t exist. You have to ask yourself why.

It’s really very simple… retirement isn’t part of God’s plan.

Now before you go getting your panties in a wad, I’m not talking about retirement from your vocation. He even had the men working in the Tent of Meeting retire from their labor at age fifty [Numbers 8:22-26]. God speaks about us retiring from our vocation, not our work for Him.

Consider the ages of many of the men in the Old Testament when they were doing God’s work.  Noah was five hundred years old when he became a father and he hadn’t even built the ark yet [Genesis 5:32]. Abraham was a hundred when Isaac was born [Genesis 21:5]. I don’t know about you, but I think God is totally okay with older people being parents.  Maybe they have more wisdom to spare in old age.  Anyway, my point is, if there is air in your lungs, then God is expecting you to be about your Father’s business [Luke 2:49].

Need further proof?  Acts 13:36 says,

For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.”

David had done all God called him to do.  Once he completed it, the Lord called David to Himself. That’s retirement for Christians.  Once we’ve completed what God has called us to do, He calls us home. Our work is done. So, if you’re still here, no matter how old you are, you’re not done.

Last night I had the privilege to speak to First Baptist Church in Dallas, Georgia about the issue of sex trafficking. The room was packed with people varying in age range. At the end of my message, I went to work the book table and talk with the guests as they left. They were such sweet people and they were so eager to join the fight. One sweet woman melted my heart. I cannot remember her name, but I’ll never forget what she said. She grabbed my hand in hers and said,

I am an old woman, eighty-one years old. I don’t know what I can do to help, but I have to do something. Is there anything an old woman can do for these girls?”

My heart melted. This precious one understood that there isn’t retirement in the Kingdom until you’re called home. I proceeded to tell her about Out of Darkness and how they have safe houses in the area where she could visit with survivors, pray with them, take the out for coffee and just be the grandmother they never had. She was thrilled.

I don’t know if you are in the workforce, a stay-at-home mom or retired from your vocation. Either way, I want you to do a test for me. Take a deep breath. Now let it out. If you were able to accomplish that task, then you’re still living. If you’re still living then God still has work for you to do. When you’re done, you’ll know it.  You’ll be looking at Him face to face.

So why are you sitting around reading this blog? There’s work to be done. Go ask the Lord what your task is for today. He’s got one for you; He’s just waiting for you to ask.