When is it Time to Stop Paid Employment?

Seven more years of work!

These words came to my mind one Friday night in the fall of 2019. They elicited a wide range of emotions at that very moment: peace, fear, relief, uncertainty, determination, focus, and hope. Since that time, I have added two more years to my timeline. I shared it with my wife, and I believe I have her blessing. Lord willing, my full-time job will end in the fall of 2028. I will be 70 years old.

Gene Veith, in God at Work shares this helpful insight: “Retirement from a lifelong vocation can be difficult, especially for those with Protestant work ethics. Properly, though, the laying down of a vocation after many years of work is a kind of Sabbath, a kind of reward for service rendered.”

Although I am looking forward to being set free from the stressful responsibilities of full-time paid employment, I am quite anxious about it. I anticipate that it will be extremely difficult for me to let it all go. As I think about the future, I am also reminded of a verse that applies to this personal decision: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” (Prov. 27:1). 

In the reflection that follows, I do not intend to boast about my decision. I am not a subject matter expert on this topic. I still have a lot to learn. However, it is something I am very much interested in at this point in my life. I think that it is a topic worthy of discussion from a theological perspective.

Some things to consider

Let me start with a long quote from my book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession.

It is obvious that in everyone’s life there will come a point in which hard decisions have to be made with respect to discontinuing employment and forgoing a full-time paycheck. Physical ailments, limitations, or disabilities plus the diminished mental capacity that often accompanies getting older will make it abundantly clear that it will be time to remove ourselves from the workforce since it would no longer be a good investment for our employer.

Once we are exempt from the nine-to-five job, we are free to make ourselves available to God and to others, serving them wholeheartedly with what remains of our bodies, minds, and time.

John Becket, in Mastering Monday: A Guide to Integrating Faith and Work exhorts, “God would want the latter years of our lives to be exceedingly fruitful – a time of influence and opportunity, years when we synthesize the wisdom gained from a lifetime of experience, years when we can impart strength to emerging generations, years when we can wisely steward resources that have been entrusted to us. In a way, these years are a test of all we truly believe. The Lord wants us to succeed to the last. He wants us to finish strong.”

I would like to think that during this final season of work and for the remainder of my life after I stop taking a paycheck, I could finish well. I hope I could exemplify Ps. 92:14, “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.” I am committed to pushing myself until it is clear I need to step aside and let someone else take my responsibilities. When that day comes, I am confident that I will find something of value to do with my time and talents for the glory of God.

Linda’s story

I know I am a little biased, but I have a good example of someone who left her career gracefully. Recently, in a session where I have been teaching this book to a small group as part of our military chapel community’s Wednesday night discipleship program, my wife shared her experience several years ago when she sensed after nearly 20 years that it was time to retire from teaching preschool.

She began to notice that she was struggling more than a little bit with her physical limitations and also with her emotional ones as well. Occasionally, she would get short with kids just being kids, which wasn’t fair to them. This difficult decision on the timing of her departure was completely up to her. She chose to get out before her limitations became a burden to her students and her coworkers.

I did not realize at the time (as I was focused more on the loss of income) that she executed a rather impressive and selfless exit strategy. This inspires me to do the same kind of honest assessment when I begin to see that I can no longer fulfill my responsibilities to my boss, coworkers, and customers.

Example from Scripture

In addition to the personal example above, there is a brief incident in the life of the prophet Elijah where he recognized that his calling had come to an end, and he handed his ministry off to Elisha.

In 1 Kings 19:9-21, we read what happened to Elijah immediately following his decisive victory over the prophets of  Baal in the previous chapter. Here, we see a God who is faithful to His chosen vessel and is still very much present with him. Yahweh speaks to Elijah in a still, small voice, or a “low whisper” in the ESV (v. 12). God gives him instructions about anointing kings over Syria and Israel, and then He basically fires him. God orders Elijah to anoint Elisha to be Yahweh’s new prophet.

The transition between old and new prophets is a mere blip on the radar screen. Elijah departs from the cave and finds Elisha who was plowing with a dozen yoke of oxen. It says that Elijah “passed by him and cast his cloak upon him” (1 Kings 19:19). After sacrificing the oxen, he went with Elijah.

It is an understatement that Elijah was worn out from defeating the prophets of Baal. He may have been depressed. God could have restored him and continued to use him, but He graciously allowed Elijah to finish out his career on a high note and begin the process of training his replacement.

My plan as I move forward

As I mentioned earlier, my revised timeline is about five years from now. I recently narrowed it down to the month and day in 2028. I will have spent just over 20 years on active duty and the same in civilian service. At that time, Lord willing, I can humbly take my final bow and exit stage left.

Between now and then, here are some of the considerations that I need to focus on:

• I want to finish strong, and not fizzle out
• If my mental or physical capacities begin to decline earlier than my target date, I want to be the first to recognize (not my boss) that it is time for me to go
• I need to ensure I set my successor up for success by leaving continuity files
• I want to give all the glory to God for putting me here in this position for such a time as this and for sustaining me for many years doing the same job
• I want to be prepared for the next chapter, which I hope involves more frequent writing and the opportunity to do some speaking

What if?

But what if I am not able to complete this plan? What if my job ends prematurely? What if I do?

As I said earlier, I am sometimes fearful about my future. What if I have a boss in a few years that does not appreciate my sense of humor, thinks I have become complacent, or is difficult to work for? What if I am told that my contributions are no longer needed, that I am too old, or that it is time for new blood in the organization? What if I have a major health issue that abruptly ends my career?

Obviously, I have no control over these things. I know I do not need to be anxious about them.

James shares this word: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:13-15). This is why Christians will often say, “Lord willing.” Our plans are always going to be tentative. God’s plans will stand. I think James’ main point is that our lives are fragile and unpredictable.

I need to be ready to go when God says it is time to go. He is in control. I work for Him. I have to trust Him to lead me all the way to the very end, just as He has led me in every phase of my career. I am counting on a solid Old Testament promise that has served me well my entire adult life: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines His steps” (Prov. 16:9). Just like the hymn, “Amazing Grace” says, “His grace has brought me safe thus far. His grace will lead me home.”

What about you?

Most Christians my age and older are in the same boat as me. You will also need to figure out when it is time to retire and how to navigate through the rough waters, asking for God’s wisdom as you row.

I hope that the career God graciously gave you has been a blessing to you, your family, and those you have served along the way. I trust that as you contemplate when and how you want to finish, you will make it your goal to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt. 25:21)

(Note: I encourage you to read another article I wrote on a similar topic: wrestling with ageism.)

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 42 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He is passionate about helping people with ordinary jobs experience God’s presence at work. Russ received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is a former junior/senior high school math teacher and youth minister. He served for 20 years on active duty and has worked for 15 years as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Since 2015, he has written over 200 articles on faith and work topics. Over one hundred of these have been published or posted on several Christian organization’s websites, including the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine. (See complete list of published articles on Linktree.)

Sacrificial Love Gives Us Endurance at Work

(Note: This article was published on the Christian Grandfather Magazine and The Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog, and was posted on the Coram Deo blog.)

Recently, I had some interesting thoughts regarding one of my favorite theology of work topics. Let me circle back to the subject of “thorns and thistles” of which I have written several articles on my blog and discussed in chapter 7 of my book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession.

I discovered a connection between Christian love and work that I had never noticed before. The main idea is that we can continue to pursue the challenging tasks we are called to do despite the difficulties we experience because love by definition implies sacrifice. We can endure during the hard times for three good reasons: 1) God calls us to work even though it is hard, 2), sacrifice demonstrates love to others, and 3) suffering for doing right is part of the normal Christian life. Let’s unpack this a bit.

God calls us to work, even though it is hard

Let me start at the beginning. In Gen. 1:28, God declares what is referred to as the creation or cultural mandate. It is both a blessing and a command. God had a critical job for Adam and Eve which also applies to us. They were called to cultivate the earth and bring out its potential, expand God’s creation, and be fruitful and multiply. This job began in Gen. 2:15 when God put them in the garden to work it.

We read in Gen. 3:16-19 that Adam’s sin resulted in God cursing the ground he was called to work. Instead of good things like food and flowers, the garden was now going to produce thorns and thistles, making work unnecessarily difficult. It also brought painful labor to Eve’s mission to bring forth new life. The very things that Yahweh called them to do were forever going to be harder than intended.

From this point forward, labor for men and women was going to be painful, time-consuming, frustrating, stressful, sweaty, and full of relational conflict. And yet, the work had to be done.

It also occurs to me that work is not just hard because of Adam’s sin and everyone else’s. It is hard by design. It takes physical effort to cut down trees, build a house, or haul in a net full of fish. It takes mental effort to analyze complex data, conduct legal research to defend a client, or to discover a cure for cancer. Even though work is hard, God created human beings in His image with strength of mind and body who have the capacity and capability to accomplish great things to expand His creation.

Sacrifice demonstrates love to others

The second reason that can motivate us to keep on working faithfully, even when it seems impossible is to do so, is to show love to those whom God has placed in our paths wherever it is that we work. If we press on when work is hard, it displays love to our bosses, coworkers, employees, and customers.

Love implies sacrifice. Love is defined as sacrificially meeting someone’s legitimate needs. We often have to give up something of ourselves: time, talent, or treasure. Think of the Good Samaritan. I am also reminded of Jesus washing the disciples’ dirty feet. That took love. (See John 13:1-17.)

The Apostle John wrote this powerful assessment regarding Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross for all humankind: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13).

There are countless examples of those whose work is incredibly difficult, and yet they continue doing it day after day because they love those whom they have been called to serve. Mothers and fathers immediately come to mind. They care for their children 24/7/365, keeping them alive, growing, and safe. There are many other workers who press on through incredible challenges. Think about teachers, nurses, police, etc., who do what they do out of love for those who desperately need their expertise.

Suffering is part of the Christian life

We have discussed that work is going to be difficult because of Adam’s sin. And yet, God calls us to work. When we willingly sacrifice our time, talent, and treasure, as well as giving up our pride, our sleep, a meal or two, and the freedom to do what we want in order to serve others, this demonstrates unconditional love. This kind of suffering, whether big or small, is a normal part of the Christian life.

The Apostle Peter gives Christian employees some helpful instructions. “Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.” (1 Peter 2:18). He exhorts workers to press on in spite of the actions of their sinful bosses. Peter also taught that suffering for doing good is to be expected. “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

I have only had a handful of what I would consider bad bosses in my many years with the Army. There was one I had a few years ago that forced me to focus on applying these biblical principles. I had to pray about my attitude and depend on the Holy Spirit to guide me as I responded to her yelling at me.

Working in an environment filled with sinful men and women (including ourselves) is one result of the Fall. This is the doctrine of original sin. (I invite you to read an article I wrote about this topic.)

We also know well that trials we go through build our character and increase our faith (James 1:2-4). Think of those irritating things and selfish people at work as a trial or a test that we must endure.

The good news is that God did not leave Adam and Eve to remain in the mess that they created for themselves and us. The gospel of Jesus Christ brings to all some measure of relief from the curse. He may not redeem work in this life, but He does redeem, renew, and restore workers who belong to Him.

Sherman and Hendricks, in Your Work Matters to God put this consequence of Adam’s sin in proper perspective. I absolutely love this quote. “Work is not our enemy. Sin is our enemy. And only Christ is adequate to deal with sin. His strategy for dealing with sin, however, is never to remove us from the jungle, but instead to make us adequate to live in the jungle … Sin may make the work world a jungle. But we must never forget that Christ is the Lion of Judah, the King of the jungle!”  Hallelujah!

Parting thoughts

When our jobs are the most difficult, if we reach out to the Lord by faith and seek His face in the Word and in prayer, His presence will be with us to give us strength to persevere through every trial we face.

As we serve our bosses, coworkers, employees, and customers with God’s sacrificial love that was modeled for us by Jesus, we glorify God. We put the spotlight on the one who redeems workers and enables them by grace to bring a bit of the Kingdom of God to our workplaces. God’s curse on work will continue until Jesus returns, but until then, let us continue to be faithful to love others in spite of it.

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 42 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He is passionate about helping people with ordinary jobs experience God’s presence at work. Russ received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is a former junior/senior high school math teacher and youth minister. He served for 20 years on active duty and has worked for 15 years as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Since 2015, he has written over 200 articles on faith and work topics. Over one hundred of these have been published or posted on several Christian organization’s websites, including the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine. (See complete list of published articles on Linktree.)