Distinctively Christian Retirement: A Biblical call to serve Jesus well in older age

by Simon van Bruchem

Most of us simply assume that we have a right to retire from work and spend the rest of our lives doing whatever we want. While the idea of a long holiday sounds wonderful, this is not the whole truth. Retirement is a relatively new concept in world history and often brings relationship challenges, health problems, and crises of purpose and motivation. It is often not the paradise we have been promised.

God's word never encourages us to take an extended holiday towards the end of our lives; while the concept of retirement is not found in the Bible, God's word remains very helpful for us as we prepare for our later years. God speaks to us through his Word about important issues like purpose, death and identity that make sense of the struggles many retirees face. The book of Ecclesiastes is a particularly rich source of wisdom for us as we consider the best way to live out our lives in God's world.

This book aims to give Christians a Biblical vision for how our later years might be used to serve Jesus.

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 10, 2022

About the author

Simon van Bruchem is a pastor of All Nations Presbyterian Church in Perth, Western Australia, where he has served since 2007. He completed his Master of Divinity at Trinity Theological College after a previous career as an industrial chemist. He considers it a great privilege to be able to study and teach the wonderful news about Jesus from the Bible full time.

Simon is married to Andrea, and together they parent three boys, ensuring life is consistently interesting and busy. When he is not involved with his work of pastoring the church and his family, he loves to tend to his fruit trees, play golf and read widely.

Simon has also authored ‘Fear Not: What the Bible has to say about angels, demons, the occult and Satan’.

Simon blogs regularly at www.writtenforourinstruction.com.

Reviews

[Becka · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there are some ideas in this book that I believe are taken to extremes, there are still many valuable takeaways. For example, one of the main gists of the book is that retiring from work doesn’t mean retiring from serving God. I do feel that the book became pretty repetitive, which made it somewhat difficult to maintain focus.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Marylou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book challenges our cultural view that retirement should be a continual vacation. Instead the author, Simon van Bruchem, challenges us to see it as a new season in which to glorify God. Drawing heavily on the Bible, especially the book of Ecclesiastes, he makes the case that all of our life is an opportunity to serve God in some way.

A Christian should look different in retirement as in the rest of life. We have a purpose, an identity, and hope in God. We have a family in our local church. We have an eternal value in the eyes of God. "Old age is a blessing and not a curse," he says. "Living for Jesus instead of filling our idle time with whatever grabs our fancy will mean a fuller and more contented life, a life full of joy."

I enjoyed this book and found it very helpful. It affirmed my own belief that we never retire from serving God. The ways in which we do so will alter as we age. But we always have some way we can serve.

It also reminds us of the importance of intergenerational interaction - we all have something to offer each other. Older people have wisdom and experience while young people have energy and strength. We all benefit from one another.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read and understand, yet not shy from telling us what the Bible has to say about ageing and retirement for those who follow God. It challenges common beliefs and cultural norms, and puts the focus on service to God through our whole life, rather than wasting our years. Great read.

[MellyK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuine wake-up call to make the most of our time on this earth now - while preparing for eternity in heaven.

[Bill Pence · Rating 4 out of 5]

This helpful book was written by a pastor who serves in Western Australia. His aim with the book is to help Christians think about what it means to live a life serving Jesus in retirement. He considers what serving Jesus might look like in the latter stages of life, with the time and resources we have, by looking at what the Bible has to say on the topic.
The book is broken into four sections:
Section 1: Retirement is not the paradise we are looking for
Section 2: Regaining a firm foundation: What the Bible says about age and maturity
Section 3: Practical challenges retirement poses
Section 4: Living out a godly life in retirement
The author tells us that retirement is not a Biblical concept, with no passage describing or encouraging a significant period of leisure in the latter part of life. He also states that retirement in the form we have today was simply unheard of as recently as a hundred and fifty years ago, though most people living in the Western world now see retirement as a fundamental right. He states that this view of retirement is proving to have severe consequences for society, our mental health, and the church.
The author tells us that work is essential for us. We were made to be workers. The empty feeling that many retirees experience could well be related to the fact that we were made to work, as our God works, and not to simply spend time in leisure.
He tells us that if we base our self-worth on what we have contributed to society and what we have achieved financially, the transition to retirement will be very difficult. When people retire, especially in Western cultures, it is common to feel less respected and valued by others. However, if we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are of infinite value in the sight of God. This is where our worth truly lies.
Throughout the book, the author often quotes from the biblical book of Ecclesiastes. Among the many subjects the author addresses are depression and other health issues, old age, loneliness, death, striving for godliness, “bucket list”, retirement as an extended vacation, money, serving God in the local church and wider community, evangelism, finishing well, and change.
This is a helpful book for the Christian to make their retirement years different from the rest of the culture, to see retirement not as an extended vacation, filled with only travel, hobbies and recreation, but as a great opportunity to serve God.

[DR · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a real gem of a book, packed with wisdom – in palatable portions.
I learnt a lot from this book!
Retirement is not a right.
Retirement is not Biblical.
Retirement is a relatively recent concept (I had not associated it with Bismarck...)
A timely reminder that we are “answerable to God” for the time He has gifted us; and I appreciated that the chronically ill/disabled were included.
The importance of the “mingling of age groups” within the Church was also addressed.
Easily read in one sitting, this is a book to be re-read & re-read, as we digest the content. (There are so many things I want to underline, that I will have to get a print copy!)
I could easily have filled this review with quotes from the book – it’s that good! - but instead, may I strongly suggest that you read it for yourself. Packed with sound information, written in a clear & very easy-to-read style, it is never remotely ‘preachy’. It is full of Biblical truths, clearly presented & relevant whether or not we have reached retirement age.
As well as being personally challenging for readers, I can see this book being prime for discussion in groups.
At the very least, every church library should have a copy – no, make that several!

[Peter Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Distinctively Christian Retirement. I read the book at a time that questions and decisions around my own retirement were pressing in on me. The book has given me a thoughtful Christian framework for tackling these very personal questions. A number of specific issues weighed on me as I thought through the issues, and then as I digested the book. In each case, Simon van Bruchem has answered these beautifully, with compelling biblical and practical insights. As I pen these words, I do so feeling far more clear and much more emotionally settled about the prospects of my own impending, but also distinctively Christian, retirement.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this 200 page book. Extremely well written and very insightful given the author is a relatively young pastor from Perth. Clearly an intelligent and thoughtful author who writes convincingly on the importance of not wasting ones retirement years. He has a sensible vision for retirees serving Jesus in our later years. I am now looking forward to his other book: Fear Not: What the Bible has to say about angels, demons, the occult and Satan.' 5 stars.

[Helen Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with a good combination of Biblical examples and helpful practical applications to challenge our thinking.