Retirement Insights

  As we journey through retirement, we, as Christian men, are called to recalibrate our time, relationships, finances, purpose, and spiritual life. This new stage of life provides an opportunity to reflect on what it truly means to live a fulfilling life and how we can continue to serve God and others with intention and joy. While each of us may have different visions of what a balanced retirement looks like, we share the common goal of living fully for God’s glory. We hold fast to His promise: “I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you” (Isaiah 46:4). To help guide our reflections, here are seven key areas to consider as we seek a fulfilling, purposeful, and balanced retirement: 1. Social & Family Relationships Strong social and family connections are essential for our emotional well-being. They provide support, joy, and companionship as we face the challenges ...

What does "calling" mean when the 9-to-5 is behind us? At a recent meeting of our retired men’s group, we explored this critical and sometimes challenging question: What is our calling in retirement? For much of our lives, our calling may have been closely tied to our careers. But when our job titles retire along with us, our sense of purpose doesn’t—and shouldn’t—go with them. Instead, retirement offers a unique opportunity to revisit and redefine our calling for this new stage of life. Four Questions to Discern Your Retirement Calling A helpful framework presented in our session centered on four questions—developed initially to guide vocational choices—but equally applicable as we reflect on our next chapter: What does the world need? Retirement doesn’t mean retreat. There are still needs all around us—family members, neighbors, church, nonprofits—places where our presence, wisdom, and availability can make a difference. What do you ...

Many things shape our understanding of grandparenting—our grandparents, popular culture, and hopefully, the Bible. Scripture challenges us to move beyond cultural expectations and embrace a higher calling. Dr. Mulvihill outlines four essential roles for Christian grandparents: Encouraging Voice – A cheerleader who offers kind words and spiritual support. Supportive Parent – A steady helping hand for our adult children as they raise their families. Loving Friend – A trusted companion who listens with compassion. Disciple-Maker – A mentor in the faith who intentionally helps grandchildren know and follow Christ. We must ask: How am I helping my grandchildren grow in Christ? What goals am I setting as a spiritual guide? Rejecting Cultural Messages Modern culture sends grandparents three harmful messages: Live independently of your family. You’ve worked hard—now it’s time to focus on yourself. Just have fun with your grand...

 Friendship in retirement isn’t always easy. Many of us have seen relationships drift as careers wind down, kids move away, and routines shift. However, according to Brad Hambrick’s Transformative Friendships: 7 Questions to Deepen Any Relationship , our later years can be some of the richest when it comes to cultivating meaningful, soul-enriching friendships. Drawing from Proverbs 27:17 (“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”) and Proverbs 18:24 (“There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”), Hambrick reminds us that friendship is both simple and meaningful. The trick isn’t to make relationships perfect, but to gently, intentionally deepen them. Seven Simple Questions The heart of Hambrick’s message is built around seven questions. They aren’t complicated. In fact, they’re so basic that they might seem too easy at first glance. But when used consistently—and with genuine curiosity—they can help move a relationship from small talk to something truly l...

In our recent discussion group, we turned our attention to a sobering but profoundly important topic—death, not in the abstract but as a deeply human, spiritual, and relational experience. Drawing from Robb Noll’s The Art of Dying: Living Fully Into the Life to Come , we explored how modern culture has drifted far from the Christian tradition of dying well and why recovering this lost art matters now more than ever. Facing the Unspoken As Noll notes, contemporary Americans live in unprecedented denial of death. We’ve pushed it out of sight—out of homes, out of conversation, and too often, out of church life. This denial may feel like progress, but it comes at a cost. We’ve lost the ability to help people die well and to mourn well. We’ve forgotten that death is not just a medical event—it’s a deeply spiritual one. Christian tradition once upheld the “good death,” an approach where final moments became a time of reconciliation, repentance, spiritual preparation, and ultimately, a ...

 Christine Benz’s How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful, and Wealthy Retirement is a thought-provoking and practical guide to navigating one of life’s biggest transitions. Drawing on her expertise as Morningstar’s Director of Personal Finance, Benz compiles insights from 20 retirement thought leaders, each contributing a single lesson on what makes retirement fulfilling and financially secure. While the perspectives sometimes differ, the book offers a wealth of guidance for those planning their retirement or already living it. In this post, I’ll share some key lessons that stood out. One recurring theme from Benz’s interviews is the challenge of finding purpose after leaving the workforce. Retirement often brings a sudden shift in daily structure and a sense of identity. As one expert explains, “Serotonin gets released by our body as a way of rewarding us for maintaining a higher social status, and we lose that when we leave the workforce. In fact, it’s as if we had...