Walking into Retirement By Pastor Ben

Walking into Retirement
By Pastor Ben

As I approached the magic age of retirement, our eldest son began to show some signs of real concern for me. He had heard the horror stories, as I had, of how quickly after retirement many men just die. He began to pick up books for me about "How to have a happy retirement" and so on. He knew, and I knew it was not just automatic. For my part, I was too busy doing all those important things we pastors do to have time to read such trivial stuff! Over the years I had been hearing some preachers make the boast, "Preachers don't retire they just get re-fired." Or, "I haven't time to retire, there is still too much work to do." They made me think I would have to be backslidden to retire. So, I just put those thoughts on the back burner and kept on keeping on! Of course, there was also the concern about money; How could I afford to retire? I honestly thought I would probably work until I died, then leave instructions for this to be written on my tombstone, "He died with his boots on."

Well, here I am today, retired for over thirteen years, still alive, still happy, still enjoying life - and in different ways still contributing to the cause of Christ. How did this happen? As I ponder this question, obviously there are a number of contributing factors - which I would love to share at another time. For now, I will focus on just one thing that has been and is being a huge help to me.

I will never forget my first day as a retired pastor. Honestly, it was really a great feeling! So much so that I felt a bit guilty about it and wondered should I be feeling this good? After all, I genuinely loved my "work", I loved the people, I loved being able to help them, I knew I had been in God's will. I was totally flabbergasted at the things people said about us, and wrote in their cards and letters, at the time of our retirement party..... telling us how we had helped them. I just kept thinking, "I do not deserve this!" (But I sure did take it in! I am as human as the next guy!)

The party ended though, and now I was face to face with being retired, after many years, actually "un employed", I was not "needed" as I had been. What now? Not that I had not thought about it, but now I was facing "the question" - What is the purpose of my life now? Where will I find a sense of real significance? Will being able to do some of the things I never had time for mean anything now? Will hobbies make me feel "significant?" Will having enough time for yard work, which I always loved fill the bill? Will traveling around a bit and seeing scenery "fill my cup? Now it was time to begin "practicing what I had been preaching.

Shortly after retirement, I began to get invitations to preach in several different places and events. So often, I would sense the Holy Spirit leading me to minister along a certain line which had been one of my main themes throughout the last 20 years of pastoral preaching/teaching. It had become a subject of urgency in my heart that, God's people should be pursuing the right things in their search for purpose and meaning in their lives. That they should seek their sense of significance in the right place. I wanted to help them be able to answer with certainty and conviction the question man has always asked, "Who am I?" "Why am I here? What is the purpose for my life?" "Where do I find that wonderful, strong sense of significance."

One day, re-reading part of the Apostle Paul's testimony in 2 Corinthians 4, I had a “kairos moment", or as Robert Schuller would say, an "aha!" moment. One of those times when the lights just come on. As Paul discussed his own experiences of trials and tribulations, two times he simply stated one of the reasons why he was going through those times was, "..that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." (See vs.10 &11 NKJ) I just read and read again those twelve words. As I did, the Holy Spirit burned them deeply into my being! I began to say to myself, "This is who I am! This is why I am here! Everything I am and do must move in this direction and harmonize with this goal!" I probably would not go so far as to insist, this is alone is the answer to that huge question, "Who am I?" But I do insist it cannot be ignored or discounted - without serious consequences. I'll tell you why.

I suspect that most of us pastors find our sense of significance, purpose, usefulness in what we do! We preach, teach, counsel, visit the sick, pray for and minister to people in need. We organize, conduct committee meetings, we "cast vision", we settle disputes, we marry, we bury, we baptize, we dedicate babies. And we feel fulfilled in these things, because we are helping people, we are doing something worthwhile. Along with these comes those "warm fuzzies" some of the people hand out ... and we like it. Everything is good our little world. Suddenly, we are retired! Someone else is doing "our work"! We are no longer "needed"! The warm fuzzies are less frequent. If these things have been the only place we have found our significance - we are now in big trouble!

I have said all of that to say this; We must find our significance, our purpose in something that cannot be taken from us. All of these "pastor things" I've listed are things that can disappear in a heart beat, they can be taken from us. But if we have grasped the truth Paul was teaching in (2 Cor 4), that things happen, things are done "so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our lives", and we have learned to find our significance there, No one or nothing can ever cause us to feel our life is "over", our usefulness is gone we are a "nobody". In fact, it is in times of hardship and severe trials and loss that this truth can and will come into full bloom. It happens as we simply allow the "life of Jesus to be manifest in our lives." I have often asked a rhetorical question, "What does the life of Jesus look like?" For a very "condensed description", see the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. It is as we allow the Holy Spirit to produce His Fruit in us - the life of Jesus is being manifest in us...... and God's wonderful purpose is happening in our life.... all the time! And at no time will you need to feel your life has lost purpose or value. Every circumstance provide us with opportunities to "manifest Jesus." (Look at the list of the Fruit of the Spirit again - and ponder each one.)

So, have you moved from the pulpit to the pew? Well, welcome to the real world! And, it's not that bad ..... that is if it is your purpose and determination to let the beauties of the life of Jesus to radiate forth from your life in every day, in each and every circumstance. You are going to find almost every situation will have something to do with relationships with people! That is really where the "rubber meets the road" on this journey of life. That is really where you will find your sense of fulfillment and worth, relating with people, souls for whom Christ died. After all, the only thing in life with which we have to do that is eternal - is people. Treat people as Jesus treated people and there will be no lack of purpose in your life.

~ Ben ~

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Announcement
The Moses Factor Team has just set in place some valuable tools to help with Pastors retiring.

The Moses Factor ProBoard is one of the tools developed to help you as a Minister in your steps toward Retirement – or now that you have found yourself in this new way of life. You can find the group at http://mosesfactor.proboards.com/

We have created this Discussion Board to help you on your journey. We believe the interaction and support from other people that have been through this process as a Minister will definitely help you. As well the very real accounts of the process are walking through now – both good and not so good… will help many as they make preparations for the future.

To help you share the story and make more direct contact in a more private way we also have an email address that is mosesfactor@gmail.com  This email will be automatically forwarded to one of our Moderators and the Administrator.

In order to publish your story on the Blog you will need to use this email address. After it is received and considered as to suitability and scheduling by the Moses Factor Team, you will be contacted.

While we hope to present a positive, uplifting story for all to read; we are aware that all stories are not always 100% positive. We will not refuse any story but we do reserve the right to edit the submitted material if it is consider necessary by our Team. We would hope that material presented would maintain a reasonable Christian decorum.

Remember “real people” are listening. It is the same now as it was when you led the Congregation each Sunday morning.