25 & 26 Apr 2026 (Pastoral Page) A MUSING ABOUT RETIREMENT

by Snr Ps Beh Soo Yeong

“Why are you retiring so early?” This was a question that a few well-meaning members asked me since the beginning of the year when I announced that I will be stepping down as Lead Pastor and Ps Wei-en will take over this role in January 2027. Just to put the record straight, I am not retiring, at least not yet! Instead, I will be switching roles within the church staff team, to focus on leadership development in the church, besides the other usual duties of a pastor like preaching and pastoral care.

Nonetheless, it raises an interesting question about retirement for me. In fact, this is an area that I have been reading up, trying to understand it a bit better. My pastors’ mentoring group is also reading a book together to explore more about this topic. I am sure many seniors among us are already familiar and proficient in this topic, but I am, well, a newbie here. Interestingly, within a span of 2 days, I had two different conversations with people who asked me whether retirement is biblical.

In particular, I find the book Aging Matters by Paul Stevens, which I am still reading, to be very helpful. According to Stevens, there are at least 5 factors that one has to consider when thinking about retirement: vocation, wellness, social, resources and spiritual. Usually, many of us tend to place more weight on the resources factor (finance) but the other areas are also equally important. Space does not allow me to elaborate on these areas, and besides I am still a novice when it comes to thinking about them.

However, one very important aspect that Stevens highlights regarding the vocational factor has to do with reframing work and retirement. Contrary to what some of us may think, Steven argues that we should work until we die! Now, this may or may not be remunerated work, but he gives 7 reasons why this is so:[i]

(1) We are made to work, since God himself works and calls us to steward his creation (Gen 1.26; 2.15).

(2) Work is good for the world, where we take care of it (Gen 2.15).

(3) Work is good for us, so that we are not idle but able to support ourselves (2 Thess 3.7-10).

(4) Work is a practical way of loving our neighbour (Eph 4.28).

(5) Work participates in the spreading of the kingdom of God. Jesus too worked, serving as our example (Mk 6.3; Mt 8.16).

(6) Work is the main context in which we grow spiritually.

(7) Work prepares us for the life to come, where we will enjoy the work as we never did in this life.

So, if work is to be viewed this way, then there is no concept of retirement where we stop doing any meaningful work and we just cruise (literally for some) into the sunset. We may “retire” from our remunerated work, but we continue to stay active and engaged by doing some other form of good work, including grandparenting, art and crafts, consulting, mentoring, housekeeping, caregiving etc. So even if we are to “retire early,” using our common vocabulary, we ought to do so, in order to take up and do other forms of good work, especially when they provide some meaning and fulfilment as part of God’s late-life calling for our lives. Yes, Stevens argues that we out to find our calling, even in our late-life stage.

Indeed, there is only one reference to retirement in Scripture in Numbers 8.23-25, where the Levites, who started work at the tent of meeting at age 25, must retire at age 50. However, this does not mean they must stop work altogether, since they may assist their brothers after 50, in performing their duties at the tent of meeting. In short, they must stop doing a particular work at age fifty but may continue to work elsewhere. Besides this text, there is no other texts that calls us to stop working. On the contrary, there are many texts that calls us to work and do something useful with our hands.

In our midst, there are many who have sorted out what it means to retire (or not), and you can be very good models and examples for us. However, there are some of us, myself included, who are approaching our senior years and are exploring this topic. This piece is but a teaser for us. To help us, the Seniors’ Ministry is organising an interesting series of conversations (on 16 May, 9.30am) around Uncle Lee, an aircon technician who is thinking about his own retirement. Join us on this fun journey to understand and embrace a biblical understanding of work and retirement, including finding our late-life calling, as a faith community.

[i] Extracted from Aging Matters: Finding your Calling for the Rest of your Life by R. Paul Stevens (2016: Eerdmans, Grand Rapids)