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Retiring Well

E-BookEPUB0 - No protectionE-Book
184 Seiten
Englisch
Crosswayerschienen am05.04.2022
What Should Retirement Look Like for a Christian? Preparation for retirement requires more than just financial planning. For most people, and especially for Christians, it comes with a host of other considerations-when to retire, where to live, and how to spend one's time. Many find themselves asking, Is there a right way to retire? Drawing from his work with geriatric patients and his own retirement experience, Dr. John Dunlop shares practical strategies for Christians as they approach their retirement years. With Scripture as his guide, he promotes balance between rest and activity-encouraging intimacy with God, service to churches and communities, time with friends and family, and care for one's health. Among the uncertainties of major life change, readers will be equipped to make decisions for their future as they seek to glorify God in their retirement. - Practical: Provides 10 specific strategies for readers who are facing difficult decisions about their approaching retirement, including guiding questions at the end of each chapter - Grounded in Experience: Written by a retired doctor who practiced geriatric medicine - Balanced: Promotes rest and care for one's health while also encouraging ongoing work and service for the kingdom of God - Biblical: Draws from Scripture passages on the topics of work, rest, and aging

John Dunlop (MD, Johns Hopkins University) practiced geriatric medicine for thirty-eight years and taught in the bioethics program at Trinity International University. He now lives in New Haven, Connecticut, where he taught at the Yale School of Medicine. Dunlop is the author of Finishing Well to the Glory of God; Wellness for the Glory of God; and Finding Grace in the Face of Dementia.mehr
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Produkt

KlappentextWhat Should Retirement Look Like for a Christian? Preparation for retirement requires more than just financial planning. For most people, and especially for Christians, it comes with a host of other considerations-when to retire, where to live, and how to spend one's time. Many find themselves asking, Is there a right way to retire? Drawing from his work with geriatric patients and his own retirement experience, Dr. John Dunlop shares practical strategies for Christians as they approach their retirement years. With Scripture as his guide, he promotes balance between rest and activity-encouraging intimacy with God, service to churches and communities, time with friends and family, and care for one's health. Among the uncertainties of major life change, readers will be equipped to make decisions for their future as they seek to glorify God in their retirement. - Practical: Provides 10 specific strategies for readers who are facing difficult decisions about their approaching retirement, including guiding questions at the end of each chapter - Grounded in Experience: Written by a retired doctor who practiced geriatric medicine - Balanced: Promotes rest and care for one's health while also encouraging ongoing work and service for the kingdom of God - Biblical: Draws from Scripture passages on the topics of work, rest, and aging

John Dunlop (MD, Johns Hopkins University) practiced geriatric medicine for thirty-eight years and taught in the bioethics program at Trinity International University. He now lives in New Haven, Connecticut, where he taught at the Yale School of Medicine. Dunlop is the author of Finishing Well to the Glory of God; Wellness for the Glory of God; and Finding Grace in the Face of Dementia.
Details
Weitere ISBN/GTIN9781433578946
ProduktartE-Book
EinbandartE-Book
FormatEPUB
Format Hinweis0 - No protection
FormatE101
Verlag
Erscheinungsjahr2022
Erscheinungsdatum05.04.2022
Seiten184 Seiten
SpracheEnglisch
Dateigrösse331 Kbytes
Artikel-Nr.14345815
Rubriken
Genre9201

Inhalt/Kritik

Leseprobe



Introduction

Your Opportunity to Start Fresh

Thinking about retirement? Great! I have been too. My working years have been wonderful, but very busy. Now it´s exhilarating to think of being freed from the incessant activity and weight of responsibility I´ve carried. At the same time, the thought of retirement is somewhat intimidating. Will life after work have as much pleasure and meaning? Will I be bored?

I suspect you´ve been dealing with these same questions-and my prayer is that reading this book will help you toward a great retirement.

As a geriatrician, I´m a physician who specializes in the care of seniors. I frequently hear complaints from working people-especially those who follow Jesus-about the lack of balance in their lives. You may be one of those. There´s much you would love to do and feel God wants you to do, but work stands in the way. You want to spend more time each day communing with God and doing good for others.

The good news is that retirement gives you the opportunity to start fresh and accomplish these things. You´ll finally be able to live according to your God-given priorities and find the balance you crave.

Finding Balance in Rest and Activity

The Bible gives us two complementary emphases that are applicable to our lives in our later years: rest and work. Our challenge is to do both while keeping them in balance.

First is the privilege of rest:

Return, O my soul, to your rest;

for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. (Ps. 116:7)

Be still, and know that I am God. (Ps. 46:10)

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt. 11:28-30)

Rest, in this context, is not sitting around doing nothing, but taking time to pull away from the busyness of life, come to Jesus, enjoy him, and be satisfied.

Second is our need to keep active:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:12-14)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Cor. 9:24-27)

Let´s think about these two options-resting in Jesus and straining to serve him. Which should we emphasize?

As I ask that question, I think of the two sisters Mary and Martha, who were friends of Jesus. You likely know the story.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord´s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me. But the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:38-42)

I suspect that both Mary and Martha loved Jesus and wanted to please him. Martha went the road of activity; Mary chose to rest as she sat quietly with Jesus, absorbing his teaching. Jesus doesn´t accuse Martha of wrong priorities. In fact, he probably enjoyed the meal she prepared. But he did commend Mary for her choice.

Mary and Martha illustrate the same tension I feel in retirement. Do I prioritize rest and enjoyment of Jesus, or is my time and energy consumed in service to God and others? The answer clearly ought to be both. The challenge is to keep them in balance.

Retiring Well is all about setting our priorities in retirement, keeping them in balance, and living according to them.

Now that I´m retired, I´m still asking the same question I asked in grade school: What should I do when I grow up? My younger friends hear that with surprise, and ask what I mean. But people of my vintage know that we have a lot of growing yet to do. We have goals to reach, and we harbor character faults that need to be dealt with. But let´s face it: time may be short. This may be our last chance to grow up.

We all have heroes whom we admire and want to be like. Joe and Jan are two of mine. They´re a couple in their midseventies, married for fifty years. They´ve both been retired for three years. Up early every morning, they individually read and study the Scriptures as they enjoy spending time with the Lord. Then they have breakfast and pray together. Each day of the week they focus on a specific subject for prayer: on Monday, their family; Tuesday, local missions; Wednesday, neighbors; Thursday, government; Friday, their friends; Saturday, world evangelism; and Sunday, their church and its leaders.

After prayer-and weather permitting-it´s off for their morning two-mile walk (often combined with their prayer time). By midmorning they get into their main activity for the day. Three days a week they´re at the local homeless shelter preparing and serving lunch. The other days involve a more spontaneous service project of some kind, whether to their family, church, or community.

They usually pause during the early afternoon for their major meal of the day. Some days they eat out by themselves or with friends and take advantage of the lunch specials.

The later afternoons and evenings are typically spent reading or visiting with neighbors or friends. One night each week they reserve for a date-a movie, concert, or play-and another night is spent with their home group from church. These are their closest friends, and they´re diverse in age, ethnicity, education, and socioeconomic background.

Jan and Joe are spending their time well, living life in balance, impacting their worlds, bringing glory to God, and having a wonderful time doing it. You can see why they´re my heroes.

My Sources

At the time of this writing, I am seventy-three. I´ve been in medicine for fifty-one years, practicing geriatrics most of that time. I´ve learned about retirement from four principal sources.

First, I´ve spent years enjoying the study of the Bible. Here I´ve learned some of God´s values and priorities. I´m determined to spend my retirement in a way that reflects these values. I´ll quote a lot of Scripture throughout this book, and I trust they´re not just proof-texts supporting my own thinking, but representative of the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). As you encounter the numerous Scripture passages on these pages, focus on these words from God more than on what I say. That will make your reading more valuable.

Second, I´ve watched many of my patients retire. I´ve seen some do it well; they´re happy and have a sense of fulfillment about changing their worlds. Others have retired poorly; they´re focused on themselves and their own happiness and comfort. They´re miserable, and they make everyone around them miserable. Frankly, their retirement years are wasted. I´ve seen all this frequently enough that I know I must approach retirement cautiously. I include many stories in this book. Most are combinations of different people´s experiences to illustrate my point; some are pure fiction.

Third, I´ve been reading as much as I can of both Christian and secular literature to prepare for my own retirement. I´ve learned considerable wisdom and practical tips that I´ll share with you. Many of these books are listed in the back of this book.

Fourth, I´ve learned from my own failures, and I continue to learn. As you read some of what I´ve learned, you may get the impression that I have it all together. That´s far from the truth. It´s much easier to dish out good-sounding advice than it is to actually live it. I confess that some of my failures are due to ongoing sin in my life. For those, I ask God to forgive me and to create in me a clean heart, . . . and renew a right spirit within me (Ps. 51:10). Some of my failures are due to sins I don´t even recognize, and I need to pray,

Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting! (Ps. 139:23-24)

You´ll find that this is a very personal book. I will be sharing from much of my own experience. God has richly blessed me. I was raised in a stable Christian home, and I enjoyed great...

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Autor

John Dunlop (MD, Johns Hopkins University) practiced geriatric medicine for thirty-eight years and taught in the bioethics program at Trinity International University. He now lives in New Haven, Connecticut, where he taught at the Yale School of Medicine. Dunlop is the author of Finishing Well to the Glory of God; Wellness for the Glory of God; and Finding Grace in the Face of Dementia.