In The GEO Principle, I write about the possibility of working beyond the traditional retirement age of 65. Although most people think about retiring as soon as possible, there are a lot of people who work well into old age. Consider this dear fellow, featured in my local newspaper.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that 6.4 percent of Americans 75 or older (that's slightly more than one million people) were working in 2006. More than 300,000 people 80 or older are in the workforce.
For many people, a sudden end of work at a pre-determined age is not the way to go. Lots of people have a lot to offer the world in their late 60s and even 70s and 80s. Most of us don't need a calendar to tell us when to stop working. Our health and physical condition will naturally dictate our pace of work, which most likely will be slower in our 60s than in was in our 40s, but it won't likely necessitate the cessation of work until much later than standard retirement ages of 65, 62 or even 55.
If you read all the way to the end of the linked story, 80-year-old Bob Knops said he is a little sad about retiring after 59 years on the job. Perhaps he'll miss the social interaction with work colleagues and customers.
Work is the best path that many of us have for developing our relationship with God. The article doesn't say anything about Knops' faith, but we know that he is in for a big change in his life. Whatever stage of life you find yourself in, think about what it means in terms of your relationship with God. If you are contemplating a change, be sure to think about what the change will mean for your faith life.
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