Finding an Uncommon Retirement with Jeff Haanen

May 2, 2025

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"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." - Colossians 3:23

It’s easy to assume this verse applies mainly to our working years, urging us to give our best on the job. But notice—it doesn’t come with an expiration date. Today, Jeff Haanen joins us to explore a different kind of retirement.

Jeff Haanen is an entrepreneur and writer who builds companies and serves leaders committed to healing the world through their work. He is the author of An Uncommon Guide to Retirement: Finding God’s Purpose for the Next Season of Life and Working from the Inside Out: A Brief Guide to Inner Work That Transforms Our Outer World.

Rediscovering Purpose in Retirement

What if retirement wasn't the end of something, but the beginning of something far greater?

With 10,000 Baby Boomers retiring every day—and people living longer than ever before—a growing number of older adults are asking the question, “What am I called to now?”

Culturally, retirement has been framed as a “never-ending vacation.” From jingles like “Wake up and live in Sun City,” to today’s media, the message is clear: retire, relax, and indulge. But the reality is different. Many retirees feel adrift, watching screens and fixing things around the house, not flourishing.

A Biblical Alternative: Eldership, Not Escape

The Bible doesn't speak extensively on retirement, but it does offer a framework. In Numbers, older Levites transitioned their tabernacle responsibilities to the younger men. This isn’t “quitting”; it’s wise delegation and reorientation.

There’s a three-part vision in light of this:

Lay down past work identities.
Embrace a season of rest, reflection, and renewal.
Re-engage as elders—servants, mentors, leaders.

The cultural idea that “elderly” equals obsolete. In biblical tradition, “elder” is a position of nobility, wisdom, and honor—those who teach, guide, and bless at the city gates.

A Path Forward: Rest and Renewal

We encourage retirees to start with rest, not for rest’s sake, but to re-center and listen for God’s leading. Just as Leviticus 25 calls for rest in agricultural rhythms, so too should we practice rest in life’s transitions.

It’s recommended to initially take 3–12 months for rest and spiritual renewal before re-engaging. This time creates space to reflect, give thanks, and seek God’s direction.

Rather than merely saving to escape responsibility, we want to propose a new vision: communities of elders who lead, mentor, and give generously—of time, talent, wisdom, finances, and prayer. Retirement then becomes not a retreat from purpose, but a re-engagement with it.

As Psalm 92:12–14 reminds us:

“The righteous flourish like the palm tree…they still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green.”

So what’s next?

Churches need to initiate conversations about the non-financial aspects of retirement, including mentoring, grandparenting, part-time work, volunteering, and more. Financial advisors can also play a key role, helping clients envision what they want their 60s, 70s, and 80s to look like, beyond the balance sheet.

It’s time we shifted the retirement conversation from numbers to calling.

Embrace an Uncommon Retirement

If you're ready to rethink retirement, pick up Jeff’s book, An Uncommon Guide to Retirement: Finding God’s Purpose for the Next Season of Life. And if you want to read Jeff’s full article and explore more biblical wisdom on stewardship, be sure to subscribe to our quarterly magazine, Faithful Steward, by becoming a FaithFi Partner at $35 a month or $400 a year at FaithFi.com/Give.

Because retirement isn’t the end—it’s the start of a new mission. Let’s live it well.

On Today’s Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:

My husband and I own a trucking company, and we're downsizing. We sold one of our trucks and have approximately $80,000. I'm trying to figure out the best way to invest this money or whether it would be wiser to put it towards the debt on our other trucks.

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