Most of us have observed friends or relatives who have reached what is generally known as "retirement age." Faced with the altered human circumstances this sometimes brings, some seem to fade into a state of self-indulgence and apathy and decline, with little interest in taking up new pursuits. But surely you've also encountered retirees who have taken an entirely different tack. They welcome the opportunity to get into new activities, which former occupations kept them from pursuing. Often they discover latent talents and go on to new accomplishments.
Doubtless some reading this article have given little or no thought to the so-called retirement years. Perhaps this period seems so distant that they've told themselves they'll cross that bridge when they come to it. Others are either approaching those years or have already entered them. In any case, in facing present problems or preparing for the future, many are finding the help they need through devotion to Christian discipleship. In fact, devotion to Christ Jesus' way is a must if we are to make progress toward increasing our comprehension of God and His true creation.
Through Christian Science we come to realize that material pleasures are transient and yield no genuine satisfaction. Added to this perception is the cognition Science gives that we each have a grand and noble purpose—to be the man of God's creating, to reflect God's universal, impartial love.
By following in Christ Jesus' footsteps we focus on the truly noble objective of achieving an ever-increasing recognition that the only real Life is God, infinite Spirit. Can any of us possibly retire from such an activity?
As a student of Christian Science, he was determined not to fade into a state of apathy, self-indulgence, or decline.
You'll agree that we can't get outside of infinity. The way to heal the claims of mortality—to overcome the attitudes and conditions called age—is by realizing God's infinitude. This enables us to deny, on the basis of its unreality, whatever is unlike God. The more we become conscious of the presence of God—His allness, power, and love for His creation—the more whatever is ungodly fades from consciousness and experience. Doing this enables us to overcome—in facing what humans call retirement—not only apathy but also the seductive argument that we've earned this time away from work and we're going to use it solely for selfish purposes. The Christian Science textbook, Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy, tells us: "Except for the error of measuring and limiting all that is good and beautiful, man would enjoy more than threescore years and ten and still maintain his vigor, freshness, and promise. Man, governed by immortal Mind, is always beautiful and grand. Each succeeding year unfolds wisdom, beauty, and holiness." Science and Health, p. 246.
A man who had enjoyed many productive years as a salesman (most recently running his own profitable service business) found himself considering retirement. He felt he had sufficient income to supply his own and his family's needs. But as a student of Christian Science, he was determined not to fade into a state of apathy, self-indulgence, or decline.
He was familiar with the statement quoted above, and to the best of his ability he made conscious efforts not to measure or limit good. Also, as a student of Science, he was aware that his real work was ongoing—to exemplify the Christ-idea of man in God's image.
Soon after he retired, although he was no longer very active in his old business, the former salesman found himself busier than ever! And the major activity he became engaged in proved even more enjoyable, productive, and meaningful than any he'd ever before undertaken. He'd always wanted to write for publication. Now he was spending many happy hours in research and writing articles on a myriad of subjects, which publishers of magazines were pleased to pay him for and print. He found it true that wisdom was unfolding with each succeeding year. And beauty and holiness, too! Indeed, one of the most important activities to him was writing for the Christian Science periodicals. Even more to the point, spiritualization of thought, achieved through studying and demonstrating the teachings of Science, was enabling him to break through seeming walls of limitation imposed by beliefs of age.
Holding to the fact, revealed in Science, that God, Spirit, is ageless and therefore that we, as His image and likeness, reflect the same immortality and eternal Life, he was proving in some degree the validity of what Science and Health says: "Men and women of riper years and larger lessons ought to ripen into health and immortality, instead of lapsing into darkness or gloom. Immortal Mind feeds the body with supernal freshness and fairness, supplying it with beautiful images of thought and destroying the woes of sense which each day brings to a nearer tomb." Ibid., p. 248.
Time to retire? Does God retire? Never! Neither does man, as His reflection, His beloved spiritual image and expression. Therefore, our time to retire is never! In daily living of the Christ, Truth, we can increasingly show forth God's exhaustless, ageless nature.