Nearing Home by Billy Graham (best book club books for discussion txt) 📗

strength. In time I turned over more day-to-day administrative responsibilities in our organization to my son Franklin, whose commitment to evangelism and extensive experience as president of a worldwide Christian relief and evangelism organization clearly qualified him to lead our work. In 2001 our board of directors unanimously elected him to take my place as president.

Still our crusade ministry continued, and although I found even a three-day crusade exhausting as the years passed, God continued to bless the preaching of His Word. How could I step aside in the face of this? Much as I feared holding on too long, I feared just as much stepping aside too soon.

My decision to retire from crusade ministry came gradually and, to be honest, somewhat reluctantly. But as I continued to pray and seek advice, I sensed God definitely was leading me to bring that part of my ministry to an end. No one is indispensable. I knew that God would raise up others (including Franklin) to carry on the proclamation of the Gospel. As a result, after much prayer I concluded that our 2005 Greater New York Crusade would be my final crusade, and as it came to a close, I had a definite sense of peace, knowing I had made the right decision.

This didn’t mean I would never preach again; a year later I shared the pulpit with Franklin on the final night of his Baltimore festival. Even as I review this chapter, I am considering an opportunity to preach a brief message over the Internet (which some say could reach the largest audience in the history of our ministry). I also have more time now to do some things I have always wanted to do, such as meet with young evangelists and encourage them in their ministries. From time to time I am able to visit our Bible training center at the Cove in Asheville or the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte. I have also been able to continue other parts of my ministry, such as writing books and articles from time to time. But nothing thrills me more than hearing from others who are on the front lines. It is encouraging to see what God continues to do through others.

As the older generation we should be mindful of our responsibility to pray for others. Retirement should not put us on the shelf. We should use this time in our lives to rest from our labors but lift up others who are carrying heavy loads.

RETIREMENT AND YOU

The question still remains: How will you decide when you will retire? Will you be like the couple who retired too soon? Or will you be like one man who built a large and successful business but refused to think about retiring or hiring a successor— consequently leaving his company in chaos when he died at age ninety-three? The most important advice I can give you is this: seek God’s will concerning your retirement. It may be one of the most important decisions you will ever make, so why not pray and seek God’s will about it, committing it into the hands of the One who knows what is best for you and your family?

“But how,” you may ask, “can I discover God’s will concerning retirement? What signposts should I look for?” I have no secret formula, but let me suggest three things God may use to guide you.

Consider Your Situation

Perhaps your physical health is declining, or you find you don’t have the stamina you once had. Even if you are in good health right now, someday it probably will change. Are there things you have always wanted to do before that time comes? Or maybe you sense you are not up to the future challenges you are likely to face in your job, challenges such as changes in technology. How is your financial health, including both your retirement savings and your health insurance? Has your attitude toward your work changed recently? For example, did you used to find your work interesting or fulfilling, but now it has become a burden? Your response to questions like these may indicate it is time to consider retirement.

Consider Your Spouse

Don’t make this decision by yourself; your retirement will affect your spouse just as much as it will affect you. If your spouse is still working, will he or she retire at the same time you do? If not, what will you do while your spouse continues working? If he or she isn’t working, what changes will your retirement bring to your relationship? If your spouse is opposed to your decision to retire or doesn’t understand why you are considering it, it may be best to delay your plans.

Consider the Pitfalls

“Throughout my career I was surrounded by people I enjoyed working with,” one man told a friend of mine, “and I always felt like I was an important part of the team. But now no one calls, and I feel like I’m useless. I dropped by the office a few times just to see how everyone was, but I almost felt like an intruder.”

Loneliness, loss of purpose, depression, feelings of worthlessness, anxiety, fear of the future—these and a host of other emotions are common among retirees. Sadly, some find themselves unable to cope with their new situations, and a surprisingly large number of retirees succumb to illness only a year or so after they retire. “The death certificate I signed says he died from a stroke, which was medically correct,” a doctor told me about one of his recently retired patients. “But I believe he really died of a broken heart. He just felt useless and didn’t want to live any longer.”

Be aware of these pitfalls as you consider retiring, and do all you can right now to prepare for the inevitable changes that retirement will bring. God doesn’t want you to end up feeling useless and depressed; He also doesn’t want you to make unwise decisions about your future. Don’t enter retirement without careful forethought and