Billy Graham Gives Advice On How Christians Should Spend Their Retirement

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People often wonder what they will do during their retirement. Should they rest all day, pursue another hobby, travel around the world, or continue to work?

World-renowned evangelist Billy Graham said retirement is actually a pretty new thing since in the past, people had to work for as long as they could to survive.

But these days, things are different, Graham said. As people look forward to their years of retirement, they should always consider God, he advised.

"Advisors repeatedly tell us how to prepare financially – but what should we do once we retire? Should we waste those years in meaningless, self-centered activity? Should we become overly preoccupied with our health or overwhelmed with worries? Or does God have something better for our retirement years?" he wrote for the Bowling Green Daily News.

The answer, he said, is that God does have something better for Christians once they retire. Because of this, people should view retirement as a gift from God that should not be squandered away with meaningless activity.

Sure, people should prepare themselves financially for their retirement, but they should also be spiritually prepared and pray: "God, how do you want me to spend my retirement years? What is your plan for the rest of my life?"

"I don't know how God will answer that prayer – but He will answer it!" assured Graham. "Perhaps He'll give you new ways to enjoy these years, or open up new opportunities for work. Most of all, however, I urge you to find ways to serve others through your church or community."

This was not the first time the evangelist discussed retirement. He talked about this earlier on his website, saying that there's more to retirement than just wise financial planning.

Graham said people should prepare themselves for drastic life changes. "You no longer see the same people, and your days are no longer filled with work. How, then, will you spend your days? Sadly, I've found, many people never think about this, and they end up bored and adrift," he said.