Finding Purpose in Retirement: Tips for Following Your Faith to a More Rewarding Retirement

Many people see retirement as a time to relax — a reward after decades of working. Doing things you enjoy is a perk of your golden years, but you might find yourself feeling unfulfilled. At work, you had a purpose, and you knew what to expect each day. Retirement brings a lot more freedom and the ability to choose what you do. Digging into your faith more deeply can help you find your purpose in retirement to make this period more rewarding.

1. Explore Your Gifts

Everyone has gifts and talents that can be used to help others and spread faith. Explore the gifts you have. Perhaps your former career was based on your talents. Or you might have other strengths that you didn’t have time to explore while you were working full-time. Create a list of the God-given gifts you have and use that to brainstorm ways to serve others. For instance, if you previously worked as a writer, you might write guest pieces for a spiritual blog.

2. Consider Your Purpose

It can also be helpful to explore the purpose or goals you want to fulfill in your retirement years. Think about how you want to make an impact while growing in your faith. Your purpose might be to spread the word of God or mentor others to explore their faith. Maybe you want to go on mission trips to make an impact beyond your community. These ideas help you choose activities and pathways that help you achieve those goals.

3. Create a New Routine

Your whole routine changes when you retire. You no longer have to wake up at a certain time, arrive to work or meet deadlines. While that freedom to do what you please can seem exciting at first, it can also leave you feeling lost. Establish retirement routines that include purposeful activities based in faith to help get you out of bed.

4. Establish Faith Practices

Working on your faith in retirement can help you uncover your purpose. You’ll feel closer to God and might hear suggestions from him that can help you feel accomplished and purposeful. Some practices you might incorporate include:

• Regular prayer
• Bible study groups
• Reading the Bible on your own
• Bible journaling
• Attending religious services

If you have difficulty remembering to do these things, choose a specific time of day to do them. Setting up an area to pray and read your Bible can also make it easier to incorporate these practices into your day.

5. Increase Your Activity in the Church or Community

When you retire, you have more free time to choose activities that strengthen your faith. Find ways to get involved with your church or community. You might volunteer your time at the church or join special groups based on shared interests or situations. Helping with special events or weekly services gives you a chance to serve others. Assisted living communities under the Bethesda Senior Living Community umbrella are faith-based and offer a variety of spiritual opportunities without leaving campus.

6. Serve Others

You might be retired from your vocational career, but your work as a Christian is never done. Serving others helps you deepen your faith and spread it to others. The opportunities are almost endless. Churches always need volunteers for activities such as greeting parishioners and supervising the church nursery. You might volunteer for a nonprofit organization that supports a cause that’s important to you. Serving others doesn’t have to be a formal volunteer position. You can love your neighbors by bringing them homemade soup when they’re sick or sharing prayer with them. Informal service can be just as impactful as formal volunteering.

7. Work Part-Time

Some retirees continue working part-time to make their retirement savings last longer. If this is the case for you, look for faith-based opportunities. You don’t have to take on a formal minister role to have an impact on people’s faith. You might work in the church office to keep things running smoothly or serve as a part-time teacher’s aide at the church preschool. These opportunities give you the income stream you need while immersing you in a spiritual situation.

8. Share Your Faith With Others

Talking about your relationship with God can help you experience a fulfilling retirement with purpose. It can help you understand your faith journey and inspire others to explore theirs. One way to do this is by sharing the Bible with others. You can also share your testimony and experiences with faith, encourage others to seek a relationship with God and invite the people you meet to attend church services or activities with you.

9. Be Flexible

The way you embrace your faith can change throughout your retirement years. You’ll meet new people who introduce you to different opportunities or challenge your way of thinking. Your physical abilities could change as you age, causing you to seek new ways to follow God and share your faith with others. Listen and look for little nudges that guide you toward ways to find and fulfill your faith-driven purpose.