Retirement is often described as the finish line—the long-awaited season when work finally ends, and leisure begins. But what if that picture is incomplete?

For believers, retirement does not mean purpose expires. It may simply mean that purpose takes on a new expression. We were created by God not merely to earn a paycheck, but to serve, contribute, create, encourage, and reflect His character in the world. That calling does not end when a career does.

Mitch Anthony, bestselling author of The New Retirementality: Planning Your Life and Living Your Dreams…at Any Age You Want, has spent decades helping people rethink retirement. He joins the show today to share a simple but deeply important message: retirement should not be the end of meaningful work. It should be a new season of purposeful living.

One of the most powerful ways to rethink retirement begins with a biblical understanding of work itself. In Hebrew, the word avodah conveys both work and worship. That connection reminds us that work was never meant to be separate from our calling before God.

Work, at its best, is not merely labor. It is an opportunity to bring value to others and meaning to our own lives. That may happen through a career, but also through volunteering, mentoring, serving in the church, caring for family, teaching, consulting, creating, or encouraging others.

Mitch defines work as “an engagement that brings value to others and meaning to you.” That broader definition helps us see that meaningful work is not limited to employment. It includes any faithful contribution that blesses others and reflects the gifts God has given us.

Our culture often treats retirement as though people reach a certain age and are no longer needed. But that idea does not reflect biblical wisdom.

Human beings are not products with expiration dates. We are image-bearers of God, created with gifts, experience, wisdom, and calling. While the pace or form of our work may change with age, our purpose does not disappear.

That does not mean everyone should work a traditional job until the end of life. Rest matters. Enjoyment matters. Slowing down may be wise and necessary. But the question is not simply, “When can I stop working?” A better question is, “How can I continue bringing value to others in this season of life?”

Many people imagine retirement as a permanent vacation. After decades of work, they look forward to golf, travel, hobbies, and relaxation. Those can all be good gifts from God. But leisure alone cannot carry the weight of a meaningful life.

Mitch points out that there are diminishing returns to leisure. When recreation becomes the whole purpose of life, it often loses its joy. What once felt refreshing can begin to feel repetitive.

The goal is not to choose between vacation and vocation. The goal is a healthy rhythm of both. Rest gives energy to our calling, and meaningful contribution makes rest more enjoyable.

Most retirement planning focuses on money: savings, income, investments, Social Security, taxes, and health care costs. Those are important. But they are not the whole story.

Retirement also brings significant non-financial challenges. People may struggle with i