Written by Prof. Mannixs E. Paul, PhD, FCFIP, FCIML, FCECFI, FFAR
Experience has taught us much, and one has come to believe, with conviction and clarity, that you can not retire—not in the way the world understands retirement, not for the purpose, not from your calling, not from the divine work etched into your very being.
And this belief isn’t built merely on theory or theology—it comes from watching life unfold. I’ve seen strong, wise, successful men—pillars in their families and communities—step away from work only to slowly slip into silence. Their minds dulled, their bodies weakened, their spirits quietly dimmed. Not because they lacked wealth or love. But because they let go of why they were here.
Retirement, as it is often sold, is not rest. It is a resignation.
Resignation for personal reasons.
Resignation from usefulness.
Resignation from the invisible thread that ties us to meaning.
But let us open our eyes.
Everything in creation moves with purpose:
1. Rivers flow without pause. When they stop, they stagnate.
2. The Earth turns on its axis without rest.
3. Seasons follow a divine rhythm.
4. The stars circle in majestic precision—never stalling, never slumbering.
Why should man be the exception?
We were not made to shut out. We were made to serve, build, solve, teach, and give. The moment we choose to step aside from that current—from that sense of calling—we begin to wither—slowly at first, then all at once.
You cannot retire from being alive.
You cannot retire from being useful.
And most certainly, you cannot retire from your calling.
What you need is not retirement, but redirection.
You may leave the office, pass on the title, close the business, or hang up the uniform. But your hands are still able. Your mind is still sharp. Your heart is still beating. And the world is still aching for people of wisdom and character to rise again.
You need something that:
1. Keeps you curious.
2. Keeps you responsible.
3. Keeps you accountable.
4. Keeps you needed.
A true calling is ageless. It’s not bound by contracts or corporations. It lives in how you show up for your grandchildren, how you guide the next generation, how you speak truth, and how you lift others.
Even a candle in its final inch must still burn with dignity.
Even in old age, the tree still bears fruit—or at the very least, it still gives shade.
Even the sunset sky doesn’t dim quietly—it ends the day with glory.
So, please don’t believe the world when it tells you to step aside.
Change lanes, yes. Catch your breath. Reflect. Rest. But never, ever retire from why God put you here.
Because:
To stop is to rust.
To rust is to rot.
And to rot is to die—before your time.
So rise, brothers and sisters.
Keep thinking.
Keep mentoring.
Keep leading.
Keep writing, creating, building, blessing.
Keep becoming.
Your calling didn’t retire when you did.
And the world still needs what only you carry.
That is the truth.
That is the way.
That is life.
Courtesy of MEFOUNDATION