Week 28: Marriages and Retirement
Please join us this week in praying
for marriages facing retirement.
Retirement, whether the retirement of one or both spouses, can be a significant
stressor in a marriage. Even when
the retirement is a free choice and comes at a planned time, it creates changes
in schedules, changes in relationships and changes in routine. All these changes, even when desired,
carry some level of stress. When
the retirement is forced by an employer or ill health or comes at an
inconvenient time (like when retirement savings have taken a plunge), the
stress can be even greater.
Some level of discomfort in
a marriage at retirement time is often experienced just because many people
just don’t handle change well, even positive change. Change means unknowns and unknowns create fear in many
people. A fearful spouse or a
fearful couple does not bode well for marital harmony. And of course we have all heard of
occasions when someone has eagerly anticipated retirement only to be
dissatisfied, restless and bored when the retirement actually arrived. A dissatisfied, restless and bored
spouse can cause marital strife, particularly if the retired spouse expects his/her
mate to fulfill the physical, emotional and intellectual voids that accompanied
retirement.
Pray this week that couples
facing retirement will
- Experience the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
- Have a positive attitude and outlook about change, even if the change was not desired
- Understand that life is not over and that God is not finished with them yet
- See their retirement as an opportunity to use more freely their time, talents and resources for the kingdom of God
- Delight in the additional time they will have with each other
- Resist the temptation to vegetate
- Engage in activities that will keep their minds and bodies strong and sharp
- Be longsuffering and compassionate with each other as they adjust to the changes and deal with the fears of retirement
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