Retirement: Top 5 Challenges in the First Years ናሙና

Challenge 3:
Loss of Friends, Colleagues & Network

No one warned you just how social your job really was. And you maybe didn’t think of it either – until all the daily/weekly contact disappeared with a single action – your retirement!

Whether it was the laughter in the break room, the quick chats before meetings, the shared momentum of solving problems together – all those things mattered more than you realized. And now, they’re gone.

Retirement often comes with a sudden silence. Nobody is reaching out to you anymore. You’re no longer in the loop. The people who used to fill your days are busy with new projects, new teams, and even new inside jokes that you’re no longer part of.

It’s not that anyone forgot you. It’s just… you’re not there anymore. And, if you’re honest, that absence is a bigger silence than you expected.

This is one of retirement’s most painful realities: the quiet – perhaps even the loneliness – following the disappearance of the social aspects of your work.

The Bible understands this kind of loneliness. Paul, when he was near the end of his ministry, wrote to Timothy with these words:

“Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me.” – 2 Timothy 4:9–11a NIV

Even Paul – the great apostle – felt the ache of losing people he once counted on.

But Scripture doesn’t leave us in isolation. It reminds us that community is still possible – even vital – in every season of life. The writer of Hebrews urges us:

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:25 NIV

The new friendships ahead may not look like the ones you had at work. But this new opportunity revolves around spiritual friendships – ones rooted in shared purpose with an eternal impact, not just customer or company projects to meet today’s demand.

What does your future look like? We can’t tell you that, but we do know that God has a plan for you! Maybe it is to mentor someone younger, to join a ministry team, or to start a small group, even if it’s just over coffee.

This is your chance to define yourself in this final season. It is your chance to help bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth in a way that glorifies God – not for pay or bonus or other reward – but just as a humble servant, a Christ-follower seeking to hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant” from God Himself as you ready yourself to enter His presence.

You don’t have to walk this season alone. So, step out into something new – God’s plan for your future.

Not sure what God’s plan for you might look like? Then make a note to dive into the reading plan “5 Steps to Know God’s Will - What the Bible Says” next.

Reflection Questions:

• Who am I missing from my previous work life – and why?
• What would it look like to build new, spiritually rooted relationships now?

Prayer:

Father, the loss of workplace relationships has been harder than I expected. Thank You for seeing my heart and meeting me here. Help me build new community – not just for companionship, but for Your Kingdom. Lead me to people I can walk with in this next season. Amen.