The race to retirement

The race to retirement is one we can all win

I saw this on a billboard yesterday.  My first thought was - "No way!"

My second thought was - "Well maybe."

Here's why.

No way!

The sign, of course, was meant to say that with a proper saving / investment strategy, we can all win the race to retirement.  This - as much as some might like to believe it - just isn't true.

I know people who actually have full time jobs, but have to make decisions between eating healthy food, saving, and health care.  Let me tell you - the saving doesn't come in first.  Or second.

When I was in college - it's been a long time - I used to work at an auto parts store.  I was part time, obviously, since I was going to school.  But I worked 2 or 3 part time jobs most of the time.  It was the only way I could buy food and pay rent.  
Health care?  That was free, fortunately, since it was provided by the university for students with very little charge for prescriptions.  
Saving? Forget about retirement.  I often ended up with one dollar in my pocket at the end of the month and just enough in the bank to keep my minimum balance.
And that was going to a state school, so it would be cheaper and I could actually graduate with no debt.

These days, the cost of living has gone up much faster than the minimum wage since when I was in college.  Back then, at the auto parts store, most of the full time people had to work 50 to 60 hours a week just to be able to afford to live.  I can't imagine what it's like now.  Too many people are forced to work part time, rather than full time.  No benefits that way.  Also, no overtime.  Much less money coming in.  Exactly where are they supposed to get the money for a retirement strategy?  They can barely afford a place to live and put decent food on the table.  And let's not forget, many of them have kids.  They need health care - but need to get assistance for both the food and the healthcare.  Retirement?  It's a dream for them - or more likely a nightmare - because they just can't.

No - winning the retirement race is just flat out impossible for many people.  The sign is just letting them know that apparently, they don't count - because they can't even get in the race, let alone win it.

Well - maybe

However, there is a different kind of "retirement race" that everyone could win.

Notice, I didn't say they will win.  
Because they won't.  
They'll choose not to win.  
Many will choose to not even compete. 
Unlike the traditional "retirement race" - at least everyone can enter this one.
And unlike that traditional "retirement race" - the ones that don't enter are doing it by choice, as opposed to not being able to afford the entry fee.

So - what is this other "retirement race"?

Here are some clues -

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training."

and

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

If you recognize these quotes - then you should understand where I'm going with this.

If you don't recognize them, this is really for you.
This "retirement race" is much more important than the one intended to be portrayed by the billboard.

Here are the two quotes, in context -

^{1Co 9:24} Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷ No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

and