Why I Didn’t Retire at 25

FIRE is a new movement that stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. It’s a trend where individuals live extremely frugally so they can retire as young as possible. The goal is to invest enough and early enough to completely check out of the marketplace. Those who buy into it live to extremes now—like saving 70% of their salary[1]—until they have enough saved, passive income to never work again.

By age 25, I was financially independent. I was on FIRE! I could have easily retired and never clocked in again. By this point, I was making seven figures a year and had 25 rental houses.

As freeing as it may sound for me to have been financially independent at 25, it was also one of the most challenging times in my faith. The more I accumulated, the farther I felt from God and the emptier my life became. They say EGO stands for Edging God Out. I started to rely on my own intellect and resources until God gave me a harsh wake up call. The Holy Spirit convicted me until I gave away half my income and ultimately most of my net worth.

You may be asking, “Why would someone who was financially independent decide to give it all away?” I was on FIRE. I owned the acronym! I was the embodiment of Financial Independence, Retire Early. So why not continue building upon my net worth? Why not retire early? I could have clocked out financially and relaxed for the rest of my life. Why didn’t I?

We Were Created to Add Value

One of the reasons I kept working is that we weren’t made to coast. We were made to add value. Les Brown said these sobering words:

“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.”

We rarely live up to the purpose God made us for. People think work is part of the fall, part of the curse, but nothing could be farther from the truth. God gave Adam and Eve work to do in Paradise. Ephesians says he has prepared good works for each of us to fulfill (Eph. 2:10).

But instead of pursuing the dreams and passions that burn within us, we’re too busy spending four hours a day or more on our iPhones or obsessing over our 401k and counting the days until we never have to clock in again.

Financial Independence = Pride

Another hesitation I have about the FIRE movement is that you should never be financially independent. Let me explain. Yes, we want to be taxpaying citizens who aren’t dependent on the government or our family to support us. It’s biblical to provide for yourself and your family (1 Timothy 5:8). What I mean is that you never want financial independence to lead to independence from God.

When I was making seven figures, I didn’t need God anymore. It was a dangerous place to be. Why was it dangerous? Because it’s all from him. No matter how many assets you accumulate, how many investments you have, don’t forget it’s all from his hand. Even the means and ability to work and retire are by his grace. No matter how much you make, never stop trusting the Lord for your daily bread.

I also never want financial independence to lead to independence from the church. Proverbs 11:28 says, “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.” The only way to flourish is by being connected. Imagine if a leaf said it was independent of the tree! It would fade and dry up within hours. It can’t make it on its own. In the same way, independence creates pride, and pride alienates us from true community.

Wealth can all too easily sprout wings and fly away, and you’ll be left with nothing if you haven’t cultivated your love for God and each other. That’s the only thing that’s going to matter for eternity.

Work Can be Meaningful

Another reason I chose not to retire at age 25 is because work can be meaningful.

One of the privileges of my career is that people become vulnerable and transparent with me. When you share your finances with someone, there’s nothing keeping you from wading into other intimate details. I’ve met with multiple people who were able to FIRE at age 40—decades before any of their friends and peers were able to. They were financially set for life, but were they satisfied?

I recently met with a young doctor who sold his practice for over $20 million. I asked him what he was doing with all his free time. He thought long and hard and chuckled slightly and said, “I spend a lot of time at the gym.” Can you imagine that? An ambitious, brilliantly talented doctor with so much to contribute who chooses to spend his life in the gym? He could be serving full time, creating more economic resources to help others, but has decided to check out of his vocation early.

You’ll find more fulfillment working for the glory of God than sitting on a beach somewhere for the next 50 years or more. As fire as the FIRE movement goes, I don’t believe many of us are designed to retire so young. The truth is, most people who do end up retiring early get bored and begin looking for another job or business to invest in anyway.

Are You on FIRE?

If you’re burning the candle at both ends to reach FIRE status, I have one question for you: What are you running from? What are you trying to escape? Is it burn out, a job you’re passionless about, or boredom?

I’ve personally driven myself to burnout countless times. Sometimes I just want to throw caution to the wind, sell everything, and head south of the border to Mexico to open a ceviche stand on the beach. But when I’m most tempted to escape, it’s because I’ve let ambition crowd my priorities and peace. I shouldn’t have to daydream from my dream of a life. I shouldn’t want to retire so early from the life I already have.

My financial situation means I never have to work—but I want to go to work to glorify God and honor him with the life he’s given me. I have a sphere of influence only I can minister to. You have a sphere of influence only you can affect and minister to. Plus, my work enables me to give back in incredible ways to ministries who reach the unreached—over 7,000 people groups who have never heard the name of Christ. At the end of the day, work can be one of the most fulfilling parts of your life. You have gifts, skills, talents, and abilities that are unique to you. It’s meaningful to use them to help others, contribute to your community, and do good in the world. If you need a sense of God-given purpose as you get your head off the pillow every morning, this is it. Not wandering around in perpetual retirement.

[1] https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/financial-independence-retire-early-fire.asp