iRetire4Him Show 147: Living Your Legacy NOW

Jim Brangenberg: Your retirement years could be 30 years filled with meaning and purpose as long as you connect your faith and your retirement days. Welcome to iRetire4Him. I'm your host, Jim Brangenberg. Please check us out online at I retire the number four him.com.

We've all been told that when we turn 65, the job world should be dead to us and we should be going on a perpetual vacation for the next 30 years until we die. And if our career is with the airlines, and we can fly there virtually free as well.

But what if you love your job? Do you have to quit at 65? Can you work longer? The world has it all wrong. We find meaning and purpose in our work as it was a gift from God. Vacationing is nice, but it doesn't fulfill our dreams. If you found a job you love, then you finally realize the epitome of the work experience.

As my father-in-law was famous for saying, if you find a job that you love, you'll never go to work another day in your life. So why would you quit? Greg McBrayer, he could be retired and on vacation, but he loves his work within American Airlines, and believe me, he could fly there for free. Greg's here to tell us about the mission God has him on, and that mission didn't expire when he turned 65. Greg, welcome to iRetire4Him.

Greg McBrayer: Glad to be here.

Jim Brangenberg: Now, some of you watching on YouTube may notice that Greg's got a collar on - a priestly collar. Greg is a priest within the Anglican church, and it's a part-time job for him 'cause he is got about 17 different things that he does. So he, he has the words father in front of Greg McBrayer. I'm gonna call him Greg 'cause he's not my father, but he does pastor a whole bunch of people at his local church.

Alright, so Greg, for 46 years plus, you've worked in flight operations in the chaplaincy program with American Airlines and their predecessors that worked into American Airlines. You have a leading role at a local Anglican church, and you also lead the chaplains program at DFW, one of the world's largest airports. Doesn't retirement, slowing down, checking out, taking advantage of all those free available flight miles that you've got - doesn't that sound like a good idea?

Greg McBrayer: I would say that, to me, I don't feel like I'm working. I feel like I'm serving and I feel like I've been called to serve and I've been placed where I can be most effective in that service for the Lord. And so to me, I don't look at it as work. I really enjoy still what I'm doing and I think that this season in life, I'm probably have more to give back than I did 40 years ago when I started in it.

I think that now I'm probably in my most useful years for God at this season in life, and I don't really look at retirement as something on the planner. I think that as servants of God, we never retire, we expire. And when we expire, we go to worship the Lord forever.

Jim Brangenberg: Amen. Amen.

Greg McBrayer: I'm not ready to go do that yet. I'm still enjoying what I do m and I look at every day as a new opportunity to serve and to glorify God and where he's placed me to be most effective.

Jim Brangenberg: What do you mean when you say you probably have more to offer now than ever before?

Greg McBrayer: If you think about it, and if you open your Bible, you're not gonna find the word retirement anywhere. And you'll notice that probably the most used servants of God served later into their lives. The longer we've been on this earth and the longer we've been serving God and the more life we've lived, the more opportunity we have to give back. And I think that we live in a world today that has a younger generation that is desperately seeking that.

I think that there's a lot of seekers out there in this world that are searching for that longing, for belonging and people to encourage them in that. And I think that the longer we have served and the capacity where we're most useful makes us a more usable instrument in God's hands for this season of life. And I think giving back now is much more rewarding when I look at it from that perspective than I was looking at it as gleaning an income or something like that, that I think that there's a season in life where you find more joy in the giving than you're really doing in receiving.

Jim Brangenberg: By the time you're 65 plus, you've bought just about everything you ever wanted to buy, but you've had so much wisdom that you've gathered through experiences over the years, and you've gotten it from your parents, but now you've gotten it from yourself and you've seen it in the next generations, and you've got knowledge as well. I agree that you've got so much to offer, but how do you deal with the peer pressure? You work in the airline industry where they make pilots retire - do they still make pilots retire 55?

Greg McBrayer: They make 'em retire at 65, and the truth of the matter is there's FA regulations that make that part of what is, part of the job requirement. But the fact of the matter is a lot of guys that are in aviation that have to retire from flying still continue to give back into the aviation community. There's all kinds of ways you can continue to, just not flying. You can teach, you can do all kinds of other things that, that you can still stay engaged in aviation.

And I think that's the way a lot of 'em give back. A lot of 'em, have servant hearts for the Lord, too, are working - I've got a lot of friends that are pilots that are retired now, the cause of mandatory retirement, but they're serving churches and blessing lives in numerous ways, they're still giving back. They're just forced.

Jim Brangenberg: But how are you dealing with the peer pressure? 'cause I'll guarantee you, people ask you all the time, Greg, when are you gonna retire? When are you gonna retire? How often, how many times a week do people say, Greg, when are you gonna retire?

Greg McBrayer: I think the younger people, they ask me that a lot because they want my position,(laughter) in my profession. But the fact of the matter is, I would retire if I felt like I was working. I don't feel like I'm working. I'm not laboring at something. I'm loving something that I labor into every day. And so I don't look at it as something that, I don't have a times stamp in front of me. I think that the truth of the matter is I've got multiple things that I'm way more involved in more things in my life right now than I was 15 years ago, 30 years ago, or even further back than that.

And all of it makes a very full day, but it also makes a very full life of serving and giving back, which is very gratifying. It's more gratifying than trying to, build bigger barns in your life. It fills your soul is what it does, and that gratifies us internally more so than building bigger barns.

Jim Brangenberg: So you're saying you don't feel the peer pressure, that's what you're saying to me?

Greg McBrayer: No, I really don't feel the peer pressure at all. I really don't.

Jim Brangenberg: That's fantastic.

Greg McBrayer: I guess I work with a lot of people in ministry, and so we know that there's not really a retirement stamp date in front of us, so at some point you even stop looking and thinking like that.

Jim Brangenberg: Yeah, I don't know what kinda ministry people you working alongside, but I've seen a lot of pastors, like they're 65, they check out, they're done - or earlier. I'm like, what do you mean you're done? You're just getting good.

Greg McBrayer: The bible's not a good example of that. When you got people like Caleb coming into their most effective ministry at 85, I wanna be serving God the day I die. And I just, I can't find where there's a blueprint that says that's probably the prescribed service limitation on your most effective work. I think you get better as you get older and you have much more to give back. And if you're being gratified in some other way, maybe serving God, that's fine.

But for me, I want to continue to give back where I'm most effective. I'm most effective in the aviation. I've been doing it all my life, so I know that field better in anything. I love serving church full time. I pastor a church full time. I run a large ministry at DFW Airport, but aviation has been in my life my entire life, and those, I know those people. We talk the same language. We know how that work goes, and I know how I can best minister into that world.

Jim Brangenberg: There is nothing like the smell of Avjet in the morning. I can tell you that much. (laughter) I worked for an airport services company. That's a great smell in the morning. I worked in an airport services company in the late eighties and you walk out across the tarmac and you're like, yeah, the smell of a fresh jet just being started up.

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Greg, there's a bunch of folks listening today that never had a job that they love so much like you do. Would you encourage retired believers today to get back in the workforce, but to search out a workplace that it becomes a work that they love? Because we've got so many of 'em, they've just checked out, and they've gone to purgatory on Earth, which is living in a homeowner's association in Florida.

 (laughter)

Jim Brangenberg: So we wanna get 'em back near their family and get out of purgatory, which is the homeowners association world, and if you haven't lived in one - do you live in an association now in Dallas?

Greg McBrayer: I do not.

Jim Brangenberg: So see, you don't even know what I'm talking about. You ve heard your friends talk about 'em. Alright, but would you encourage people who are retired to get back to work and start feeding into the people that they work alongside?

Greg McBrayer: Absolutely. I think that it's gonna nourish them. It's gonna gratify them. There's nothing more gratifying than to be appreciated at this season in life because obviously in our professions, the people are younger. They're obviously really bright and sharp, and they're valued corporately. But what we have at this season in life is we have a season in life where we can mentor people and we can coach people, and there's nothing more enjoyable for me to have a young person as a flight controller or someone who's coming up in ministry and be able to coach and mentor them, knowing that the baton will pass to someone that I have shared the wisdom I have been given from people who have been in front of me on the path to share that wisdom with me, and it is just extremely gratifying.

I can't imagine not having that joy to feel like that I'm doing that and have colleagues that would not be appreciative of having that same opportunity. I just think a lot of 'em oftentimes don't seek it out, and they're missing something that's extremely gratifying.

Jim Brangenberg: Have you had any of your friends retire and go, I am so miserable! Have you had friends like that and you've encouraged 'em to get back to work, but to find a job they love? Have you had those conversations yet?

Greg McBrayer: I don't think they're miserable, but I have known a lot of friends that have retired and they have, they found their identity in their work. So they retired because it was the thing you do when you get to retirement age and all of a sudden they found a big void in their life and they're thinking gosh, man, what am I gonna do now?

I think it's extremely important for my brothers and sisters that are my age, that are at retirement age, please always know to have something beyond what you're doing that's gratifying, where you maybe are finding your purpose and identity right now to be able to do beyond that date. Because if you don't, i've seen a lot of people unfortunately spiral into depression and other things when they don't have that purpose in their day.

I have a purpose of serving God every day, and and so if you don't have that purpose, you need to remain on the workforce, even if it's something you don't like doing and you like complaining about it, if that's your only purpose in life, I would prescribe that as opposed to walking away into nothing. If you don't have something beyond what you're doing right now that's gonna gratify you and give you purpose in your day, we have to have that as human beings.

Jim Brangenberg: Greg, I wrote about that in my book, iRetire4Him. I'm not a retired guy. I've not gotten to retirement age yet, but I lived in retirement neighborhoods in Florida for 20 years, and I saw not only the discontentment, the lack of meaning and purpose, but I saw misery. I literally saw people who were 70 miserable because they lacked meaning and purpose. And so I wrote a book to Christian retirees, to Christ following retirees to say, here's what you can do. You've got lots of options. You can go back to work and start feeding into the next generations.

You don't have to go to work. You could go volunteer or you could, instead of moving into an old people neighborhood, move into a young people neighborhood and teach these young people what it looks like to be married, what it looks like to cook and to clean, what it looks like to have a budget and be the babysitters in the neighborhood.

Way too often, like in our local churches, I don't know what your church is, but we segregate the ages instead of intermingling the ages. There's nothing I want in my life more than old guys. I want old guys in my life. I want guys that are 80 and 90 in my life, guys that have been there, they've sweat through it, they're wearing out. Those are the kind of guys I want in my life. And growing up, I needed to see that marriage could work. And Martha's parents were always really great examples and Martha's grandparents were phenomenal examples for us of what that looks like.

You work with a lot of young people, Greg, at American Airlines and interacting with them at DFW. A lot of these people that you work with, that you have influence over, whether they're a DFW or within American Airlines, they're younger than you. How do you see your role in their life? Do you see them seeking you out? What role do you play?

Greg McBrayer: I think that I'm used probably more as a coach and someone that mentors them on their life trajectory in aviation. And of course in my life I integrate faith into that. I'm still in this industry and I'm still doing it because I've been able to bring God to work and it be valued where I work and what I do, and so I integrate that into every encounter I have. That's what a chaplain does. I feel like I'm a frontline spiritual first responder, and so I meet those people in their journey in life where they're at.

And I'm not there to fill my pews up or anything like that. I'm there to care for them on life's journey and just model the gospel for people. And then when those opportunities to talk about it come up, I'm certainly willing and always eager to share, but just to model that out. And I think that they see a value in that. I think that they recognize the fact that they can learn from a generation that's in front of them on the path. And that in doing so, they, the ones that are wise, that are wanting to grow, will see the wisdom in that and those opportunities, and they'll embrace it.

Jim Brangenberg: How many young guys specifically do you see yourself intentionally feeding your life into? How many do you have room for? Because a lot of times as older guys, younger guys are attracted to us specifically because of our spiritual wisdom. How many guys do you have in your life that are like Greg, can I get a minute... or 30?

Greg McBrayer: Yep. I have probably about a half a dozen to maybe 10 guys that I'm actively working with and some are even older. Some are further in their career trajectory, but they're trying to bring a little bit more of a spiritual component into their lives because they've hit the wall on where they're at and they realize, you know what? Something's still missing. And I'm working with them in the direction of, as a spiritual coach as well, to try to integrate that into their professional development as a leader. And they're seeing value in that.

And some of the young guys are brand new as controllers. They're working into their lives and I'm working with them both professionally and spiritually.

Jim Brangenberg: Wow. And there's no more stressful job in the world than a flight tower controller guy. Alright, speaking of younger people that you work with, Martha and I are part of the US Christian Chamber of Commerce, and in April 2026, we'll be gathering in Orlando for the SWC Spiritual World Commerce 2026 World Expo. I can't remember. It's SWC 2026 Expo.

Listeners, why don't you grab a few of the next gen that you work with every day and register to attend this event? It's for business people. It's for all of you who operate out there in the marketplace. All of your work lives will be changed guaranteed because the US Christian Chamber is out there to change lives while we change how Christ followers operate in the marketplace.

And today you have an opportunity to grow together as a team in Orlando. Go to swc2026.com and use IWORK4HIM for 10% off your ticket. Look for us there. Martha and I'll be the MCs of that event. swc2026.com. Alright, Greg, as we close out today, let's talk about chaplaincy because one thing I've realized as a local first responder chaplain in my small town, which is 2000 people compared to your 80,000 that go through Dallas every day. There's more people that live in one parking lot at Dallas Fort Worth airport than live in my entire town.

What is the role of a chaplain? 'cause not everybody understands chaplain. The only chaplain they ever heard about was on M.A.S.H., Father Mulcahy. (chuckling)

Greg McBrayer: I've been referred to as Father Mulcahy from time to time.

Jim Brangenberg: Yeah. There you go. At least he laughed. He was actually joyful. But what is the role of a chaplain and why should other people consider - they don't have to be an ordained minister to be a chaplain. What is that role of a chaplain in people's lives?

Greg McBrayer: A chaplain truly is a care provider. Like I said, we meet people in life on their journey. And it doesn't matter if it's a hospital chaplain or a hospice chaplain or a chaplain at a university or in an airport or a corporate chaplain.

And there are corporate chaplain jobs all around this country today because corporations have seen a value in this. And there are large organizations out there that hire chaplains. We're looking for certified chaplains. There was a time when all you could get was just a master's in divinity or getting other kind of ministry degrees in college for your masters, but now there are chaplains master programs. There's also certificate programs that can better train you how to do ministry in the world, which is uniquely different than church and parish type ministry.

We live in a very secular world today, so we need to know how to better do ministry in that environment, and that's where chaplains come in. They've got that skillset. It does require a skillset of being able to be a good communicator with people. Not everybody in ministry is cut out for chaplaincy work. I would be the first to admit that and would say that among my colleagues, some are better in the walls of the church or the parish life or in universities.

But some are gifted with working people where they find 'em in the world. And that's where I find the gratification. I think that the joy every day is knowing every day is gonna be a little bit different and I'm gonna have the opportunity to engage people on life's journey that God is gonna bring before me. And I'm gonna have the opportunity to meet them in that journey and to provide a level of care for them. They won't ever remember what you did or what you said, but they will remember how you made 'em feel. And if you make 'em feel cared for, and people are desperate for that.\, We have a world that hungers for someone just to, to listen to their story, to minister for 'em in the moment.

And not everybody in an airport or in your corporation is having a great day. You can't compartmentalize your life from whatever happened at home. If you've got a problem at home, it comes to work with you. A Chaplain can intervene in that place. In an airport, not everybody's going to Disney World. People are doing life in their journey through an airport to do that. They're going to bury loved ones. They're going to the most important meeting in their lives, and they can't control what happens in an airport. So it creates a very stressful environment for people who are used to being in control.

That's where a chaplain can intervene at that moment and bring a level of care, bring the ministry of presence, is what we call it. Oftentimes no words are needed, just being there. The ministry of presence for someone who's struggling, whether it's in your office space, whether it's in an airport, whether it's in a hospital waiting room, is just being there with them and to bring the ministry of presence into the moment, which is priceless at that moment, and that's really what a frontline spiritual first responder provides.

Jim Brangenberg: Greg mentioned there are lots of different roles for chaplains. There's chaplains obviously within the armed services, within the first responders, and fire departments and police departments, Corporate Chaplains of America, Marketplace Chaplains, two of the largest chaplain organizations. They have 20,000, I think, now combined chaplains across America, inside businesses or inside organizations. There's lots of great opportunities. If you find yourself pastoring a lot of people out there in the marketplace, a chaplaincy position may be right for you. And there are lots of different certification programs out there. I got one online, it was 27 classes, and I got an Emergency Services Master's certification.

Greg, as we close, because we've covered a lot of stuff and it's always fun having a conversation with you, any final advice for those people facing those elusive retirement years?

Greg McBrayer: Don't give up. The fact of the matter is when you get into retirement age, you are at the most effective years of your life to give back. And look at it, look at it backwards. Look behind you. Look at the people that gave into your life maybe 20 years ago, 40 years ago, 40 days ago, it doesn't matter.

You are at a season in your life where you have got more to give back than you've ever had. You've got a whole life of experience that someone needs those little nuggets of life help on their journey. So give back. There's nothing more rewarding than to lay down at the end of your day and thank God, thank you, God, for letting me engage with someone today that may have made their day a little bit better or help them on their journey.

And that's what we're all here to do. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us that we retire from serving God. We serve God every day of our lives until we are finished serving. And we don't retire at that moment. Like I said, we expire at that moment and we go to full-time worship.

Jim Brangenberg: Work. Work is worship work and worship. Heaven is full of work and worship. It's not, we're not just gonna be worshiping, sitting on a cloud, playing a the harp. (chuckles) Heaven has got work. Work is one of those things, we're gonna get to do it. How cool. It'll be perfect work. Imagine that. That's gonna be great work. Greg McBrayer, thank you so much for being on iRetire4Him today.

Greg McBrayer: Thank you Jim, and thank you for the opportunity and thank you for your ministry that continues to give back and serves a great purpose and thank you. God bless y'all.

You bet. You've been listen to iRetire4Him with your host, Jim Brangenberg. In this retirement phase of life, we all want our lives to be full of meaning and purpose so we can say, iRetire4Him.