Vacationing - God's Way
Relax! Rest! Rejuvenate! We hear these words often during the summer, most of the time in conjunction with our vacations. For all of us, this year has been a doozy. (Is that real word?) Stressful? Yes. Worrisome? Probably. Nervous? Definitely. Everyone needs to get away and relax. (Including the preacher!) Should our conscience be clear before, during, and after our vacations? Or should we be filled with remorse and guilt after “wasting” a weekend or week away?
In a recent study, 91% of business leaders surveyed believe their employees return from vacation recharged and ready to work more effectively. 77% of Human Resource professionals believe they are more productive after a vacation. Why do we need vacations? Our brain functions better after rest. Creativity and quality of work improve. Episodes of depression diminish. Our sleep improves. Our souls are restored. Families are strengthened. Work burnouts are prevented.
Let’s delve into the Scriptures to see what the Bible says. I think you’ll be happy and relieved that you did!
God created rest and desires us to take care of our own bodies. This is why God created sleep - to refresh and renew. (My daughter thinks that sleep is a waste of time. She says, “I could be so much more productive if I didn’t sleep.” Try putting that logic to bed.) We must rest to heal and replenish our bodies.
Strictly speaking, it’s difficult to find any clear teaching in the Bible concerning vacations. Let’s keep this in mind. God Himself is portrayed as a worker. By ordering, deciding, and laying out the boundaries of the world, God displayed workman-like characteristics. God regularly works through history and continues to work today. On the 7th day of Creation, God rested. In God’s perfect plan, He designed our hard work to be followed by sleep to renew our weary minds and bodies and recharge us for the next day. Solomon agreed: “For so He gives His beloved sleep.” Consider the Ten Commandments. Commandment 4 describes man as doing “no work.” Rest. While none of these Scriptures prescribe a weekend or week-long vacation, they do, however, prescribe the need for rest.
Scriptures also states “Go eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.” God has blessed us with rest, and He intends for us not to feel guilty for partaking in it. Throughout the Old Testament, even into the New Testament, God instituted feasts, annual celebrations for His people to pause their work and remember His sufficiency.
Jesus modeled the need for rest. (Okay, not a 7-day vacation; He had greater things on His mind, namely saving the world.) Matthew 8:24, John 4:6, and Mark 4:35 give us a peak into Jesus’ need for rest. Jesus even encourages others to rest, saying, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Clearly, if Jesus sought rest, it must be beneficial to us as well. It seems as Jesus occasionally chose rest over the crowds. He went to pray and to fast (for 40 days in the vacation capital of the world - the desert!) He rested and sent His disciples out to minister. He also rested to process grief after His cousin, John the Baptist, was killed. Even before making the important decision of whom to choose as His disciples, He rested and sought God’s direction. Most notably, we find Jesus, getting alone with God on the Mount of Olives, during His hour of distress. Clearly, time spent in solitude resting with God is not wasted time or time spent alone.
When we stop and think (and rest), we are reminded that our bodies as “temples” of God. We must each take care of our temple because it’s the only one God will ever give to us.
A good vacation will be restorative to our souls and help us continue in our labors for the Lord. Allow God to remind you of His great riches and rewards this summer. So, pack up the sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses for your vacation. Make sure you have the shovel and buckets, too. Don’t forget the swimsuit and towel. Rest and relax guilt free. After each one of Jesus’ getaways, He came back, renewed and refreshed. May we do the same.