Vacation
Vacation literally means to “vacate.” Action to leave behind, change locations, depart from routine, and take a break are implied by “vacation.”
Vacation may mean working extremely long hours in the weeks/days leading up to vacation. Packing half of what one owns to take along. Arranging for pets/flowers/mail, etc., that is to be left behind.
Be sure to take cell phones. Be sure to take credit cards. Be sure to take camera. Take the kids. Did you bring the picnic basket? Ipod? Walkman with headphones? Laptop?
Did you get a room/condo/suite that had at least one TV? Did you watch the TV? Did you keep up with the news? Did you read a newspaper? Did you use the computer? Did you surf the Internet? Did you check email? What did you leave behind?
Did you read the Bible? Did you go to church? Did you witness about Jesus and your faith to anyone? Did you honor Sunday as a holy day?
Vacations are a luxury of the rich. Simply put, if you take a vacation you are among the world’s most wealthy people. Twenty-seven thousand children die each day from starvation. About 1/3rd of the world’s population will go to bed hungry tonight. Most of the world’s population has no experiential knowledge of vacation. Most of the world’s population is between an existence economy and a survival lifestyle.
Are vacations only a modern phenomenon? No. As long have there have been wealthy people vacations have been celebrated. Summer homes. Winter homes. Homes in mountains for the coolness. Homes near water for sport and swimming.
Multiple homes for the rich also served as security. Moving from home to home prevented enemies from devising plots of murder and mayhem.
Are vacations a sin? No. Vacating is not a sin. An old preacher said: “You need to get 500 miles with the city limits sign in your rearview mirror before your creative juices kick in.”
Jesus took vacations. He often retreated to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He often rose early and went to deserted places for quietness and meditation. On other occasions Jesus would take his disciples and retreat from the crowds.
There are vacations and there are vacations. Time away that divides families with stressful activities is not a vacation. Time away that stresses the budget and creates debt is not vacation. Time away that leaves one returning fragmented in mind and heart and physically tired is not a vacation. Time away that neglects prayer, Bible reading and worship and fellowship with believers is not a vacation.
Indulging self to pleasure and spending tithe and mission offering on personal thrills is counter-productive. One cannot leave God behind and come home refreshed. One cannot indulge in carnal pursuits and refresh the soul.
Wisdom calls for balance. Wisdom takes core values wherever wisdom goes. Wisdom takes no time off. Wisdom is consistency between how we dress to meet God and how we dress on vacation.
Vacation is not a time to forsake the essence of life in Christ. When the car is packed up, suitcases are loaded, and all arrangements have been made, is God in the vehicle? Is he welcome to the motel room? Is there balance with budget or is there recklessness? Are children treated specially within context of faith, or does guilt drive the machine of pleasure?
On the way home is there excitement? Is there talk of how things will be different because of rest? Is there discussion of how the family will be more involved in ministry? Is there peace in the car? Has time away increased compassion and caring? Has a servant heart been refreshed?
When on vacation Laila and I refresh ourselves by searching out a pastor and his family, taking them out to eat, and encouraging them. We stop at a church for worship. We often just stop in at a church, whatever denomination, meet a pastor and share greetings.
Vacationing is refreshment. How do you vacation? Do you feel successful and closer to the Lord when back to the routine?
Thoughtfully,
Pastor Bare
II Kings 4:9-10 "And she said to her husband, 'Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lamp stand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.'"