Getting Away From It All
Jul.15,2013
http://getmorestrength.org
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3
A pastor friend of mine was telling another pastor about the
long-awaited vacation that he and his family were preparing for. The
other pastor immediately replied, “Vacation? I never take a vacation.
Satan doesn’t take a vacation and neither do I!”
To which my friend wisely retorted, “Well, that’s all right. Satan has never been my example!”
In the summer when school is out and the sun is shining, our thoughts
turn toward vacation. And that’s a good thing! We were wired with an
innate need to take a break from our usual pace and spend some time
being refreshed and recharged.
But for some reason, we sometimes seem apologetic about taking time
off or needing a change of pace for a little while. It may be that our
internal understanding of a real “work ethic” demands that we feel a
little guilty about time that we’re not being “productive” or
“efficient.” Or maybe we are concerned that those projects and clients
we have been carefully nurturing along will fall to pieces if we put
them on hold for a week or two. Maybe we are distorting Paul’s words to
the Ephesians, resisting vacations and working nonstop so that we can
“make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).
If that’s your brain strain, then let me put a biblical stop to that
train of thought and provide you with three solid,
straight-from-Scripture reasons to enjoy a guilt-free, refreshing time
away from your usual pace of work this summer.
Reason number one: it’s commanded in Scripture. The fourth
commandment tells us to “remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8).
That means more than just going to church on Sunday. The principle of
“Sabbath”—rooted in God’s example through creation of resting on the
seventh day—intertwines with the Old Testament law code.
There were not only to be days of Sabbath, but week-long festivals
scattered throughout the Jewish seasons. In fact, there were Sabbath years
in their calendar! God’s loving command was intended to pull His people
aside for rest so they would be reminded that all good things come from
Him . . . not from their frantic efforts at work.
A second reason why it’s a good idea to take a well-deserved break is
that your body and spirit need it. I love the picture that David paints
for us in Psalm 23:1-6
of a shepherd leading his sheep to a place of refreshment and rest. We
are finite, fallible, limited creatures, and without rest we’ll find
that burnout and exhaustion eventually take their toll. Our ability to
be gracious, loving, and patient will be a casualty of our compulsive
work habits. Fatigue and weariness will leave us vulnerable to
temptation. And most disturbingly, our intimacy with the Lord will
suffer as our time with Him becomes perfunctory at best, and nonexistent
at worst. All that can be avoided if we allow our Good Shepherd to
restore our soul with times of rest in green pastures and with seasons
of refreshment beside quiet waters.
And just in case we need another reason to put our feet up and relax
now and then, remember that Jesus did it! He often withdrew from the
crush of the crowds to seasons of prayer and rest. During a storm on the
Sea of Galilee He was sound asleep in the boat (Mark 4:38). And we are told that while on a trip from Judea to Galilee “Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well” (John 4:6).
There were always more people to heal, more messages to preach, and
more places to go, but Jesus displayed the importance of rest.
So, whether it’s a weekend of camping, a day at the pool, or a week
away with close friends or family members, turn off the cell-phone,
close the computer, and get away! There’s no good reason not to!
YOUR JOURNEY…
- How has God used previous vacations and times away to refresh and restore your soul?
- Do you find it hard to schedule time away, and do you feel guilty or fearful on vacations? Take some time to think through why that might be.
- What plans are in place for you to follow through on God’s instruction about rest and refreshment? It may not be this summer, or even during the fall, but what about within the next six months?
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