Just two work days to vacation – I can’t wait. I need this break so badly. But why? Aren’t vacations a modern invention? Not according to the Bible.
The stress level lately has been so high that even 11 hours on a plane to London is amazingly attractive. But part of me feels like if I was “giving everything to God”, if I was fully experiencing His peace, then I wouldn’t need a break so badly. However, since I’m no paragon of virtue, vacation is very much a necessity.
As it turns out, this is quite biblical. I was recently researching the Jewish feast of Succot, known as the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. (This was for a sermon on Nehemiah 8 and John 7, both of which occur around this festival). It lasts 8 days, starts and ends with a party, and in the middle everybody goes camping. Seriously! Take a look at the instructions in Leviticus 23: “Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” (v 41-43). This vacation is a time to refocus on God’s gracious provision for us, a time to get our perspective back – our Sovereign God is in control and will provide for our needs as we fit into His plan. The Jews were to live out the memory of their wandering in the wilderness when they were absolutely dependent on God, but He came through with everything they needed.
We need a break from our daily work for several reasons. For some of us, the work environment is very stressful due to business conditions, or difficult boss or co-worker, or a sense of being out of our depth. For some it is very tedious and mind-numbing. For some it is physically exhausting and for other mentally exhausting. In all these cases we need a break, a rest – a time for our bodies and minds to heal and to be rejuvenated. In our vacations we should be seeking re-creation – renewal of minds, bodies and spirits.
But just as much we need to be restored spiritually. No matter how hard we try it seems as though work concerns swamp our relationship with God, and vacation allows us to step back from it and put God firmly back in the center of our lives. There is time to reflect, to rebuild relationships with Him and with friends and family. There is time to simply enjoy Him and His creation.
Some people don’t take their vacations, and think they’re heroes. I am not supportive of this attitude in my staff – I strongly encourage them to take decent vacations and not to carry over a whole lot, because I haven’t met anyway who couldn’t benefit from a good vacation. How the vacation is spent will of course impact its value – but I can’t influence that.
As for me, I’m off to England in autumn – camping of course – not!
Bon Voyage! I am convinced you will come back stronger, revived, happier... I am with you - people who don't take their vacations are crazy. There is nothing heroic about it. I take every day of vacation that I am owed. And it still doesn't feel like enough!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you talked about the reality of the stress and pressure of work. Just because we feel stressed doesn't mean we are unspiritual or bad Christians. I remember a sermon I once heard where the pastor talked about Jesus sweating blood at Gethsemane. "Don't you ever let anyone tell you that Christian's shouldn't experience anxiety and stress," he said. Jesus was under such stress that he sweat blood. Eventually he prayed and gave it over to the Lord, finding some kind of deeper peace about it. But feeling stressed is part of the human experience. We need to work through it. And taking a big vacation is part of that.
PS I just came off of two great mini-vacations!