“I said, ‘Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest’…” Psalm 55:6
From a biblical perspective, the concept of taking a vacation may seem foreign to some believers. Paul’s journeys were rarely restful and often life-threatening. Jesus sought respite from the crowds, but that was more in the form of spiritual retreats than a contemporary vacation by the seaside. David put aside his military duties to rest, but this led to adultery and murder -- hardly a good biblical example of a vacation.
Yet vacations are very much a biblical concept. In Leviticus 23, God gives his people instructions to celebrate multiple festivals throughout the year, each lasting about one week. God basically instructs his people to go across the nation, bring food and beverages, and have a party for every festival. Does this sound like a vacation or what?
In Genesis 1, God Himself is portrayed as a diligent worker, constantly planning, creating, deciding, ordering, and replenishing. Creating the world was an all-encompassing business, yet even He made time to rest. God built cycles of rest into the order of the creation, marking one day each week to be spent away from work. In that vein, the fourth commandment prescribes six days of diligent work each week and commands us to not work on the sabbath. Clearly, the concept of rest is important in the Bible, so there is no problem with taking time off from work.
Since the Bible gives us no direct instruction regarding modern vacations, believers are left to exercise godly wisdom and discernment to act in ways aligned with scripture. As far as vacations go, here are some questions that may help us discern our intentions and whether such a vacation would tend toward God-honoring things or self-exalting things.
Is the purpose of the vacation to:
- Get away from day-to-day life to rest and refocus on God?
- Grow relationships with family or friends?
- Experience God’s world in a way that will lead you to worship Him?
Or is it to:
- Show off your wealth and ability to travel to your friends on social media?
- Escape from your problems at home instead of addressing them?
- Satisfy a fleeting or impulsive desire?
Some more questions to ask might be:
- Will this vacation put you in tempting situations?
- Are there ways these same things could be achieved at a lesser cost?
- Can I afford this vacation without going into debt, or cutting into my savings, tithing, or other giving?
- Have I prayed about it? We should consult the Lord for all things, even the fun ones!
Something else to consider is that vacations give us a unique opportunity to display our faith. For example, travel disruptions are inevitable. If your flight is delayed, your luggage is lost, or you wind up stuck in traffic, the most important thing is to avoid the temptation to get upset and yell. Rather, pause and offer up a prayer. Try to get yourself in the right frame of mind so you can set an example for your children and for the people around you. This can be a golden opportunity to teach your children about how to behave in a Christ-like manner when in difficult circumstances.
Take your vacation opportunity to commune with God in new surroundings. Pray before you leave home, ask for blessings on your journey, and thank Him for the opportunity He has given you to “get away,” even if it’s just for a weekend. And be on the lookout for divine appointments to share His word and be a blessing to others; it will provide depth and meaning to your trip that you otherwise would never get to experience.
Have a great time and take a lot of pictures! We’ll see you when you get back.
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