Take a Vacation

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work."    —Genesis 2:2

Have you ever heard church leaders complain about low summer attendance? Invariably, someone will say, “What if God took a vacation?” I am not really much for using guilt to get people to serve the Lord. The first time I saw a church sign that read, “CH—CH, What’s missing, UR” I was amused. But now when I read such a sign, I am reminded of the critical cry of a dying ministry. Rather than browbeat the Church for low attendance on a summer Sunday, encourage people to take a vacation. We all need some time off.

A day off or a vacation as ordained by God should be a time for recharging our souls, replenishing our minds, and refreshing our bodies. If your body needs exercise, then a vacation should be a time of exertion. If your body needs rest, then time off should be spent recuperating. Jesus told the disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). But a vacation should never be an escape from morality or a time to forget about the Lord.

What if God did actually take a vacation? Well He did! At least, God took a day off. The scriptures tell us that not only did God take a day off, but He institutionalized the day off. The fourth of the Ten Commandments reads, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work” (Exodus 20:8-10).

Some may wonder why most Christians observe Sunday, the first day of the week, as their Sabbath rest and not Saturday, the seventh, as prescribed by the Old Testament. The Jews observe Saturday as their Sabbath, and a few Christian denominations still do, but the early Church began meeting on Sunday calling it the Lord’s Day, the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Each Sunday became a celebration, an anniversary of Easter. John writes in Revelations 1:10, “On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.” Several places in the New Testament we read about the Church gathering “on the first day of the week” (John 20:19, Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 6:2).

If God took a moral day off, then prayers would not get answered. Our sins would not be forgiven. If God completely severed Himself from any relationship with His Creation, the world might fall apart. Colossians 1:17 tells us that “in him all things hold together.” A vacation may be a break from one’s responsibilities at their local church but not from the spiritual responsibilities of being a Christian. You may miss a Sunday with your home church, but why not check out a new ministry at your vacation setting. You may miss Sunday School or your home group but take a moment as a family to have devotions and pray together.

This year, take a vacation. You may stay home because of finances, but change your routine. And remember to make your time of rest holy unto the Lord. Don’t forget the three Ps of a godly vacation: Play, Pray, and Pay. Play and refresh your soul, mind, and body. Pray and draw close to God. And Pay—don’t forget to continue to support your local church and the ministries you sustain. Have a great summer!