How does the gospel relate to work and vacation?
Some of you have pointed out that it has been very quiet on my blog recently. Yes, it has--not because I am tired of blogging--not because I have forgotten about blogging--not because I have not been thinking and therefore have nothing interesting to say. The truth is that I'm just busy. I was gone for half the month of May, both for mission and vacation. First, I spent a week in Sheffield with The Crowded House; you can read all the details on my blog. Next, I spent a week in California on vacation with my family. Finally, I spent the last week catching up on everything that comes with being gone for two weeks.
Isn't it funny how just before vacation everything seems to be building up and you just can't wait to get out of town? Isn't it sad that when you come back it is all still there and what was building up has now fallen over because the pile is too high? Typically this causes us to feel defeated and question whether or not we should have ever gone on vacation. Sadly, I know so many people that feel this way that they never take vacation. This is especially true of pastors who feel that they need to be there or everything will fall apart. This is a gospel issue.
Maybe we put too much expectation in vacation. We assume that "escaping" will provide us the necessary recharging of our batteries to power ourselves through the daily grind of life. Like some sort of supercharge that allows us to get a booster each weekend as we take a day off. In this way, vacation becomes for us a "functional savior."
Often times we go on vacation and come back feeling as if we need a vacation (I made this statement recently). This is because we go out of town and then go, go, go, from sunrise to sunset. We chase our kids, spend our money, and sleep less than at home. By the time it is over we feel tired, broke, and worn thin. We come home disappointed that "vacation did not work." Upon returning to work, we find our work stacked up and falling over into a big mess and this causes us to regret our vacation completely. Our kids barely see us after we get back and we explain that we just spent a whole week with them. In general, we become more tired, broke, and worn thin than we were before. Our prayer life and devotional life begins to suffer and we continue on this way until next year's vacation, at which time we have renewed hope that vacation will save us.
All of this points to a deeper spiritual issue--a gospel issue. Our true rest is found in Christ alone. Jesus says, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." It is this continual abiding in Jesus that provides us true rest, and therefore constant charging of the batteries. Vacations are a wonderful thing and, yes, work is a wonderful thing. God created us to work even before sin entered the world. Work is not a result of the Fall, but a result of being created in the image of God as stewards of His creation. Despising our work because it is a life of toil is the result of the Fall. Hard work therefore should be a permanent reminder of the gospel. We should be reminded that our work is hard and that it takes its toll on our bodies, both physically and mentally, because we live in a fallen world. Our work rebels against us just as we rebelled against God. Each act of rebellion should remind us of God's grace and mercy to us in the gospel. Christ has died for us while we were yet still sinners, not because we were making progress. We never make progress outside of the gospel and therefore never move on from the gospel. We live in it. Abide in it. Work in it and vacation in it.
Vacation is a wonderful time because we do get to spend time with our friends and family, travel, relax, escape from work, etc. However, we should never overestimate its role. Its role is not to save us from our work. Jesus saves us in the midst of our daily work as we abide in him. So I do not mind the busyness that comes from being gone for a couple of weeks. I enjoy my work and I enjoy my rest. My rest is Christ and by abiding in him I constantly find rest whether at work or on vacation.
Back to work!
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