Vacationing just like Jesus did
Summer is vacation time—the two are synonymous with each other! Families are out on the
highways, taking trips to faraway places. Parks and resorts are filled with people who come to
fish, swim, explore, or just to relax. Summer camps are in full swing, as well as family camping
and get-togethers. Vacations are for fun, and they are good for us. Everyone needs a change of scenery and a time to relax, ‘getting away from it all’ as the saying goes.
Jesus didn’t seem to get much time to rest during His 3 years of preaching, healing, and
teaching. Once he became so tired from teaching the people all day, that He fell asleep as He
and His disciples were crossing a lake. On another occasion, so many people were crowded
around Him and His disciples that they weren’t able to eat.
So Jesus purposely set aside some time for relaxation—He carved this precious time out of
His intensive activity. He told His disciple, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and
rest awhile.” (Mark 6:31 -32)
Sometimes Jesus went out all alone to spend some intimate time in prayer with His heavenly Father. The Bible tells us about one of these ‘vacations’: “…and in the morning, a great while before day, He rose and went out to a lonely place, and there He prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
We can learn from Jesus to make our vacations a time for refreshing our spirit as well as our relationship with God and our family. A vacation is an opportunity to come closer to God. Like Jesus, we can spend some time alone, talking to our heavenly Father and thinking about His great love and incredible faithfulness toward us. Perhaps a beautiful little get-away or scenic area can give us a clearer idea of God’s glory and majesty. Wherever we go, let’s
remember that we are still God’s child, and that He is always near us. Let’s vacation with God,
and not away from Him. Seek out some time alone with Him, and perhaps a nearby church our One God with the folks there.
So, let’s vacation just like Jesus did!
Have a great, relaxing, enjoyable vacation this summer—but don’t take a vacation from God!
—pastor Douglas
A word to fathers
To be a successful father today, you have to swim upstream against the strong current of our
culture, and be willing to live a counter-cultural lifestyle. Whether you’re just beginning, or
are in the middle or later on in your marriage and with your children, you need to schedule
time for your family and give it the highest priority.
Fortunately, the Bible provides clear instructions for men who want their role as a father to
really count for something in their families and in their home. And there is no better source for precepts that are practical, down-to-earth and relevant than the book of Proverbs. Here are
five basic precepts to get you started.
Precept #1: Children are a gift of God.
Proverbs 17: 6, Grandchildren are the crown of old men. Pray daily for your children, by
name, and thank God for them. Recognize that they are a love gift from God.
Precept #2: The best gift you can give your children is to have a dad who is a man of
God.
According to Proverbs 2:7, God “stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to
those who walk in integrity.” If you want to leave your children a legacy that will mean
something, let them see you lead a godly life.
Precept #3: A parent’s joy or sorrow is a reflection of the obedience or the disobedience
of their children.
Proverbs 10:1 states that “a wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his
mother.” Don’t let false guilt wear you down or discourage you. You can do everything
possible and seek to build all the right stuff in your children, but ultimately they will be
responsible for the choices they make.
Precept #4: The character of a child is revealed early in life.
Dads, become a student of your children. Proverbs 20:11 says that “it is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself, if his conduct is pure and right.” Identify your child’s character flaws early, then pray about these tendencies. Teach with firmness, don’t surrender, and trust God to show you how to best compensate for those weaknesses.
Precept #5: Each child is unique!
You are probably familiar with Proverbs 22: 6 which says that when you “train up a child in
the way he should go, even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Effective parenting is
not cookie cutter parenting! Each child has a different “bent,” and needs to be taught,
disciplined and encouraged in the manner that works best for him.
Now, here’s a word of comfort for you. Remember that the battle belongs to the LORD.
It’s not your battle! Just be responsible and accountable with these basic precepts for being a
godly father. There will never be a better time, a less busy time, or a more appropriate time to
do so than right now.
We fathers have only once chance of influencing our children as they grow up—so it is very important! In many other ways, we have extra chances to re-do; not with being a father to a
child growing up. So, make being a father a most important part of your daily life! And
God will bless you as you do!
—pastor Douglas