Vacations are not only a great time for rest, relaxation and investing in important relationships, but they can also be a time of reset.
To reset something, according to Webster’s dictionary, is to set again or anew. In life we need to occasionally reset our routines and vacations can be a strategic time to do that.
Not everyone has the luxury of extended time off from work during the year. Many bivocational pastors work all week and then spend their Saturday getting ready for Sunday. Others are young in their ministry tenure and may have very limited vacation time. My counsel is to use whatever time you do have in the most effective way to care for yourself and for those who are important to you.
While you are doing that, please consider these five potential resets that can occur during a vacation:
1. You can reset your sleep routine. I am an early riser, but vacations can be an opportune time to sleep in. Psalm 127:2 reminds us all, it is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Whether you are sleeping in or napping a little more, you will no doubt discover that additional rest will help you think more clearly and possibly be more optimistic about your life and ministry. Vacation can be a good time to reset the discipline of going to bed at a consistent time each night and rising at a set time each morning.
2. You can reset your exercise routine. A recent vacation was a chance for me to reset my exercise routine. If you are like me, you value exercise, but you do not value it as much as doing more work. During my last vacation I was able to think through my daily schedule and discover a way to prioritize exercise that I hadn’t thought about before. I am so enjoying this new routine.
3. You can reset your work and/or ministry routine. If there are “schedule geeks” out there — made up of people who are continually looking for the best work schedule that allows them to focus on the most important work and ministry priorities that will make the biggest difference — then make me a member and possibly the president of that group. Numerous times over the years I have returned to work after time away and changed the priority given to different activities. Having served as a pastor for 20 years and then in three different positions with the Kentucky Baptist Convention, I have had to come to the realization that the way I performed the former role would not suffice perfectly for the new role. Vacations can be a good time to reflect on these matters and make needed scheduling adjustments.
4. You can reset prioritizing important relationships. Many of us in ministry have had that nagging sense that we are going through life distracted and not paying enough attention to the most important people in our lives. Sometimes I catch myself walking around with a smartphone in my hand all day long. My screen time is ridiculous and sometimes embarrassing. Vacations can be a good time to put your smartphone in your pocket and pay attention to those you love.
5. You can reset your personal devotional practices. Daily time with God was one of the first disciplines I learned nearly 35 years ago. Since that time, few days have passed without me reading God’s word and responding to Him in prayer. There have, however, been plenty of times that my routine has become dull and lifeless. Vacations can be a great time to tweak your daily devotion practices and experience freshness in your time with God.
Other resets could be added to this list, but these suffice to make the case that time away from our normal routines can be a welcomed opportunity to think through how we are doing what we do and make alterations to be more effective in life and ministry. I hope you are able to take a vacation this year, and I hope it proves to be a time of rest and refreshment — and also a needed reset.
Dr. Todd Gray 