Summer is almost here, and I’m sure your calendar is filling up fast or maybe already full. There is Summer Camps, VBS, weddings, kids sports activities, retreats, and the list goes on. But Pastors, for the sake of your church, your family, and your health (spiritual, physical, and mental), please take a vacation.

Whether you realize it or not, you need a break and get out of town with your family. You work hard and are on call at all hours and days. You can preach Isaiah 40:31 all you want Super-Pastor, but the call to ministry comes with tremendous pressure. You need to remember what it means to be you – not just Pastor.

Intentional rest acknowledges our dependency and need for our Creator God. It says that I am weak without Him. I know my church/ministry can continue without me for a short time. It all belongs to Him, and He may want to speak to me in my time of rest. Vacations can also help your spiritual health and you can come back refreshed and renewed.

Your family needs this time too. As a Pastor’s wife or PK, they share you with your church. It’s important that they have time with you – undistracted and time-commitment free.

A vacation, even just a week out of town, can improve your health too. An article in Inc. Magazine called 4 Scientific Reasons Vacations Are Good for Your Health

As Pastor Jeramie Rinne says: “May we not confuse busyness with godliness, or exhaustion with fruitfulness. Be courageous, leave the kingdom in God’s hands, and rest for the good of our soul, the health of the church, and the glory of God.”

David and I are getting to practice what we preach here and are taking a vacation soon. Yes, a real vacation to a beach. No computers are going with us. *GASP* We will not be answering emails or phone calls. This time is for us as a couple.