Lessons from Vacation

Vacation

May 29, 2022 by Bill Leave a Comment

This is the time of year when many people go off to some place away from home to rest and have some fun. We call it vacation. Over the next couple of weeks, we will look at some similarities between vacations and the Christian life.

Our vacations are usually planned far in advance. We first decide that we’re going to take a vacation and the place where we’ll go. Then we make reservations for lodging and begin preparing for the trip and the stay away from home. But there’s something else we do; we start looking forward to the day we actually leave. We anticipate the wonderful time we’ll have and the place we’ll stay. No matter what goes on in the time before vacation, we can look beyond it to a better time a coming.

Now, think about our lives. We first realize we’re going to go someplace when we leave here and we decide we want to go to Heaven and not Hell. So, we get saved which gives us a reservation in Heaven and a very nice place to stay. Next, we should begin making preparations of the things that we’ll need, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” (Matthew 6:20). But there’s something else we should do; start looking forward to the day we actually leave. Of course, we don’t know exactly when that will be but we anticipate the wonderful time we’ll have and the place we’ll stay. No matter what goes on in the time before we leave, we can look beyond it to a better time a coming.

Do you see? If we’re saved, then Heaven is our destination and we’re going there sometime in the future. We SHOULD be making preparations and we SHOULD be very excited with the anticipation of it and looking forward to it. Think about how we anticipate vacations. Think about how we anticipate Heaven. The apostle Paul said it this way: “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,” (Philippians 3:13).

Lessons From Vacation – Going Home

August 14, 2010 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given Summer of 2010

Vacations are great but at the end of the week, guess what; you’ve got to go home. The result of your planning, preparation, anticipation, and the stay is over and you must say goodbye to your vacation. It was nice, it was refreshing, and a good break in life but we have responsibilities at home. Many are doing what they were created to do and must get back to it. I’ve heard the comment so many times, “I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed.” There’s just something about home.

But we have a Heavenly home and where we live now is not our permanent residence. “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.” (Philippians 3:20). Our life here is usually no vacation so we should be looking forward to “going home”. If we think vacation is nice, wait until we get home! Sleeping in our own bed doesn’t even compare. “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”. (John 14:2-3).

Just as we plan and prepare for a vacation, how much more important is it to do the same for our going home to Heaven. Think about it, the anticipation of going home should be great.

Lessons From Vacation – Part 3 – The Trip

July 26, 2010 by Bill 1 Comment

Given June 2010

Well, we’ve planned our vacation and we’re looking forward to it and now the day has arrived. We begin the trip. We know our destination, we have our map or GPS set up, our vehicle is packed with the things we need, we know about how long it will take us to get there, so we pull out of the driveway and head out. Things go fine for awhile but, along the way, we encounter road construction, or we take a wrong turn, or we have a flat, or one of the kids gets car sick or we forgot something we will need. Has it happened to you? You have a delay or get side tracked from your destination and get frustrated. However, you wait, make adjustments, or take care of the problems, and continue on your way. You wouldn’t think of going back home and missing the vacation you’ve looked so forward to.

We are on a journey in this life as well. When we get saved, our destination, Heaven, is set and our lives are spent on the trip. We know about how long we will live and when we should arrive there so we head out. But sometimes, (actually always), we run into some problems along the way. Our enemy, Satan, will do many things to distract us and try to get us off track so we WON’T reach our destination. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Jesus is with us on the trip, (Hebrews 13:5), and He will supply us with guidance, (GodPositioningSystem), the supplies we need or may have forgotten, and encourage us by His Word as we go.

The Heavenly journey is not easy, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14. Many do get distracted and lost and some give up and go back home. But follow your GPS, go where He says to go, do what He says to do along the way, and have a good trip.

Lessons From Vacation – Be Content

July 18, 2010 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given June 2010

A vacation is meant to allow you to get away from the daily routine and experience something different. Hardly anyone takes a vacation in their own hometown. A recent vacation to the beach brought us to a chain grocery store. The young lady who checked out our items was very friendly and asked us where we were from. Upon hearing that we were from the mountains she stated, “Oh, I love the mountains, I’d like to live there. I’ve lived at the beach all my life.”

It surprised me to hear her say that because I’ve said the same thing every time I go to the beach, “Oh, this is great; I’d like to live here.” But this young lady was longing to get away from what she was used to and experience what we wanted to get away from! We think somewhere else is better than where we live; the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

But the apostle Paul said it this way, “..I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,” Philippians 4:11,12. The lesson for us is to be content where God has placed us but be in constant contact with Him so if He wants to move us, we’ll know it. There are people in the world who long to be where we are.

Lessons From Vacation – Part 2 – Preparation

June 28, 2010 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given May 2010

In this second lesson, after we’ve decided to go on vacation and begun looking forward to it, it’s time to start preparing. You’ll need to decide when you’ll go, where you will stay, (depending on how much you can afford and you’ll probably have to send a deposit), how to get there, get someone to pick up your mail while you’re gone and maybe water your garden, who’s going with you, and what you’ll have to take along. Then you continue looking forward to the grand time you’re all going to have.

So let’s look at the comparison to Heaven which takes some preparation as well. After you decide you want to go to Heaven and get saved, you don’t get to pick the time you’ll go; only the Father knows that. And you don’t have to worry about where you’ll stay, Jesus has already taken care of that, (John 14:2), your mansion is ready. How you’ll get there is not a worry either because, “…we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 5:8). But there are some preparations you do need to look after.

Who’s going with you? One of the most important things we are to do here on earth is to witness to others so they can go to Heaven with us. So, in preparation, we live our lives so that others will see and hear and want to go to Heaven. We need to take as many with us as we can and there IS room in the vehicle. And, we don’t have to worry about the mail, the garden, or the job because we can’t take any of that with us anyway, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” (1 Timothy 6:7). But what we really need to spend time on and send ahead are Kingdom things; Spiritual things that will last and profit us in eternity. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:20). In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul says that earthly things we spend time preparing will be burned up at the judgment but Spiritual things will last.

If you haven’t already, start preparing for this Heavenly trip now and look forward to it!