When was the last time you went on vacation? Last summer? Maybe it was more recently than that. Maybe you really have to think about it.
Regardless, you may have noticed that even while on your supposed vacation in that oh-so pricey hotel or cozy Airbnb pad, your mind continued it's uninvited, anxiety-ridden scripting.
"What are we doing tomorrow?"
"Did I bring enough cash for this trip?"
"Is this location safe?"
"Will this exotic food give me food poisoning?"
And worse...
"What if something happens at work while I'm gone? Should I check my work email just to be sure?"
"This [family or work] drama is following me. I just got an awful text! Now I need to respond. Vacation experience RUINED."
"We sure have been arguing a lot. I thought this vacation would fix my marriage. Is this a sign of deeper marital issues?"
Whew! Do any of these sound familiar???
Well, if you're like me, it's pretty hard to enjoy even a beach paradise (or whatever is your ideal get-away) with those anxieties milling. So how do you get the mental-escape to catch up with the jet-setter-escape? Keep on reading!
Throw Back
A long time ago, a nation [The Israelites] escaped brutal slavery, wandered the desert for over 40 years, and finally made it to the Promised Land [Canaan] led by their faithful leader Joshua. You can read the story in the Bible [Exodus 12-15:21, Numbers 13:1-33 and Joshua 1-5]
Promised Land Perks:
Milk & Honey
Waterfalls
Giant Grapes
Streams & Hills
Fertile Fields
Fruit Trees
Hello! Sign me up!
R&R
The surprising thing is the Promised Land wasn't enough. [Can you say "DREAM VACATION"? Well, it WAS the ideal vacation 2,000 year ago!] But it STILL wasn't the ULTIMATE restful vacation they were all seeking...
Let's stop.
This means vacations everywhere from Promised Land to Caribbean resorts have failed for over 2,000 years to provide the ultimate experience, and yet we are still throwing THOUSANDS of dollars a year into the vacation bucket trusting it will yield legitimate rest.
The good news is there is an ultimate rest. A way DOES EXIST to take a mental vacation and put our anxieties at rest.
"Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands... For if Joshua had given them rest [in The Promised Land, Canaan], God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his." [Excerpts, Hebrews 4]
This means the ultimate-dream-vacation- rest we are all seeking is found in God's presence.
Now the question you may have is, "How exactly do I enter God's rest? Do I have to die and go to heaven?" The answer is God's wonderful rest is available TODAY. Here's a quick step-by-step:
How to Enter God's Rest [better than a Disney vacation]
1. OBEDIENCE. (You might be saying "Yuck!" and turned off right now. It's true though. Click here.) Your lifestyle might be causing more stress than you realize.
2. TALK TO GOD. (Also known as prayer. Authentic conversation advised. Warning: May result in Divine Grace, Blissful Mercy, and personal needs being met.)
3. REMEMBER THIS WORLD IS TEMPORARY. Total. Game. Changer.
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18.
Ahhh... Doesn't that feel great? I'm feeling more peaceful just writing this. I think I'll enjoy a little cereal and yogurt to top this off!
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