"Getting Away"

By Zach Wood

Luke 5:116

Yet the news spread about him all the more, so that crowds of people came

to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.  But Jesus often withdrew

to lonely places and prayed. 

 

 

I find it fascinating how often, after Jesus was hard at work doing miracles and being surrounded by crowds of people, He went off to solitary places to be alone.  This passage is just one of many that talks about how Jesus goes off by Himself in order to get his batteries recharged.  Even though He was the perfect Son of God, He also needed to rest His body and refuel His spirit to keep going in His ministry.  He needed rest just like the rest of us do.  He was perfect, but He was also fully human and needed to get away.

 

This past week, many from our church family went up north in MN to Family Camp.  We go and spend a week just relaxing and getting away from the craziness of the world.  I remember telling someone at the beginning of the week about the world does not stop around us, but we need to stop for just a while and get away sometimes to get our bodies and spirits recharged.  There is no question about that.  We get so swamped with life and often we forget that our bodies need rest, just like Jesus did.  Rest is vital and sometimes we need more than just an hour or two away from things. 

 

My encouragement to you is to try to plan a trip away from the everyday life.  I know it is not always possible to take an entire week away from the busy-ness of life, but if there is just a day or two or three that you can get away and go somewhere to get refreshed and recharged, it is well worth it.  Yes, the world will still be going when you return to the norm, but if you just keep going and never get away from the hectic battle of the everyday life, you will soon burn out and run yourself till you are sick. 

 

Now I am not saying that what you should do is go somewhere and just pray the whole time.  This is just an example of the refreshment you can get by getting away somewhere quiet.  Jesus used times to get away to spend with the Father and just refresh Himself so that He could regain strength to head out to His ministry again.  It is important to just go take time doing some things that are refreshing and enjoyable.  Whatever refreshes you and gives you relaxation, do those things.  We need breaks from the normality of life. 

 

I would like to encourage a couple more things.  If you take time to get away, I would recommend trying a few days maybe without a computer, television, or possibly even a cell phone.  If you take a cell phone, maybe just not have it on all the time.  These are some things I though about while on my week of vacation this past week.  It was so nice to get away from the technologies of the world and just rest my mind. 

 

Getting away is refreshing and something each of us should strive to put into our lives at some point in the year.  If you are finding excuses that you are too busy, just remember that Jesus was also busy, but knew He needed to take time away.  Go refresh yourself.