I read this in this month’s issue of Youth Worker Journal:

Not taking vacation is about as all-American as the Liberty Bell. Americans typical get 14 days of vacation time every year, compared to 26 vacation days the average German gets and the 36 days (that’s more than seven 5-day workweeks) folks who live in France pull down.

But alas, we can’t even use that minuscule amount of vacation. Americans typical use only 11 of those vacation days. (Money magazine)

I plan to use all of my vacation time every year, not because I’m lazy and hate work (I love my job!), but because I know that in ministry, if I don’t take alloted time to relax and rest in the short-term, I’ll eventually burnout in the long-term. The temptation is continue working and accomplish as much as possible, which may help me complete a couple more days of work every year, but what does that matter if I drop out of ministry 10 years from now because of it? When I haven’t had time for myself or my wife for a while and I’m faced with a lot of work, I usually ask myself, “What’s the worst that could happen if I don’t finish this today?” Usually, the petty consequence works out anyway because I think God blesses my boundaries when I keep my wife and my ministry longevity a high priority.

Posted on September 3, 2007