My cousin fishes in bass tournaments throughout the year. He has invested thousands of dollars in boats and equipment. He thrives on the competition. To me that’s not fishing. Floating down a river or sitting on the shore with a cane pole or rod and reel, relaxing and enjoying God’s creation is what fishing is all about, in my opinion.

I once stopped by a general store in Missouri. As I approached the door I noticed a sign in the window which said, “Closed - gone fishin’”. We all need times to get away and relax – times to be renewed and refreshed. Jesus realized the importance of doing so. With crowds flocking around Him to be ministered to, He would often take His disciples off to a mountain retreat for rest and renewal. Whether you are a student escaping the classroom or a middle-aged secretary getting away from the office, you need a vacation. Everyone benefits from a change of scenery, an airing out of the mind and spirit.

The secret to a great vacation or getaway has little to do with activity, destination, weather, luxuries, or money. The secret to a great getaway is in the packing – knowing what to take along and what to leave behind. One of my best getaways was when I only took what could be carried in a backpack. Learn to travel light.

Leave behind your work. You can’t get a new grip on things you’re unwilling to lay aside. Great ideas are born when problems are given a rest. Works of art require downtime for the paint to dry. Some people are like the lumberjack who wouldn’t stop to sharpen his axe – the harder he worked the more exhausted and less efficient he became. No man at deaths door wishes he had spent more time on the job.

Leave behind relationships. Good friendships are strengthened by an occasional absence. Don’t pack your hurts, pains, and conflicts. Leave them behind. Take a vacation from anger, stress, and frustration. Perhaps you won’t want to pick them back up when you get back home. “Cast all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you” (I Peter 5:7). You can’t get out of the harbor until you first pull in your anchor. Get rid of any sin or attitude that anchors you down. “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us” (Hebrews 12:1). “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9, 10).

Leave behind your schedule. Some of the best vacations are open-ended days that make room for serendipitous moments, thoughts, and experiences. Be open to what God may want to bring to you. Have you ever thought that God may be waiting to share something with you when He can have your undivided attention? Once you’ve determined what you’ll leave behind, make a list of what things you’ll take along.

Take along a Bible – God’s word. If you really want a time for rest, refreshing, and renewal, you’re going to need healthy nourishment with you. Don’t try to survive on Twinkies and soda. Why not fill up on the life giving, refreshing, and reviving Word of God? (See Philippians 4:8.) Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but by everything that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Luke 4:4). Choose a gospel or book of the Bible, read it through and meditate on it.

Take along a spirit of adventure. Be available, flexible, and adaptable. New places invite new experiences. Be adventuresome, it may stretch and surprise you.
Take along laughter. Loosen up. It’s amazing – the cleansing flow that comes from laughter, especially when you are laughing at yourself. “A merry heart doeth good like medicine” (Proverbs 17:22).

The most important priority in life should be to know and grow closer to God. “Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). This will require solitude. Be sure to take time for God’s word, worship, and prayer. Jesus loved people, children, and His disciples. But He always took time out to getaway and spend time with His Father. It so impressed the disciples that they asked Him to teach them to pray so that they might have such peace and rest in every situation.

Jesus calls your name. “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, 29).

I’m learning to pack lighter with each getaway. It’s about time to put my sign out again – “Gone fishin’”. What about you? Jesus is calling.