No Spiritual Downtime

Years ago, I was in a mall in Hawaii when a guy recognized me and walked up to say hello. We started talking, and then I asked him where he went to church.

“Well, I haven’t been for a while,” he told me. “I’m on a spiritual vacation.”

So, we had a long talk, and thankfully, it resulted in his making a recommitment to the Lord.

In 2 Samuel 11 we find the story of someone who tried to take a spiritual vacation as well. King David no longer was the shepherd-warrior of his early days. Instead, we find him kicking back, complacent, and with too much time on his hands.

We read that “late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath” (verse 2 NLT).

Back in those days, the roofs were flat which provided additional living space. David’s palace would have been perched above the other homes, so he had a vantage point. He could see into other people’s rooftops and yards. He could survey everything.

Was David looking for trouble? I think he may have been because he ended up having sexual relations with the woman. And ultimately, he murdered her husband to try and cover it up.

David was being physically and spiritually lazy when he should have been leading his troops into battle. Instead, he was taking a spiritual vacation.

When we’re spiritually lethargic we become more vulnerable. It happened to David, and it can happen to us, especially these days.

Don’t go on a spiritual vacation. The moment you stop going forward spiritually you will start going backward. The moment you fall asleep spiritually you’ll be weak and vulnerable.