I was once talking with someone about their faith. They told me how their faith naturally developed over time. And, yet, their faith seemed more like that of a first time visitor to a church, amazed by the stained glassed windows and high ceilings, over Jesus having died on a cross for the sin in their life.

Faith has to be actively nurtured and tested, and tested means refined and I’ve never found a refinery which has great parking, and is secreted with lounger chairs and barista quality coffee.

Yes, our relationship with Jesus will grow over time; the Fruit of the Spirit does grow ‘spontaneously’ and without any direct effort on our part – at one level. But it certainly does grow as a direct consequence of our active, and ongoing, relationship with Jesus Christ.

And trust me when I say I’ve checked with God about the whole refiner’s fire thing, MANY times: no testing and refiner’s fire, no righteous growth!

The really good news is that we can face troubles in this life and still know the peace of God, which is beyond all human understanding. It literally makes no sense to be peaceful through hard times, unless you’re certain of who God is, and who you are to Him.

What’s that got to do with me?

While on a 3 week holiday we took a full week off from interacting with anybody outside of our family. As Video Makers, Radio Presenters, Online Ministry Creators and Blog Post Writers, we are constantly talking with all sorts of people. But we totally unplugged from the world for that first week (and it was very appreciated).

Towards the end of that first week I felt the clear, urgent, need to contact a dear friend. He hadn’t wanted to bother me – as we were on holiday – but he was very much in need of some prayer, and some support.

I found myself using a phrase with quite a few different people over the next few days, as I felt the urge to check in with a few more people.

“I may be on holiday, but my faith isn’t”

It probably needs stating, while we’re on this subject, that holidays aren’t in the bible and neither are sabbaticals. But a regular pattern of rest is a very biblical principle, which makes both of those things very beneficial – when you’re able to make use of them.

One dear friend, and spiritual advisor to our BerryBunch Ministry, referred to our 3 week break as a sabbatical, and I don’t think there’s a better way of describing what we were able to enjoy. God even made sure to provide us with funds so we could enjoy some fun trips too.

If you’re ever on holiday, don’t be like the Samaritan, and cross the road from a problem you can see. You may well be on holiday, but you’re never on holiday from your faith.

Andy B