Jesus once said to His disciples, "Come ye yourselves apart . . . and rest awhile." And in the "Testimonies," we are instructed:
"You should labor with care, and observe periods of rest. By so doing you will retain your physical and mental vigor, and render your labor much more efficient. Brother F, you are a nervous man, and move much from impulse. Mental depression influences your labor very much. At times you feel a want of freedom, and think it is because others are in darkness or wrong, or that something is the matter, you can hardly tell what, and you make a drive somewhere, and upon somebody, which is liable to do great harm. If you would quiet yourself when in this restless, nervous condition, and rest, and calmly wait on God, and inquire if the trouble is not in yourself, you would save wounding your own soul and wounding the precious cause of God."—Volime I, p. 622.
One of the greatest needs of civilized people today is the need for rest, repose, and relaxation. Not that they are working too hard or accomplishing too much, but they are on a continual tension with the rush and bustle of modern life. Outdoor exercise is necessary to vital strength. Relaxation is an essential element of physical and mental health, and is necessary as a nerve tonic.
Graduated, balanced exercise in the out-of-doors is also a great aid to vital strength and well-being. Therefore, take a vacation. Loosen the iron grip. Relax from the nerve tension. Put off the robe of responsibility, and play! play! play! Well may every mature individual in this mad-driven day voice the sentiment of the poet's prayer:
"Backward, turn backward, O Time, in your flight, Make me a child again, just for tonight!"
Even cold steel, if pitched to a high tension and continuously vibrated, tends to crystallize and break. Hence, high-power machines, after a lone, and continuous run, are placed in their sheds to rest awhile. Even more essential is the need of rest and diversion for overwrought nerves, brains, and muscles. Rest a while, that you may relax and get a clearer perspective, and then the various factors in perplexing problems will assume their rightful proportions.
Benefits of Recreation
1. Prepares for more successful discharge of duties. "Testimonies," Vol. II, p. 586; "Counsels to Teachers," p..336.
2. Gives new life, courage, hope. Vol. I, p. 515; Vol. II, pp. 586, 587.
3. Improves the mind and refreshes the body. "Education," p. 207; "Testimonies," Vol. II, p. 586.
4. Strengthens and builds up body, mind, and soul. "Education," pp. 207, 211, 213; "Testimonies," Vol. IV, p. 653; Id., Vol. V, p. 218.
A vacation program is purely a personal matter, but it should be carefully planned with the thought in mind of obtaining the benefit needed in rejuvenation of body and mind and spirit. Fresh air, sunshine, rest, exercise, sleep in abundance, pure water, healthful food, and change of environment are essential factors in every successful vacation period. Do nothing to excess, but be moderate in everything. If possible, put your hobby into practice. If you have none, develop one.
I believe every worker should plan to take a vacation every year. It is only foolhardy to say, "I have never taken a vacation." It is living more in accordance with the Spirit of prophecy for a minister to say, "I take my vacation every year as faithfully as I prepare my sermons," or for a doctor to say, "as-faithfully as I prescribe it for others." The business world has found that it is imperative for its employees to have periods of rest and , recreation. Some large corporations spend thousands of dollars to provide for their workers at least two weeks' compulsory vacation with pay. Many ministers of the modern churches have from one to three months' vacation every year, and a central place provided for them to spend their vacations together at a very nominal cost.
Men of sedentary occupations, after being indoors all day sitting in committees and attending long sessions, go home tired. They want to eat, read, and go to bed. They are too fatigued, too "all in" to bother with exercise, whereas balanced exercise is precisely what is needed and what will prove to be refreshing as well as relaxing and healthful. Plans for physical recreation and exercise as well as mental pursuits should be a part of their program.
What Every Worker Should Do
Develop a hobby suitable to individual characteristics and taste.
Devote at least one or two hours to enjoyable outdoor exercise daily, suited to the individual physique and need.
Ensure adequate sleep and rest.
Guard against overindulgence of appetite. Plan vacations that will not exhaust nerve energy and deplete the pocketbook.
