It is no secret that every now and then, Jesus retreated to the mountain to be alone and to pray. I believe Jesus understood the principle of renewal. When you are producing at a very high level or about to take your production to the next level, there is a need to come apart a while, to renew, and to rejuvenate. You are not a machine fueled by gasoline. Even that has to be taken offline every now and then for routine maintenance. You owe it to yourself to come away for a while so that you can be renewed.
When I speak about coming away for a while, I’m not talking about your daily sleep neither I’m I talking about the 1 week vacations you are oft to take. I am talking about taking 30+ days completely off your daily routine. I am talking about a complete unplugging from your daily production affairs. A time to come away a while and be still. A time to intentionally tank your production, to be silent, to learn, to pray, to grow. A time of respite, and a time for renewal. In the Bible Jesus came away for 40 days and 40 nights, fasting and praying just before He began the peak production season of His ministry:
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered – Matthew 4:2
You should plan to renew yourself about every 5 years of intense production. The days scheduled for this season should not be less than 30 days. 3 months is ideal. If you can spend these days in a foreign country, that will be preferable. Your schedule during this season should be nothing but sight seeing, reading, praying and sleeping – perhaps writing. I’m not oblivious to the fact that not everyone can financially or vocationally afford to do this, but I do know that with proper planning, you may be able to take a month sabbatical. It may not be this year or next year but it can happen if you intentionally look ahead. Before this season of renewal is over, you will notice a renewed strength rising in you, a renewed purpose, a renewed conviction for the execution of your life work. With these renewed elements, you will be able to come back to routine daily life ready to effectively execute the next 3-5 years of your life.