Patty and I are on a trip with our daughter Hanna and her family near Palm Springs, California. This morning, we got up and went to a church near where we were staying. I always enjoy visiting other churches, seeing how they do things, and listening to different pastors preach. One of the things that I am careful about is not letting my basic disciplines slip when on a vacation or trip. It is easy to do and easy to justify and excuse. I read my Bible yesterday on the plane, did lots of scripture memory, and spent time praying and reading once we got to our condo last night. Because of lots to do and hectic schedules on trips like this, it is easy to let the disciplines slip. Also, the total change in our routine contributes to our failure to practice our spiritual disciplines faithfully. Probably the main reason many don’t attend church, read their Bibles, spend time in Prayer, memorize scripture, and read in good Christian books or listen to good podcasts and recordings of sound Bible teaching is because they are on vacation. Because we are on vacation from our everyday life at home, we also tend to take a vacation from our spiritual life. The problem is that the devil and his demons don’t ever take a vacation, and in fact, they aren’t dummies; they know that when we take a break from our spiritual disciplines is when we are easy prey, so they will double their efforts to get us to backside.

I have messed up many times on trips like this in the past. My worst compromises happen on hunting and fishing trips when I am so focused on pursuing fish or elk that I just forget about the disciplines. It helps if, before a trip, I commit to be faithful no matter what. Sometimes, it works, and sometimes, the elk and fish win.