“But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.  Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.  He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.” – Acts 3:18-21

Each summer I speak at camps and retreats around the country.  Every time I speak to students and see in their eyes a renewed enthusiasm for the gospel, a fire that is renewing their commitment to Christ, I get a thrill.  What a treat to see God work in our lives.  My heart is renewed.  I love it.

But I have a concern.

My concern is the same as it was when I was a college pastor and had students go to a “Passion Conference” or Rebirth International training in New Orleans’ inner city.  As a high school pastor, I would always conclude summer camp with a talk about the inevitable trip back to reality.

In drug parlance, it’s referred to as the “come down.”  When you’re high, it is an awful feeling to realize that your high is wearing off and real life is returning.  Often students who return from a phenomenal spiritual “experience” begin to expect that this “experience” is what God has ordained for every day of their life.   As a result, many students who return from amazing conferences feel guilty because these “Times of Refreshing from the Lord” don’t constantly characterize their lives

I believe that Scripture would say that challenges and suffering are normative and that “the mountain top” experience is the exception.  Not many books get written on this subject, though, because it’s like a movie where the star character dies tragically in the end…it won’t sell well.  But you don’t have to be a New Testament scholar to discern that suffering to the death was the will of God for Jesus, Peter, James, John, Paul and all the apostles (except for Judas, who committed suicide).

What’s my point?

My point is that I’m thankful for renewal experiences.  However, we should remember that these spiritual retreats should be viewed in the same way we view vacations.  Vacations and Christian experiences are designed to be restorative.  That’s their real purpose and value.

My wife and I will undoubtedly enjoy our anniversary weekend in San Francisco.  We’ll be away from our normal life responsibilities and get some well-needed rest.  However, we’ll inevitably have to come back home.  We love our jobs and raising our children, and generally don’t complain or find our normal daily routines burdensome.  But I’d be lying if I said I don’t prefer when it’s just the two of us, eating great meals together, holding hands while we go on walks, falling asleep watching movies in bed and then sleeping in.  It will be a wonderfully rejuvenating experience.  But it’s not normative.

God wants us to enjoy times of renewal and refreshing.  I’m thankful for them and I believe that it’s possible to have a form of are daily refreshment in both my marriage and my faith.  But those daily times aren’t comparable to my “weekend experiences” because the retreats are artificially free from responsibility and pressure.  Basically, from real life.  We learn things on getaways that are helpful, and they help us refocus so we can better enjoy the lives God has given us to live most of the time. 

So, don’t get discouraged when you “come down.”  Apply what you learned when you were away and enjoy the daily times of “refreshing from the Lord” that Jesus has planned for you.