I recently had the pleasure of grabbing coffee with Greg Bryan from the Navigators at Kent State. He shared with me that the Navigators encourage their staff members to take a sabbatical every 7-10 years.
"It's easy to find your identify in your career, rather than in your relationship with God."
Greg has taken two sabbaticals during his time with the Navs and he shared the Four Stages of a Healthy Sabbatical with me over coffee.
Four Stages of a Healthy Sabbatical:
1. Release and Relinquish:
Step away from your work, let go of all your responsibilities and release them to other people.
2. Rest and Recovery:
Take time to rest and find something or some way to recharge your batteries.
3. Reflection and Refocus:
Reflect on your past year of work/ministry. What has God taught you? What have you learned? Assess your natural abilities and spiritual gifts.
4. Reassignment and Realignment:
A healthy sabbatical provides the opportunity to change your focus if necessary or revise your priorities.
Whether you're in ministry or business, all of us need to find ways to recharge our batteries from time to time. I think the steps that Greg’s outlined are relevant for everybody and a good reminder for us all.