Your adventurous spirit has you ready to pack up and hit the road. You're dreaming of iconic National Park hikes, epic skyline views, and picnics under the Eiffel Tower. And you're not holding anything back.
Okay . . . that's not entirely true. There’s one thing that you want to make sure comes with you, and that's your relationship with God. How are you going to keep up your faith while you're away from home?
Whether you're going for a few days or a few months, travel can greatly impact the Christian habits you've so faithfully cultivated. Many believers experience guilt, shame, and (worse) questions from their pastor about their vacation Bible study habits.
Worry less! We’re sharing our most practical and judgment-free ideas to help you cultivate an authentic relationship with Jesus while you're away from home.
1) Ask God to Be Present During Your Vacation (Before You Go!)
Anytime you feel worried, you should always go to God first. This includes concerns about your upcoming trip and whether or not you’ll miss out on Bible study time. Commit your trip to God in advance—and you might be surprised by all the ways He chooses to reveal Himself while you’re away from home.
2) Cultivate a Christian Playlist for Your Road Trip
If you expect a considerable amount of time in the car (or on a plane), create a Christian travel playlist to take with you. This can include Christian songs, sermons from your Church, and audiobooks from your favorite Christian influencers and theologians. Some of our favorite Christian music artists include Hillsong Worship, Elevation Worship, and Maverick City Music.
3) Download the Bible App Before You Leave
You’ll be sightseeing a lot—which means you might not always have access to your physical Bible. We recommend you download the Bible app before you leave so that you can access scripture anytime, anywhere. This will help you do any “on-the-road” missionary work, too!
Sometimes, the easiest way to connect with God is in the little moments—while you wait in line to see a famous sculpture, before you receive your meal at a restaurant, or when you’re driving home after a day full of adventure.
4) Visit Locations That Point You to Christ
Do you ever just feel like you need a vacation? Work and school have become too taxing—and all you want is to get away and relax. When you’re planning your next vacation destination, it can help to pick a place that points you to Christ. He is our ultimate rest, after all!
If nature is where you connect with God the most, make your way to Sequoia National Park. If art and literature are where you see Jesus the most, visit France or Italy. If friends help point you to God’s goodness, take a road trip to visit your bestie.
Even if your destination is already planned, it’s easy to add a few activities where you know you can connect with God. Go to a special museum or historical church, take a walk by the lake, or visit a nearby Bible study to connect with believers across the nation.
5) Be a Missionary on the Road — Support Your Favorite Christian Clothing Brand
Outreach is an important part of Christianity. But when you’re on vacation, it can be difficult to share the gospel on a strict schedule and with lots of strangers around. One easy way to share Jesus without even using words is to wear your favorite Christian t-shirt. You may have people stop you to ask what it’s all about—and you can take a few minutes, wherever you are, to talk about Jesus.
If you’re with a group of friends, you can wear matching Christian t-shirts to minister as a group. And bonus: you’ll find each other in a crowd more easily.
6) Enjoy the Moment (AKA Eliminate Guilt and Shame!)
It’s common for Christians to come back from a vacation with feelings of guilt or shame. Maybe you missed church service one Sunday when you were exploring a National Park. Or perhaps you got up at the crack of dawn to visit the Sistine Chapel and forget about morning Bible study.
No matter what habits were missed during vacation, our God is not a God of guilt and shame. Vacation is an opportunity to find God in different places. Maybe you were encouraged to pray while you were hiking Angel’s Landing in the snow. Or maybe the Sistine Chapel inspired reverence and awe for Christians who came before us.
God doesn’t belong in a box—and He wants to meet you anywhere and everywhere, even on vacation. So let go of the expectations and see how He works in unexpected ways.
7) Commit Your Post-Travel Blues to God
Travel blues . . . they’re way too real. You might start experiencing the low of travel blues even before you head home. Maybe you finally got a chance to rest, you saw some artwork that totally changed your perspective on life, or you found clarity about a problem that’s been bothering you.
It’s totally normal to feel sad when you’re leaving a place that has deeply impacted your life. But God is present everywhere—and He’s just as excited to work in your life when you get home. Allow yourself to feel the sadness, but don’t forget to commit your post-travel moments to God, too.
Trust Faith Center Co. to Be Your Christian Clothing Brand Resource for Missionary Work on the Road
Have you ever heard the term “sojourner”? It’s mentioned often in the Bible, and it means “stranger” or “traveler.” God says we’re all sojourners in a foreign land—because our real home is in heaven, not here on earth.
No matter what ends of the earth we travel to, we’ll never be fully home until we’re with Jesus.
Sadly, many people around the world don’t have the confidence of an eternal home—because they don’t know Jesus. So while we’re having the time of our lives traveling, we should take every opportunity to share Christ’s love whenever and wherever we can. To all the ends of the earth, right?
One way to do that is through Christian apparel! Our heart at Faith Center Co. is to provide high-quality and comfortable clothes that spark conversations and build your confidence—so you can share Jesus wherever you are.