Me—A Vacation?

Jennifer Gale, associate pastor at Evangel Temple Christian Center in Springfield, Missouri, interviewed Dr. Deborah M. Gill on taking biblical rest in 2004, when Dr. Gill was the commissioner of the Commission of Discipleship and director of the Division of Christian Education for the General Council of the Assemblies of God, a position she served in from 2002-2006. In May 2006, Dr. Gill became the professor of New Testament exposition at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri. She has coauthored a book entitled, God’s Women—Then and Now.

What are your current ministry and family responsibilities?

I wear two ministry hats. First, I serve as national director of the Division of Christian Education for the Assemblies of God, USA, which includes overseeing five ministry departments: Children’s Ministry Agency (Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade, Junior Bible Quiz, and Kids Quest USA); Christian School Services (and Association of Christian Teachers and Schools); Single Adults Ministry Agency (and Young Adults Ministry); Sunday School Department; and We Build People. Second, I serve as commissioner of the Commission on Discipleship, linking with leaders in the Fellowship and leveraging resources of the national office to respond to the discipleship needs and coordinate the disciple-making efforts of the Assemblies of God.

My family consists of a wonderful husband, Jan Gill, an architect specializing in church design, and a wire fox terrier named Raffles. (We had a little girl, Anna Heidi, who now lives with Jesus in heaven.) My husband invited my parents to live with us when we moved to Springfield from "Minne-snow-ta." They are a tremendous spiritual blessing to us and a great help around the house.

How do you currently provide for seasons of rest and relaxation/recreation (daily/weekly and annually)?

I really appreciate a good night’s sleep and regular exercise (I try to walk three times weekly). If I have to burn the midnight oil or "pull an all nighter," I try to catch up even if it means sleeping in without shame.

My husband and I race sailboats for recreation and as a way to connect with pre-believers. We try to race in the two national regattas for our class each year. We also enjoy travel.

My daily times alone with God are a lifeline to me. If I’m connected with Jesus, I stay energized and spiritually refreshed. I also try to schedule extended time for personal prayer retreats several times a year. These are incredibly precious and spiritually renewing times for me.

Do you have any practical tips that help make time for rest happen?

You’ve just got to make getting the rest you need a priority. That means scheduling and then guarding times for rest. In addition to that, here are a few things I recommend that contribute to a restful lifestyle and mindset.

My husband once asked an African evangelist friend of ours how he gets the rest he needs amidst the schedule he keeps. Elijah Masangwanyi explained that he’s learned to rest in the midst of activity. For example, while sitting in a chair, he advised, let the chair hold you—don’t permit yourself to tense up, feeling responsible to support yourself—let the chair hold you. When falling asleep, let the bed hold you. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax as much as you can whenever you can. Practice "mini vacations"—even if they’re only five minutes long.

Also, I’ve learned that it is wearying for my mind to be struggling over tomorrow’s challenges today. When God has just won a victory, I don’t think it is right to deny Him adequate celebration and worship by worrying about the next obstacle. So I try to live in the present–enjoying God’s gift of this moment. Stop to smell the flowers, to enjoy the sunshine, to express thanks for beautiful weather. Take time to exchange pleasant words, to do a kind deed, to show attention to a child. While worshiping, drink deeply of God’s presence and Spirit. While in the Word, bask in the truth of God’s revelation. When the Lord brings conviction, respond immediately. Sometimes, instead of working after I’m exhausted, I acquiesce to the law of diminishing returns. I just go to sleep and get up very early, when I’m fresh, to finish a project.

Ordering my private world also helps my spirit to rest. Dealing with clutter in my personal space really helps me. And zero tolerance for spiritual clutter is a non negotiable. Bringing order, living in peace, practicing repentance, extending forgiveness, refusing to worry, releasing bitterness, all off load anxiety and refresh our spirits enough to rest in the middle of activity.

Make sure you have in your life a sufficient quantity of the ingredients that build you up. For me, quality relational time with close family or dear friends, learning, growing, enjoyable physical activity, and opportunity for creative expression are ingredients that edify my spirit. Sometimes a ministry trip has been exhausting from a time and energy standpoint, but included the above ingredients. However, the net result was intense invigoration. Though I may still need a few days to recover physically, I will be exhilarated from the interaction and inspiration for months. That means it was a good investment.

Was there a time in your life when resting/vacation seemed almost impossible, or had less of the priority it has today? What was that like?

When I was a college, seminary, and graduate student, I went to school full time and worked (usually full time). As an AGTS student and full-time teacher at CBC, for example, I had to stay up all night every Thursday to keep up with my Greek studies. But the Lord granted grace on the goals I had made. God helped me complete four degrees with good grades, debt free.

How did you begin to place an importance on rest/recreation in your personal life and in your ministry?

When I got married, I decided that spending time with my husband andinvesting in our relationship as a couple was a top priority. Jan’s (myhusband’s) pace is different from mine. So when we’re together, I try to adjust to his pace. That became a new source of rest for me. Jan’s quantity of conversation is different from mine. The first time we drove together in silence for four hours I was worried that something was wrong between us! When I realized there wasn’t anything wrong, I discovered another source of rest. My husband uses fewer words than I do. So when Jan wants to talk, I love to listen. This is more restful than conversing nonstop with someone just like me. And it is very precious to be allowed into my husband’s world. Jan’s background and interests are different from mine, so I have endeavored to learn about them. When he invited me to be his sailing partner (his crew and first mate), I was delighted to discover a new form of recreation that I really enjoy—and especially because it’s something we can do together as a couple. There are other things we enjoy doing together. So we’re trying to schedule increasing opportunities for some of these pleasant pastimes in our subsequent seasons so that we may enjoy life together while enjoying each other.

What are the benefits of rest you have seen in your own life and ministry?

Good health! Vitality, joy, and peace! Love for life, for people, and for the responsibilities God has entrusted to me. On the other hand, when the above benefits are on the decline, it is a warning signal that more rest is needed.

What are some of the key Scriptures or biblical concepts that form your view of rest?

My views have been formed by the biblical concept of the Sabbath, sabbaticals, and jubilee, God’s design of rest, and the day of rest. The fact that God practiced resting, though He doesn’t need it, seems to be a demonstration for our benefit of the day of rest as a normative example, a divine principle.

Do you have any resources to which you would refer other women ministers needing to develop the discipline of rest?

These are the sources that have been most helpful to me, listed in reverse chronological order (beginning with most recent first).

• Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, by Richard A. Swenson
• Ordering Your Private World, Mid-Course Correction: Re-ordering Your Private World for the Second Half of Life by Gordon MacDonald
• Half Time: Changing Your Game Plan From Success to Significance by Bob Buford
• Seven Habits of Highly Effective People; and First Things First by Steven Covey
• Boundaries: When to Say YES, When to Say NO to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud and John Townsend.
• Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster
• Seminar on "Finding Meaning in Work and Play: Balancing Life’s Priorities” by Deborah Gill (recordings available from Eagles Communications, Singapore)
• Seminar on "The Private Life of the Public Person" by Don Meyer (president of Valley Forge Christian College). [Recommended by Dr. Meyer: Let Your Life Speak; The Active Life; and To Know as We are Known by Parker Palmer]

What would you say to a woman in ministry who feels trapped by her commitments or has difficulty practicing rest or recreation?

There are different seasons in life for each of us. You may be in a season that requires you to live with less margin. But if you establish your goals and priorities now, you can gradually move in the direction of gaining control of your life and schedule. For me, when I decided I wanted to invest myself in relational evangelism and discipleship, it took me one full year to fulfill my current obligations and reorient my life to leave more time for people. But that reorientation of time has been one of the wisest decisions of my life.

Many women feel they cannot rest because of the expectations of the church or of the people she works for or serves. Do you have any advice for addressing such a situation?

We all need to use the little two-lettered word, "no." We have to establish our own boundaries; we cannot expect others to do that for us. Too often we agree to something in order to satisfy the desires of someone else.

The way to overcome the tendency to be a people pleaser is to be first and foremost a God pleaser. Everything else will then fall into place. He knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. God is not a taskmaster. He doesn’t require us to do the impossible, but expects good stewardship. The Lord knows that self-care is not selfish—and that gives us permission (divine permission) to say "no" when we must to the requests of well-intentioned people.

Other comments?

For me—the way I’m wired and with the responsibilities and opportunities I currently have—the issue of rest and recreation is a constant challenge. However, I’m committed to being a good steward of the strong body and good health God has given me.

My goal is not necessarily moderation. I have a full life and enjoy living it to the fullest. But I do want to make sure that what I need to maintain physical, emotional, and spiritual health is included in my lifestyle.

Every one of us has the same 24 hours a day. And the Lord knows that is sufficient. We just need to be careful to use those hours in the way they best serve the unique purposes of God for our individual lives and His Kingdom. Then we must be intentional to include in our lives what we need to maintain optimum health and spirit.

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