Romans 1:13

How do you spend your vacation time? Does it benefit anyone besides yourself? Does it benefit you for more than a few days? Paul had a purpose for visiting the Christians in Rome and that purpose was to provide lasting, eternal benefit for both himself and them. In our family we are trying to become more intentional in the way we spend our "free time", including our vacations, so the benefits are increased and endure longer. I don't think our efforts are anything close to Paul's though. We would like to see greater benefits for our family by reducing activities that distract us and our children and increasing opportunities to grow in our relationships with God, one another, and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet I still see a lot of selfishness in our efforts when I compare them to Paul's desire to bear eternal fruit for himself and those he loves in Rome, both those he has met and those he has not.