Everyone can use a vacation, and traveling enables us to spend quality time with family and friends. While planning your upcoming vacation, take a few minutes to brush up on the CHM Guidelines regarding how CHM works while traveling.

Important things to know as you plan your getaway:

Traveling stateside

CHM is fully portable within the states. With no healthcare provider network by which you must abide, you have flexibility to choose your own doctor—even on a trip. Eligibility doesn’t change state-by-state, so be sure to check the CHM Guidelines to see if your intended testing or treatment is eligible for sharing.

Travel abroad

International travel is a great way to experience different cultures and explore God’s creation! There are some things to consider as you prepare to travel to other countries.

If you need medical care during a vacation abroad, medical expenses for foreign healthcare providers will be authorized in accordance with the CHM Guidelines. Eligible medical bills must be translated into English and converted into U.S. currency before CHM can process them. It’s also important to note that emergency transportation to the U.S. from a different country—or between countries—is ineligible for sharing at any time. As a safeguard, consider travel insurance prior to your trip that includes medical transportation.

While CHM will share eligible medical bills from foreign providers for members who are traveling outside the country, “medical tourism” is ineligible for sharing. Medical tourism occurs if members choose to travel outside of the country for the purpose of undergoing medical testing or treatment.

When you’re looking at family vacation ideas, you can explore options in your own backyard—and far beyond! No matter where your travels take you, your CHM family is there to support you along the way.

*Editor’s note: This information was published in the July 2023 issue of Heartfelt Magazine, CHM’s monthly magazine that provides CHM membership-related tips and tricks, medical advice from doctors, testimonies from CHM members, and more. Please refer to the CHM Guidelines and applicable web pages for the most up-to-date information regarding CHM membership, sharing eligibility, and ministry news.*

Whatever your line of work or calling in life, its purpose is all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Work-life balance that glorifies God and protects you and your family from neglect or burnout is doable when we trust in Jesus. He assures us that all things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26) – even when it doesn’t feel that way.

What is quality time? Your loved ones will know it when they see it! It’s that undistracted, unhurried time spent fully appreciating and supporting each other. It’s time spent on shared activities, good conversation, or just paying attention, listening, and really being there for the people you love. 

Quality time and work-life balance won’t look the same for every person or season. Take time to consider your calling, the people who matter to you, your personal definition of work-life balance, and why work-life balance matters.

What does the Bible say about rest?

“For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His.”
[Hebrews 4:10 (NIV)]

God spent six days creating the world and rested on the seventh day. He made the land, sea, sun, moon, and stars. He separated night from day. He created everything on the Earth, from plants and animals to people (Genesis 2:20) made in His image. Then He took a break, stepped back, and appreciated the fruits of His labor.

God didn’t rest because He needed to recharge after a supernaturally productive workweek. After all, the Almighty One does not faint or grow weary (Isaiah 40:28). After six days of work, He blessed the seventh day, and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11).

As noted in Mark 2:27, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. He set aside a day for us to rest and come together for fellowship and worship. 

Pursuing worthy goals at work or after hours can leave us with little time or energy left for what really matters in life. The greatest commandment is to love God and each other (Matthew 22:37-40). Although their work mattered, Christ gently reminded His weary disciples to come away to a quiet place and rest awhile (Mark 6:31).

Why quality time matters: 10 advantages

Why is family important, and what is the meaning of quality time? It isn’t about the quantity of time you spend with others. What matters is that you care enough to take the time and how you spend that time with them. Quality family time can offer these and other priceless advantages: 

1. Builds durable individual and family bonds
2. Develops trust by sharing needs, hopes, dreams, and struggles
3. Provides strong role models for your family and others
4. Demonstrates mutual affection, appreciation, and care
5. Creates memories and traditions that maintain connections for years
6. Fosters extended family relationships and community
7. Reduces stress, anxiety, and loneliness
8. Lightens burdens and shares responsibilities
9. Adds a sense of security
10. Helps kids build confidence, get better grades, and make smart choices

What does work-life balance mean?

Work-life balance is a popular concept with highly personal definitions. Defining work-life balance varies with the seasons of your life, the nature of your work, and the shared goals of individuals, families, and organizations. Generally, you have a healthy balance if you can work hard and enthusiastically but still have time and energy for the rest of your life.

What does work-life balance mean for you? It’s a balancing act. You may have a growing family. You may earn good money or have financial setbacks. You may manage a household, pursue a degree, take up hobbies, or volunteer. You may launch a start-up, manage a business, or try new work-from-home ideas for Mompreneurs.

It’s important to consider why work-life balance matters to you. To achieve and maintain a work-life balance, you’ll need to set clear priorities, make hard decisions, and give up or delay some of your favorite things.

A servant’s heart: essential to balance

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

Colossians 3:23, ESV

Work is a blessing, a burden, and a calling, no matter how humble the task. Whether you’re folding laundry, driving a forklift, fielding calls, closing sales, or leading corporate teams, you’re helping people who matter. If you have an entrepreneur’s spirit, you’ll wear many hats. You crunch numbers, pitch ideas, and pinch-hit as needed.

At work and after hours, balancing roles requires a servant’s heart. When work seems thankless or overwhelming, remember who’s really “the boss of you.” Does your work glorify God? Ask Him to keep your goals in line with His will for your life and the greater good of others.

Wise work-life priorities pursue lasting treasures

Sometimes, work-life balance is a mindset. During difficult times, consider your motives for working. You may dream of flashier cars, designer labels, and show-homes, but their beauty is fleeting. Chasing “the next big thing” can breed personal frustration and neglect of your family and others who matter to you.

Worthy priorities include earning enough to care for your family, pay off debts, save for a rainy day, stay healthy, help others, enjoy life, and guard family time. It’s not easy, but it’s doable with focus, discipline, and flexibility. As you set goals, be mindful that work-life balance keeps God in the driver’s seat.

Learning how to balance work and life isn’t easy. You may manage a business, work from home, or commute. Your entrepreneurial spirit may motivate you to start a new venture. Whatever the goals, it’s essential for Christians to “get” the importance of work-life balance.

Definitions of work-life balance change as your life changes. When you’re out of work, you work hard to get back in the game. When business thrives, you adjust to new demands. When you’re short-staffed or a crisis comes along, you meet pressing needs.

If you have a growing family, you’ll have expected and unexpected responsibilities to manage. Mompreneurs and other women entrepreneurs face special challenges and opportunities.

Achieving Christ-centered work-life balance requires faith, flexibility, and frequent reality checks. There are only so many hours, days, and years in your life. What really matters to you? Do your goals and schedules reflect that? If roles conflict, you can’t care for yourself or those around you. It can drain your energy, rob your peace of mind, steal your joy, and crowd out more godly goals.

Your work-life balance matters to God

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
[Matthew 6:33, ESV]

How can you achieve, maintain, or improve work-life balance ? God understands that we’re only human. He blesses our efforts while warning slackers. There are over 35 Biblical references to sluggards – the habitually idle or lazy.

Paul warns, “If anyone is unwilling to work, let him not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10, NKJV).” God sets a high bar. Still, Christ also reminds His disciples to step aside and rest awhile when crowds press in, and there’s literally no time to eat (Mark 6:31, NKJV).

God wants us to work diligently, while also taking time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. He calls us to worship and rest on Sundays (Geneses 2:2-3, ESV). Work matters, but relaxation and relationships matter, too (Matthew 22:36-40, NIV). Whatever life brings, Christ assures us we can always turn to Him:

“Come to Me all you who are weary, and I will give you rest.”
[Matthew 11:28, NIV]

The high costs of work-related stress

U.S. Department of Labor studies confirm that demanding schedules and work expectations add to worker fatigue and other serious problems. Top stressors include:

• Long hours
• Low pay
• Lack of job security
• Extended, irregular, or random “on-call” shifts

Related costs include:

• Decreased alertness
• Lower work quality
• More errors
• Productivity and income losses
• Increased illness and injury risk
• Sleep, eating, and health disorders

Relentless pressure causes problems ranging from headaches, back pain, depression, and anxiety to high blood pressure and heart disease. For some, it can lead to anger, abuse, violence, or even suicide. Harvard research shows that suicides are often impulsive.

Most survivors who got help didn’t attempt suicide again. The takeaway? Humans aren’t invincible, but – whatever the heartbreak – life gets better if you get help, make changes, and stay hopeful through hard times.