Summertime is here! If you’re like me, you are glad that summer is here. I’m glad for many reasons …
I get to be in the beautiful outdoors so much more often.
I travel more with my family.
I intentionally try to maximize the weekend.
People contacts easily go up because everyone seems to be outside more.
With all this happening, it can be a very, very busy time, Warm weather, family vacations, weekend trips, and lots of opportunities to unwind and enjoy life are all true gifts. For most of us, we want those beach or mountain days, backyard barbecues, long road trips, and spontaneous adventures to create forever memories. We work hard at it.
But I have long noticed something else that comes with summer. When we move away from our school-year routines and schedules, it is also easy to drift away from the family and spiritual rhythms that strengthen us. Normally we would reserve Sunday for church connections and family activities, which instead become travel days and theme-park days. It becomes an easy day to sleep in and have a lazy hangout day. The summer flies by and we have become spiritually dry and unmotivated – many of us have a hard time getting back into the regular practices that we valued and caused us to grow.
God has given us this great gift of summer. How can we maximize a tremendous summer without slowing or canceling our spiritual growth? Here are a few things that have helped me previously and that I am committing to this year.
Stay engaged and in touch with your church home, even when you are away. Just because you’re not physically at church doesn’t mean you can’t participate. I try to watch the service online while it is happening any Sunday I am away, but for sure within 24 hours. It’s not about checking it off my list – it is because I really need the corporate worship, I need to keep my heart aligned with God’s messages for me, and I want to stay connected with the life of our church. Try to gather the whole family together to participate and pray together.
Use resources that help you. The Daily and Talk it Over Guide are available to you all summer long. Talk with your family and spend your own time with God. You may not be able to keep the exact same routine going with private prayer and reading as you do at home, but make certain you read and pray, spending time alone with God several times a week. Keeping these resources at hand and used will help anchor you.
If you want to shake it up a little bit, decide to grow through the book of Proverbs. It has 31 chapters, one for each day of most months. If you read a chapter per day, you will read the book three times. If you decide to read less, like 10 chapters a month, you will still gain much knowledge and practical motivation for living wisely throughout the summer. It is full of practical wisdom, short verses, and reminders about how to walk wisely. You could keep a journal of the verses that matter most to you and why.
Remember that God designed summer to be a growing season. Every day still belongs to God, regardless of the time of year. Summer shouldn’t be a break from spiritual growth – if you are intentional, it can be a rich and lifegiving season.
God is with you everywhere. In the desert, in the mountains, on the beach. He’s on a cruise, in the plane, on the pontoon, in the car. He’s in your conversations around the firepit or bonfire. He sits with you on the porch in the cool evening, and on the deck as you drink your morning coffee. He wants summer to fill your soul, not empty it.
You don’t need to be perfect. You DO need to be intentional. A start of new habits, some planning, and a willing heart will do it. It can be your best, most fruitful summer yet.