Summer is a time for stepping back from the business of daily schedules and routines; a time for relaxing and rendezvousing with family and friends. But while the hot, hazy days have a way of lulling us into a lazy summer daze, this time of year shouldn’t be all play. If we will choose to be intentional, summer is also the perfect time to reconnect with God and grow spiritually.
The break from the daily grind that this time of year gives us opens the space we sometimes need to refocus our mind and energy on God. You and I can capitalize on summer’s more relaxed atmosphere to make sure we are taking some of the practical steps that will grow faith year-round:
Read Your Bible – Looking for some summer reading? Why not start with the Bible? If you’ve never read much of the Bible, you may be surprised by just how entertaining it is. There’s plenty of drama and intrigue to keep you engaged during your days on the beach. The gospel of Mark is a good place to start. From there, read the rest of the gospels, Proverbs and Paul’s letters to the early church. You’ll find lots to chew on.
Talk to God – The relaxed pace of summer will likely give you more wiggle room in your morning routine. Why not take advantage of this time to start a morning habit of spending a few minutes in prayer. Start your day by thanking God for who He is and all the ways He has blessed your life. Thank Him for all of the good things that are unique to this time of year. Ask Him to draw close to you and direct your summer days.
Spend Time with Other Believers – If church is something that seems to get crowded out of your schedule other times of the year, decide to use the summer to get into the habit of attending regularly. If you do, I bet you won’t want to stop when the fall rolls around. That weekly hour of worship will become something you look forward to.
Don’t spend your summer days in a summer daze. Just like every year, the next three months of fun and sun will be here and then over before you know it. You can choose to drift through these days and get to the fall in no better spiritual condition than you are now, or you can choose to be intentional about using the summer to grow your relationship with God; to do a few simple things that will ensure you are enjoying deeper fellowship with Him when the weather begins to cool down and new routines begin to ramp up.
Let me invite you to start a summer of spiritual growth by attending The Journey’s kick off of God On Film happens June 1. In this engaging series, we’ll be discovering the hidden meaning behind some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. Every first-time guest who attends on June 1 will receive a FREE Cinemark movie ticket. Plus, you’ll receive my latest devotional book, Unshakable. More great summer reading! Hope to see you there!
Nelson Searcy is the lead pastor of The Journey Church in Boca Raton. The 2.5-year-old church meets at Boca Raton Community High School (I-95 and Glades Rd.) each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. For more, visit www.bocajourney.com. Searcy is the author of 11 books and served for 10 years as a pastor in New York City before moving to South Florida. Each person who visits The Journey Church this summer will receive a FREE copy of his latest book Unshakable: Standing Strong When Things Go Wrong, on which this article is based.
