Making The Most of My Summer...

Tonight at our weekly gathering with our high school students we talked about how to make the most out of your summer. With summer rapidly approaching, it's natural for our thoughts to turn to things like vacations, beaches, relaxation, and summer fun. (Insert thoughts of National Lampoons Family Vacation...) But is that all summer is about? Here are some tips to make the most of your summer and grow in your walk with God.

1. Make the commitment to stay plugged in. - The Bible talks often about the importance of worshipping together with others, learning from God's word, and spending time with people who encourage us in our faith. Too many times, summer vacations from school or work mean long vacations from church involvement. If you want to grow in your walk with God over the summer, then make the commitment to attend your local church regularly.
2. Take a vacation from school and work, but not God's word. - Too many times we think rest and relaxation mean doing absolutely nothing. And far too often we make the mistake of resting from God's word insted of resting in God's word. If you spend time each day readign the Bible, don't stop this summer. If you don't, use the extra time you have over a summer break to get in the habit. A great place to start a daily Bible reading would be to read a chapter of Proverbs or Psalms each day. For other Bible reading plans, check out www.youversion.com.
3. Share, share, share. - For a lot of us, summer offers us extra time to build relationships with neighbors, meet new people as we travel, and spend time pouring into already established friendships. And that means that we have a chance to share the life-changing love and message of Jesus through our relationships and friendships. As you spend time with friends and neighbors this summer, use that time to let them know that God loves them and has a plan for their lives.

When it comes to summer, we all want and need to relax. We all need to spend time away - from work, school, the mundane, and the daily routine. But don't take time off from God. Use this summer to grow in your walk with God. And use this summer to share the love of God with those he puts in your path. As a Christ follower, our goal should be to make it hard to get to hell from wherever God has planted us. And that mission doesn't take a summer vacation!