Summer isn't over!

As a firm lover of the summer, I hate it when people start to point out the reality that summer is coming to an end. The back-to-school signs are ridiculous. Let us have fun! We don’t need to buy backpacks yet! 

So, I won’t point out that July is already over halfway over, and I definitely won’t mention that the busyness of fall is coming soon. 

Regardless, the calendar will turn more rapidly than some of us prefer and soon calendars will be picking back up with things we’re responsible for. So, before all of that, I want to encourage you not to waste what's left of this summer season.

Slow Down with Purpose 

The temptation is to view summer as either a complete vacation from life and responsibility or one last chance to squeeze in what we've been putting off. But Scripture often reminds us that God does some of His deepest work when His people slow down long enough to listen.

Psalm 1 says “blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked…but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” 

A few things to consider: 

The Psalmist could’ve said “works” for the Lord. But he didn’t. He said “meditates.”

Second, the meditation described isn’t occasional. It’s a constant process. Happening day and night.

In my experience, meditation is extremely difficult to do if you’re sprinting from thing to thing. 

In a culture that is constantly pushing for us to do more, Psalm 1 is a reminder that discipleship sometimes requires us to do less so we can simply walk with God. 

In his book, Garden City, Pastor John Mark Comer says this: 

“But what about YOLO? You only live once…Not if you’re a follower of Jesus. So, every Sabbath (or summer, or season God calls us to slow down), we can rest. Really, fully, honestly rest. The world’s not going anywhere.” 

West End Baptist Church is full of “do-ers.” 

We do things for our jobs. We do things for our families. We do things for our schools, and our friends, and our hobbies. We do things for this church. 

And most of that is good. 

But, if our relationship and discipleship to Christ is our primary calling, there will be good things we cannot do in order to follow Him.  

Prepare for Fall

So, as summer winds down (ah shoot, I said I wouldn’t say it!). Take time to consider how you can follow Him, and what He may be calling you to do as a result. 

Maybe that looks like spending ten extra minutes in Scripture each morning.
Maybe it's praying with your family before bed.
Maybe it's inviting another believer to coffee to encourage one another in the faith.
Maybe it’s doing way less generally so you can spend longer times in personal prayer. 

The point isn't to do more. The point is to make room for what matters most.

Soon the schedules will pick up and many of us will have less flexibility than we do right now.  My encouragement to you isn’t to prep the calendar, but to yield your heart, mind, and time to the Lord and to allow Him to remove or delay things this summer so you can better follow Him. 

Enjoy what's left of the summer. Rest well. Talk with Jesus. Read the Word. Spend time with those you love. And don't miss the opportunity to draw closer to Christ before another season begins.