DON’T WASTE YOUR SUMMER

Summer has a way of sneaking up on us…and of taking our hard-fought good habits and throwing them out the window. Here’s what I mean…the schedule loosens, school ends, and vacations begin. The sun stays up longer and so do we. There’s so much good to do outside. Even church rhythms can feel less structured. 

Before long, what felt like a brief change of pace becomes a slow spiritual drift. Not because we’ve rejected Jesus—but because we’ve simply stopped pursuing Him with the same intentionality. We look back and a month has gone by since we last sat down with the Lord, led family worship, or gathered with our church family. 

And that’s how summers get wasted. Not wasted in the sense that nothing enjoyable happens. No doubt we make great memories, take family trips, and enjoy long evenings. But spiritually? Often it’s quiet neglect, subtle drift, a cooling of affections for Christ. 

No one plans that, but many experience it. 

Drift Is the Default

No one coasts into deeper holiness. Left alone, our hearts don’t move toward Christ—they move toward comfort, distraction, and self. And summer, with all its good gifts, often amplifies that drift. Increased sun exposure and renewed energy and life around us have a way of deceiving us into a sense of spiritual vitality that is superficial and seasonal rather than deep and transformative.   

What I’ve found is that more free time doesn’t necessarily lead to more time with God. In fact, it often leads to less. The structure that once supported spiritual disciplines disappears. And unless something replaces it, devotion gives way to distraction.

As you sit by a fire this summer, take note of the various burning coals. You know me, I love to watch a fire! When you watch a fire closely, you can observe a spiritual reality unfold before your own eyes. As wood becomes carbon and turns into coals, the ones that remain at the center of the flame continue to burn bright and hot. 

But the coals that fall away from the flame begin to dull in their brightness and cool in their heat. That’s because the coal isn’t producing fire, it’s emanating it. Without the fire, it’s got no heat and no light. Same thing with us. We don’t produce spiritual vitality, we emanate it. It’s Christ that produces it in us. Drift away and you begin to cool and fade. 

If you drift from Christ, you don’t stay neutral—you cool. Every time. You’ve felt it— the spiritual dullness, uncertainty, and doubt. Temptations feel stronger. Your resistance gets weaker.  

That’s exactly what I’d like you to avoid this summer! 

A Different Kind of Summer

What if this summer wasn’t marked by drift—but by intentional pursuit? I’m not referring so much to more activity or programs, as to more presence with Christ. What if your home became a place where:

• God’s Word is opened regularly—even if briefly 
• Prayer is normal—not just reserved for church 
• Conversations about Christ happen naturally, not awkwardly 

This doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your life. It requires intentionality. Ten minutes around the Word with your family a couple days a week. A prayer before the day begins. A conversation about what the Lord is doing in your life on a walk, in the car, or around a fire pit. Small, consistent decisions shape spiritual direction far more than occasional bursts of intensity.

Lead the Way

Heads of household—this is where the rubber of spiritual leadership hits the road of real life. If spiritual leadership in the home pauses for the summer, it usually doesn’t restart easily in the fall. What you cultivate—or neglect—over the next few months matters more than you think. 

You don’t need to be a theologian. You don’t need to be perfect. But you do need to be present and intentional. Open the Bible. Pray out loud. Initiate the conversation. Your family doesn’t need a flawless leader. They need a faithful one. 

Take Your Faith With You

Wherever you go this summer—take your faith with you. On vacation, don’t disconnect from the Lord. In the car, redeem the time. In creation, let it lead you to worship. Some of your most meaningful spiritual moments don’t have to happen in your normal routine. In fact, they often happen when you step outside of it—if you’re paying attention.

Take that illustration I used above about the fire. That makes a great devotional, especially while sitting next to a fire. Jesus said, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Where could you apply that one? Why not with your rod and reel in your hand? 

How about Jesus being the source of living water or the shepherd who leads the sheep by still water? (John 4:10 & 7:38; Psalm 23:2) Why not next to a river or a lake? Or when you’re bent over panting like a deer running for its life as you try to recover from a game of 21 on the court. (Psalm 42:1) 

Creation declares the glory of the Lord. (Psalm 19:1) Why not talk about that while you’re gazing at that mountain or beach or gorge? 

Gardening? How about having faith like the seed of a mustard plant? Or the parable of the weeds and wheat?

Hiking? “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9) 

Watching baseball? “In the big-inning…” (Genesis 1:1)

Road trip? “They were all in one accord…” (Acts 2:1 KJV)

Ok…the last two were corny pastor jokes. But I bet you use at least one of them! 

You get the idea, though. Weave spiritual conversations into the normal fabric of your life this summer. There’s plenty to talk about!   

Make It Count

September will reveal what you pursued in June. By the time our next Chronicle comes out, summer will be wrapping up. The question isn’t whether it will be full. It likely will be. The question is whether it will be fruitful. So don’t waste it. Pursue Christ. Stay anchored in the Word. And trust that God will use even an ordinary summer to produce lasting spiritual fruit.