Summer is back again. School is out, graduations have happened, and vacations are being planned or have already occurred. There will be weekend getaways, family vacations, sports tournaments, summer camps, and plenty of afternoons at the pool.

Too busy for Jesus

In the midst of all that craziness, it’s easy to neglect your relationship with Jesus. Too many people end up taking a “time out” from spiritual things during the summer.

Many say they’ll reconnect when fall rolls around, and things aren’t so busy. Unfortunately, those who do reconnect have thrown away three months of walking with Jesus, and plenty of folks just don’t reconnect when life calms down because life never really calms down.

To be clear, I don’t think anyone intentionally sets out to neglect Jesus. However, in our busyness, travel, and activities, we tend to give Jesus the leftovers of our summer.

Ensuring Jesus is part of your summer

Too often, those leftovers are nothing but scraps of time here and there. My challenge to you is simple. As you begin planning your summer, plan to include Jesus in everything you do. Here are a few ways to make sure Jesus doesn’t get left out this summer:

• Make church attendance a priority. If you’re in town, don’t let a busy schedule or a late Saturday night keep you away. If you’re out of town, don’t forsake the opportunity to gather with other believers for worship and the Word. Find a church where you can worship! You need the grace and the rhythm of “sabbath” even when you’re on vacation. If you have kids, they will especially benefit from the consistency of attending worship every week.
• Be regular in the “means of grace.” I know several spiritual practices can be lumped under this umbrella, but I’m specifically talking about the spiritual disciplines of Bible intake and prayer. During the chaos of travel, busyness, and activity, you must make time to hear from God and talk to God. Be regular in Bible reading. Listen to good sermons while you drive. Carve out time to be alone, away from your phone, to talk to God.
• Find time for family devotionals. Many Christian parents are needlessly intimidated by the idea of “family devotionals.” But this doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. You don’t have to preach a sermon or even be good at leading praise to God. You do have to be intentional. If you’re traveling to the mountains, talk about Exodus 20. If your kids are playing sports, talk about 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Find ways to connect the truth of God’s Word to your summer experiences.
• Give even when you don’t attend. Any minister will tell you that the summer months are lean for church attendance and budgets. I understand lean attendance numbers, but church budgets should not suffer just because people leave town. Stewardship doesn’t take a vacation. Don’t approach stewardship with a consumer mentality that gives only when you attend. Support gospel ministry at your church even when you’re not there by giving consistently.

I’d love to hear your ideas for making sure Jesus doesn’t get left out of your summer plans!