In good “Screwtape” fashion (if you don’t know what I mean, see C. S. Lewis’s book by that title), Tim Challies notes “Five Great Reasons to Skip Reading Your Bible This Summer” (challies.com).
They are: “You’re on vacation. Vacations are for doing fun stuff.” And “You’re out of routine”—so all good habits go down the drain. Also, “The kids are under your feet all day.” Plus, “No one will notice”—small group is taking a break, missing church is no big deal, nobody’s in your face to call you out. And “It’s too hot”—how can God expect anyone to focus in this heat?!
But Challies asks us to think differently: “Imagine a summer spent savoring the presence of your Savior. A summer when you slow down and take time to ponder the truths of the gospel—even if it’s just fifteen minutes snatched from the chaos. A summer when, amongst all the fun and the family time, you keep lifting your eyes to thank the Giver of all good gifts. A summer when you discover something new about the Lord. A summer when you steal away to read God’s word, delighting in the knowledge that no one else will know about it except the One who matters.”
Don Straka also has a timely word for Christ-followers: “Make Your Summer Break about God” (desiringgod.org). “When we break for the summer—from Sunday school, small group, community outreach, or wherever you serve in your local church—God still calls us to seek him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.” Bottom line: discipleship isn’t a seasonal calling. So, don’t waste your summer! Use it “to seek wisdom, to know God, to love him more, and to live for his glory.”
One more recommendation—“Summer Mindset,” by John Piper (desiringgod.org): take two minutes to read it. And pray—ask God to help you, your family, and our church take preemptive action to block out summer distractions, sustain spiritual disciplines, and seek God! “Don’t let summer make your soul shrivel.”
