The Next Chapter

Summer is officially here.

Congratulations, you’ve made it through another year! Whether it was middle school, high school, college, university, another form of education, or work, completing a full year is no small feat.

As the seasons change and we transition into vacations, relaxing, work, or whatever else, there’s something we ought to remember. While there are many things we can slack off on during summer, Jesus should not be one of them.

How can we live for Jesus in summer?

Jesus shouldn’t be a “during the school year” type of thing. He should be an all-year thing. We don’t put social media aside during summer, do we? So why should we put Jesus aside?

I’d like to give you three simple pointers that I hope you’ll keep in mind during the summer months. These aren’t rules by any means, they’re merely words of advice I hope you remember as life begins to change.

#1: Use your time wisely.

As summer rolls around, we generally have more free time. We can either use that time for our plans, or God’s. There’s a beautiful world out there that God created, and summer is arguably the best time to enjoy it. Please don’t spend these months trying to see how many hours you can spend playing video games, on social media, or watching videos (: God made this world for us to enjoy.

Spend time in nature, spend time with your family, spend time with your friends. Invest in the relationships you want to see grow. When September comes around and you look back on this summer, I want you to have no regrets. Do that thing you’ve always wanted to do but never got around to. Use your time in a good way. Use it for His glory.

With summer comes opportunities. Sometimes I feel I have more time than I know what to do with. This leads to sitting around the house or wasting time on screens. Instead, what if we used that time for good? This leads to my next point…

#2: Look for opportunities to be a light.

Do you see that neighbour who looks like they could use a hand mowing their yard? Do you notice that friend who seems to be lonely during this season? There are countless ways we can spread Jesus’ light in the community during the summer months if only we’d lift our eyes from our phones and look.

You could volunteer in your community, at a camp, or beyond. In a few days, I’ll be going to my church’s camp to Lifeguard for the next month and a bit. This is one of the ways I’ve chosen to reflect Him this summer.

Jesus commanded us to spread His message. We should be excited that we now have more time than ever to do that. I for one am very grateful to have this opportunity.

#3: Finally, spend time with Jesus.

So many people utterly neglect their devotions during the summer months. During the school year, they diligently stick to a routine, but in summer… Then when Fall comes around, they’re ten steps back from where they were.

Please don’t put Jesus on the back burner this summer. Spend time in the Word, spend time in prayer (prayer walks are amazing), serve. Keep growing and investing in Him. That way, when school or work returns in the fall, your faith will be stronger. You’ll need it to face today’s world.

These are just suggestions.

If there’s one thing I can ask of you, it’s to talk to God about your summer. Ask Him what you should do, where you should invest your time, and what you ought to pursue. The three things I said are merely stepping stones to get you going.

Joshua 1:8 (NLT) tells us to, “Study this Book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”

Friend, as summer comes around, please, don’t forget Jesus.

A Personal Update.

As mentioned before, I’ve been blessed with the time and ability to Lifeguard and serve at my church’s camp. You’ve probably got a lot up in the coming months as well.

This is why I’m going to start a new series of posts. For July and August, I’ll be posting bi-weekly, in a series titled A Different Kind of Summer. There will be four parts in this series, where I’ll reflect on my camp experience and the lessons I’ll learn.

I hope you have an amazing summer, and I pray that you can find ways to make Jesus a part of it! And don’t forget, have fun. I’ll see you on the twelfth of July.

-Samuel James

How will you make Jesus a part of your summer?