School’s out! I can remember (and it doesn’t SEEM that long ago) when that meant free and easy days, staying up later at night, sleeping a little later in the morning, long days playing with friends, and even having such an abundance of time that boredom was an issue. That’s inconceivable to me now; I have been bored in the course of doing things that must be done, but I cannot remember the last time I was bored because there was nothing to do. And the fact that
school’s out does nothing to make our lives less busy, does it?
In fact, our lives often get even busier during these summer months. We have to juggle schedules around kids that are now at home, perhaps plan a vacation, plus there are church camps, mission trips, sports camps, maybe getting ready for college, lawn and garden chores . . . the list goes on. Last month, I spent this space encouraging you to not let church attendance slip through the cracks in the midst of all this busy-ness. I’ll reiterate that here: no matter how busy your summer is, we need you, and you need us! We are designed to do this together!
But that’s not where I’m going this time. We have, for the last few years, assigned a kind of theme for the year, which we kick off with a three week fast. We may not always do that; there’s nothing in the Bible that says we have to, and I certainly don’t want to fall into the trap of doing something just because we’ve done it for a long time, and slide into some form of legalism. But this year is a year of giving. So first, are you allowing God to speak to you about any changes He would have you to make in your giving habits? I encourage you to look for something you can do over and above the tithe (which I believe is a non-negotiable) as the Lord provides. I mentioned camp and mission trips. Talk to Matt Crider and see if there is anyone who could use some help getting to one or both of these. Contribute to the parking lot fund. Check out our list of items needed for VBS. Give of our TIME at VBS and in the weeks leading up to it.
Also (and this is really the thrust of this column), remember that every theme we assign to a year is meant to reinforce some principle that should be a part of our lives as believers ALL of the time. Last year was a year of prayer, and of course the idea was not to pray for a year and then stop. Prayer is absolutely fundamental to the Christian life. We need to be praying so that we are allowing God to order our steps. Spending time in His word and in prayer is the primary way He will lead us, and only by being led will we manifest the truth that we are His children.
But remember, you shouldn’t just be praying for you and your family. Absolutely do that; speak life, health, prosperity, victory, etc. over yourself and your spouse and children! But don’t, don’t, DON’T fall into the rut that Brother Hagin often illustrated with this prayer: “Dear God, bless me, my wife, my son John and his wife; us four, no more.” You have a church family that needs your prayers. You have a pastor that needs your prayers. You have a community and a world that needs your prayers. Your prayers are powerful and effective, so don’t rob everyone else of the benefit of them! If you want or need some guidance about what to pray for specifically, feel free to contact me, and I’ll send you a list.
Enjoy your summer, even in all its craziness. But don’t let a busy life become an idol that draws you away from the very Author of Life. Don’t get too busy to pray!
Blessings,
