Summer Is Here, Now What?
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. – Galatians 5:1a
Summer is here. It is a time of year that always reminds me of freedom. Now, Paul wasn’t talking about summer break specifically, but he was talking about real freedom that stretches through everything we do. This Christ-founded freedom is set apart from worldly ideas of freedom, it’s an eternal freedom where we live for joy, for love, and for the glory of a God who has saved us and set us free.
However, there are enemies of freedom: boredom, waste, sin, laziness and the list goes on. Now, I’m not saying we shouldn’t relax this summer, I’m saying we shouldn’t use our freedom as an opportunity to be lazy, bored, wasteful or to sin like its going out of style.
You know what I am talking about. The temptation to sleep until noon everyday is easy, so is the idea of playing Modern Warfare 2 all day or just literally doing nothing for days on end. Sleep until noon on some days, just not everyday. Spend some days just doing things you enjoy, but don’t waste your summer days. Don’t get caught doing nothing! Jesus has come, He has risen you up with him and seated you with Him in the heavenly places. We have a great opportunity in the summer to spend more time praying to, reading about, and listening to our Savior.
Summer is here. Now what do you do?
Relax. Enjoy your God given freedom to have fun and spend time with friends and family.
Pray. Spend time with the one who grants real freedom and his Spirit will lead you to joy and pleasure in God’s presence.
Read. There is literal life in scripture. It’s active, scripture is alive and it can fill you, satisfy you and motivate you like nothing else on earth. Spend some time deep in scripture, it may be work at first, but soon it will be a pure joy.
Relate. Talk to people, build relationships, show God’s grace through your friendships with everyone. You’d be amazed by how much of an encouragement you can be to other Christians or how open non-Christians will be to you if you just love them like a good friend.
Contemplate. Think about your future, ask God to speak to you and reveal giftings, callings or new passions. Get ready to use the next semester as an opportunity to make Jesus’ fame known.w
Celebrate your freedom this summer! It’s okay to veg out every once and a while, but don’t waste the freedom you have been given this summer. As you walk with Jesus throughout the summer, reading scripture and living out grace in relationships you will discover the true freedom that comes from living totally for who Jesus has called you to be. Who is that? Well, check out scripture and God will show you exactly who He has called you to be.
