Tips for a Meaningful Summer

 Summer is here!!! School is out. Most people are excited to sleep in, hang out with friends, and maybe even go on vacation (or a road trip)! 

In this blog post I want to share some tips with you that will help you not waste, but use this summer in a way that is rewarding, useful, fruitful, purposeful, effectual, and worthwhile.

1. The first way to make your summer count is to spend time with God. Continue to work on your relationship with Him. Spend time in His word and in prayer every day. I recommend doing this regularly in the morning. But find a time that works best for you and the stage of life you are in. I think it is good to do in the morning because that is what starts the rest of your day. 

Sometimes it's hard to know where to even begin reading in the Bible. It is a big book. And reading/studying it can feel intimidating. Here are some ideas to help you read your Bible:

A. Read a gospel

Pick a gospel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, and read a chapter or 2 a day. Study the context, cross-reference, fulfilled prophecy, commands, and what the passage teaches us about God, Jesus, and the condition of man.

B. Read the Proverbs of the day

Whatever day of the month it is, read that chapter in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs has a lot of wisdom in it!

C. Read the Bible in a year plan

Here's a plan to read the WHOLE Bible in one year!

D. Read the Bible in chronological order

This is actually what I am doing right now! Here's the plan I'm using to read the Bible in Chronological Order in one year!

E. Read an Old testament, Psalms, Proverbs, and New Testament chapter a day

This is also another good ideas! Read one chapter in the Old testament (starting in Genesis), one chapter in Psalms, one chapter in Proverbs, and one chapter in the New Testament (starting in Matthew).

I recommend that no matter where you read in the Bible, study it! Don't just read it. Study the context like who wrote it, who it was written to, the significance of different things or actions at that time frame, etc.. Study what the passage says about God, His character, attributes, and actions towards us. Also you could study what it says about man. Note what it says about our sinful hearts and the consequences for that and then what it says about those who are in Christ. 

Also, spend time in prayer! Jesus, in Luke chapter 18, encouraged His disciples to always pray and never loose heart. May we do the same! In prayer we grow a relationship with God (after all, if we never talk to someone how can we have a relationship with them?), we find strength and comfort, we find peace, and we can praise God! Come to God in prayer! Praise Him, give thanks, confess your sins and struggles, cry out for His help and guidance, repent and ask for forgiveness, pray for others, and pour out your heart to God. God cares for His people. We can cast all our concerns and worries on Him! (See 1 Peter 5:7 and Psalm 55:22) 

So in order to make this summer really count, keep Christ at the center! Focus on your relationship with Him. We can always be growing and learning more in our walk with the Lord. 

2. Another way to make your summer meaningful is to spend time with your family. Yes, it is good to spend time with friends. But be intentional about spending some time with your family! Your family is the very people God has chosen to surround you with every single day! God created the family to have close and loving relationships. Psalm 133 also tells us that is good and pleasant when brothers dwell in unity! Imagine if family relationships in todays society followed Gods design. Think of where we would be. There would be so much more peace, unity, love, encouragement, and God would be glorified!

I know sometimes we don't want to spend time with our family because maybe they're different than us. Or maybe your family fights a lot. Or maybe you just feel embarrassed or annoyed with them. But 1 John tells us that those who truly love God will love their brothers. This does not only mean our brothers and sisters in Christ (the family of God), but our family by blood. 

Why do you think God used the illustration of a family to represent us being adopted into His family and having brothers and sisters in Christ? Why would He choose to illustrate Himself as a Father? It is because His perfect design for the family is beautiful. It is suppose to be endearing and wonderful. But in our fallen world His design has not been upheld. 

I encourage you to study what Gods word says about the design for and functioning of a family. Choose to be more intentional, loving, and selfless with your family. Choose to love them in a God-honoring way!

3. A third way to make your summer fruitful is to work hard! Just because school is out doesn't mean we have to be lazy! Be diligent this summer! This will look different in different peoples lives. Maybe that looks like summer school, learning a new skill or hobby, learning a new language, volunteering somewhere, serving others, starting a small summer business, getting a job, etc.. Look for opportunities and pursue ways you can serve Christ and others!

Some practical ideas are:

To pick a subject (language, art, dance, nutrition, math, American history, wilderness survival, or finance) to learn and study

Learn to bike, swim, play a sport, jog/run, kayak, etc..

Host a Bible Study

Host a Campfire Worship Sing

Volunteer to do yard work for neighbors, family, friends, or a local nursing home

Start a small business for family, neighbors, friends, and your local community (like baking, doing yard work, sewing, cleaning, car wash, etc..)

Get a job

Grow flowers, herbs, veggies, and/or fruit in a garden

4. One final way to make sure your summer is effectual and edifying is to glorify God in everything you do! When your reading your Bible, praying, spending time with your family, working, serving, learning something new, spending time outside, or hanging out with friends make sure that the focus is on Christ! Make sure that your actions, thoughts, and words are glorifying to God, edifying and encouraging to others, and that your heart and motives are selfless. Keep the gospel and eternity in mind. 

I hope that you have a summer that is edifying and encouraging and helps you to thrive in your walk with Christ! Live out a meaningful summer!