Ways To Be Intentional With God This Summer
Summer is quickly approaching. As a matter of fact, it already feels like summer with these 90-degree temperatures. Summer seems to go by so quickly in our house. With going to the pool each day, lake weekends, trips, summer BBQs, and entertaining kids day in and out, I sometimes forget about my relationship with Jesus. These lazy days of summer fill my thoughts and time with everything but Jesus.
If you are like me, you need to be intentional with including Jesus into your daily summer schedule. Not only do I need to include Him in my daily schedule, but I can also include Him in my kid’s schedule. Others see what we do and if we glorify God in what we do, that is a form of witness. When we glorify God in our daily routines, our actions, our speech, our activities, and our hearts, He will shine through us. I have been thinking of ways our family can be intentional in growing closer to Jesus this summer and the ideas have excited me, but I know that if I don't have a game plan established, these plans will never actually happen.
How can I glorify God so that I grow closer to Him this summer and so that I can be a testament to others around me? Asking ourselves this question is the first step to becoming intentional with our actions.
I am a big-time planner. I sat down with my kids last night and made our annual list of things to-do for the summer. It was filled with friend’s names they want to go swimming with, zoo visits, snow-cones, new hobbies to learn, and new adventures to be made. As I looked at that list, it crossed my mind that I need to make that same sort of list with how we, as a family, can glorify God together. I sat down and made a list of ways that could benefit you as an individual but also if you have a family of seven.
Read our Bible and journal or discuss what we learned. Planning a designated quiet time for each person in the family is key throughout the summer. Turn off all devices, open your Bible and read. Not only do I need that for my relationship with Christ, but my kids can benefit from that as well.
My family loves to read. We read a lot of secular and entertaining books, why not add the Bible to our summer reading list? Sitting down as a family and discussing scripture opens many topics to talk about with each other. Bring Jesus into those everyday topics.
Join a summer Bible Study or Church Group. Most churches have laid back Bible studies in the summer that you can pop in and out of. These are great ways to join a group without feeling pressure that you may have to miss a few weeks due to traveling. If your church does not have one, don’t be afraid to start one up in your neighborhood or with you friend group. There is nothing better than fellowshipping with other Christians as you discuss God’s Word.
Vacation Bible School or kid’s summer Bible programs are very popular. Find one close to you and sign your kids up for it. This gets them in God’s Word and may give you some free time to spend with God.
Watch a faith-based movie each week. There are so many faith-based movies to watch and most have a storyline that all ages can benefit from. You can make these movie nights fun with your family by adding big bowls of popcorn, ice cream, watching it outside, or saving these for those rainy summer days that give us a reprieve from the heat.
My kids love watching movies and this summer I intend to make them a special time where we glorify God as we spend time together. Jesus had fun with His disciples, and we can make learning about His love for us fun as well.
Listen to Christian music while cooking dinner, cleaning, or sitting on the back deck. Our family loves music! There is no greater sound to my ears than my children singing praise songs to God. These songs help us learn scripture by singing it, help us pray when we don’t know what to say, and teach us attributes of God that can stay on the forefront of our minds. This is also a good way to calm down if you have had a bad day or just need some distraction from the world around you.
“Alexa, play Christian music please!”
Declare God’s truth through sticky notes. Summer is the perfect time to memorize scripture. All other months of the year our minds are working. We are involved in groups, Bible Studies, school, meetings, and volunteer work. Our brains don’t need to be put on hold in the summer. We need to continue to use the brain God gave us.
Every summer I have my kids do a little bit of schoolwork to keep their minds active. We can do the same thing by learning a Bible verse each week as a family. Hang these verses around your house where each person will see them and speak them to each other throughout the day. Keeping God’s Word in our hearts and minds is a great way to grow closer to Him.
Serve others. We are called to serve others and we do not need to forget that in the summer. This could range from an elaborate volunteer service or simply taking care of a neighbors need. Jesus served those around Him throughout His entire ministry. He never overlooked a single person that needed His attention.
It is easy to be too busy to recognize others and how simply smiling and say hello can glorify God. Find ways this summer to show God’s love to those you come across. In our summer travels we meet many people and most of the time we do not know if those people are believers of Jesus or not. Use this opportunity to show God’s love and to not be afraid to talk about Jesus. The people God puts in your life may surprise you.
As we plan for our summer, let’s be intentional on glorifying God through it. He is intentional with us; we can be intentional with Him. We may think that we can have seasons in our lives when we are in God’s Word or when we are glorifying Him and when we are not. We do have seasons in our lives but we should always be growing closer to God through each season. We have to be prepared and plan ahead for how we include God in these seasons. We are never too busy or too worn out for the glory of God!
In the comments below, let me know how you intend to glorify God this summer. I would love to hear your ideas on how you intend to grow closer to God and how you will share Jesus with your kids.
Digging Deeper:
What hinders you in the summer from deepening your relationship with Christ?
What is one thing you can plan to do this summer that glorifies God?
How do you need to ask God to help you commit to your summer plan?
If you are looking for a summer Bible study to do on your own, you can go back to the short studies I wrote last summer. If you missed them, there are studies on Philippians, 1 John, and Joshua. They are each 4 weeks long and perfect to do on your own or with a friend.