I’ve been looking forward to summer for a long time. It has been a while since I’ve been able to be at home for more than a three or four week break, considering I was gone most of last summer in Iraq.
Alas, summertime has come. I have been looking forward to this summer for a few reasons…1) 8 hours of sleep per night 2) no papers 3) time to do whatever/whenever
3)a) readreadread – Audrey Waggoner and I are attempting to read the Brothers Karamazov, and I want to read through some Piper and other sanctifying literature.
I’ve contended to pursue the Lord with much more intentionality this summer compared to summers past. I think this is a typical and really forgettable goal for summer. I usually start out strong and die out. I get lost in my own indolence, sin, and straight up disobedience. I end up in a muck, and find myself desperately wanting school to begin again so that I have some sort of schedule to keep me in check.
I didn’t want the summer of 2010 to be another failed attempt to redeem the months of May through August. I’ve dwelt and reflected on a few things that I think might help to make 2010 be different than 20fail…
- Know yourself. Know your sin. I know Satan wants me to lose this summer, and he will attack me in every way he knows. Therefore I don’t want to leave myself open to temptation. I go to bed and read when my family goes to bed. I don’t need to surf the interent/TV when I’m bored. Read scripture. Read Dostoevsky!
- Have some sort of attainable goal. This may include setting up some sort of schedule in which I make time to spend with the Lord. I don’t have a lot going on this summer, but a lot of people do. Fight for that time.
- I have said and heard people talk about wanting to take opportunities to grow. Usually this comes after missing these opportunities. What do opportunities to grow look like? How can we seek things that sanctify? Good question. One of the things I want to see in my own life this summer is heart growth and not outward growth. I want to seek opportunities for the Holy Spirit to grow my heart…to sanctify me in ways that stretches and pulls my heart. I’ve decided that prayer and scripture are absolutely essential to growth. These disciplines are invaluable. These disciplines themselves are not what sanctifies, but they are opportunities in which the Holy Spirit can grab a hold on our hearts.
- What stirs your affections for Christ? Being outside? Getting up early? Hiking? Whatever it is, pursue the things that are going to increase your desire for Jesus. Pursue these things intensely and intentionally.
- I know that community is hard to find during the summer, what does that look like when we are back home? How are we serving? It’s easy to not partake in either of those things when I come back home. My church lacks a college ministry like the one I have in Waco, and it’s hard to come back and get plugged-in in an intimate way.
I am not a blog guy. I’m not good at it, and I promise you (whoever is reading this) that I’m not preaching at you. This is really a selfish thing for me, because it allows me to put all this stuff in my head into words. Something for me to come back to this summer when I fall of the path. So, I figured it’d be less selfish to share it with people. Plus I could look cool and come up with clever names for a blog.
Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this, find it helpful, or whatever. One question I kept myself asking tonight was what are opportunities we can seek to grow this summer? I came up with the cop out answers of scripture and prayer. What do you guys think?
Good thoughts. I know this summer I want to move out of the whole, “preach the gospel and if necessary use words” thing that I think we all get stuck on. Eventually I have to use words – got to quit living as if people will just know and decide that when an opportunity presents itself, I’ll actually follow up.
On a lighter note, you aren’t supposed to end sentences with prepositions and I did so twice in my comment. Yes, I noticed.
Good thoughts.
I’m only here a week and yet i’m still finding myself fighting against complacency and selfishness. a fight is a good picture of what we’re in. satan uses our comfortable homes and familiar families against us. i really believe that his number one weapon in making Christians in America unproductive is complacency.
but you’ve taken the first step against it nathan. acknowledgment.
now the hard part. obedience.
i know sanctification means alot of things. but recently i’ve found it to mean God making me more and more sensitive to sin. and turning those areas of weakness into strength. maybe thats something to think about. and pray about God doing in your life this summer.
remember that prayer is not idle time. but you are sowing seeds that you will reap later. another way to execute our eternal perspective!
praying for you!
-rachel
i like your bullet points. especially the first one.
AND you are currently on a plane nearing europe…excited for you.