Beautiful skies have been hanging over Atlanta for about a week now. Prior to that were some rather wet and ugly days. I am unsure of where you are as you read these words but I am hoping you have been granted some days of relief and ease if you have spent any recent days underneath life’s rain-clouds. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not a smile-because-everything-is-grrrrrreat preacher but I’m also not hard-shelled to the point where I begrudge you your moment of exhaling. If you are thinking about what you can do this Summer to shape your life and put some bounce back into step then I’m going to direct you toward some thoughts below that I’m seeking to hold close for the next few months. It’s not that these commitments don’t work during the other three seasons of the year, it’s just that I personally believe that Summer affords a greater opportunity for me to clear my head, shut out intrusions and decide for myself how my days are going to be. For all of who are reading today, consider the following: during your down time, your vacation, your weekends or your early mornings, place some thought on how you might grow in following areas:
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Cultivating your relationship with God – knowing Him, learning Him and hearing from Him is a spiritual process which has to be sought and received.
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Cultivating your prayer life – a daily commitment, a special place, a consistent time, an objective prayer list, interceding for the needs of others.
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Cultivate your ability to speak the Word of God – we don’t need more professional spokesmen, just greater numbers of people with deeper care for investing truth in others.
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Cultivate your ability to listen – both to others and to the voice of God the Spirit. God will use His Word as His primary tool to communicate with you but Jesus also mentioned that we would recognize His voice. His Word speaks. So does His Spirit.
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Cultivate your leisure time and rest – you heard me right! Some of us are way too busy and need to rightfully conclude that the world will not skew its orbit if we take some downtime. You need it and you are a better disciple of Christ when you invest in your personal renewal and restoration.
I’m grateful to be scheduled for my summer vacation to begin soon with my family. At the end of those days at the beach with the three whom I love the most below, I plan to attend two conferences in late summer that I have chosen for no other purpose than to invest in my own spiritual growth. Summer is always an intentional time for me as I recover from an intense first six months of each year and prepare for a demanding second six months of the year. It’s a huge time for me and I hope it will have powerful results in the work I do for Christ as I invest into others all that He pours into me. You should consider exploring what you can for yourself in this area- you need some sort of personal, intentional refreshing of your own spirit. You may not be a pastor needing a sabbatical but you are a human being with clear physical, mental and emotional limitations. Why deny this reality and pretend you don’t need a break? Come back stronger, more committed and refreshed for what lies ahead because those are the most important days in the rest of your life.
Now somebody pass me some sunscreen and hand me a Smoothie…
thanks pastor for the words of encouragement and the “permission” to take time for ourselves to be alone with God.
I had not read this until this morning 5/29. Very inspiring…so glad I read it today, a wonderful plan for my summer and fall and winter and spring.
Yeah, it’s time!