What’s your plan? Every year summer comes around and we love it! The clear waters of the Manistee River or Torch Lake. Local small-town festivals and craft fairs are within driving distance. And northern Michigan weather is the best in the summer. We can warm up nicely during the day and then enjoy a bonfire at night (if Smoky Bear says it’s okay).
However, if we aren’t careful, summer can slide right by us if we don’t map out what our summer plans look like. The same can go for anything. If we don’t make a menu for the week, we may end up eating out more than we should out of convenience. If we don’t plan our vacations, we may be unable to go because we didn’t save up the money. You get the idea.
What’s your spiritual plan for today, tomorrow, next week, next month, or the year? Which area of our four vision areas needs improvement? Are you in the Word? Are you meeting with a group of people to talk about spiritual things? Do you show compassion to people outside the four walls of the church? Have you found your PART at the church to use your giftedness in edifying the body of believers?
How about making a plan today? If being in God’s Word (Seek Scripture) is a struggle for you, how about you make this summer the summer of reading through the New Testament? If you read either 4 chapters of the New Testament each day or 114 verses each day, you will have finished reading the New Testament by the end of August. Read the book of Matthew this summer. Ask some of the parents you watch the ballgames with to do the same so you can talk about it when you see each other at the ballfields.
Sharpening and being sharpened can take the most commitment because it involves other people. Try one of these. Meet once a month during the summer with three other people with the purpose of asking three questions about a chapter of the Bible you read together. For example, have all four of you read James 1 and then get together and ask, “What was the theme of the chapter? What can I learn from the chapter? How can I apply what the chapter teaches?” If you are married, get together with another married couple and try this exercise. If that seems too challenging, how about having family dinner at least 3 times a week in the summer and asking your family a spiritual question? “How did you see God work today?” “What was one thing you saw that reminded you of God today?” “How did you help someone today?”
Showing Compassion is simply a matter of opening your eyes to the needs of people around you. Commit with your family or by yourself to do one kind act each week for someone. You could help that homeless person you try not to make eye contact with on the corner with the sign. You could help the neighbor with his/her lawn. You can take a bag of groceries to someone.
Serving Sacrificially is referring to finding your PART to serve at the church. We have all kinds of things to be done. We need the weeding done around the parking lot. We now need a laundry person to wash all of the kitchen towels, coffee station dishcloths, and baptism towels each week. You and your family could try greeting one Sunday this summer.