What about bob? – spreading the fame

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

And the youthful choirs are soon going to be singing, “School’s Out for Summer!” Solomon understood the profound truth that our lives have seasons: periods of growth and maturity. Summer brings a season of vacations, outdoor activities, travel, and loads of rest and relaxation. Summer can be a time when we can put life on pause because we have been barreling full steam ahead for the past 9-months. However, summers can slyly be a season of stagnation or stalemated faith. Thus some of the greatest moments of defeated and careless compromise have happen during the off months of summer.

Have you ever seen the movie, What About Bob? Sarah and I were just watching this classic last week. It is one of my favorites. Bob Wiley, the chronically psychotic, but very lovable character played by Bill Murray, proclaims “I’m taking a vacation from my problems!” When thinking about our summer vacation, isn’t that basically what we want to do; take a vacation from our problems? Not do anything? Regress into nothingness?

I would encourage you to use the season of summer to grow in your faith! Here are some things you could do to protect yourself from the trap of the stagnant slide of a slothful summer:

Attend worship regularly [Hebrews 10:19-25].
Spend time in prayer each day [i.e. pray for our mission teams, special summer programs at the church, for your church leaders, and for those who are sick or confined to home; Colossians 1:3-14].
Spend more time reading God’s Word each day since we will have more time [James 1:22-25; Psalm 119]. Consider reading through the Book of Acts, John or Romans .
Serve others by volunteering here at church or in one of our community organizations [1 Peter 4:8-11].
Protect one another by confronting sinfulness and slothfulness [Hebrews 3:12-13].

Don’t take a vacation from God this summer! Use this summer as a season of grow in your faith.