By Marcus Kelly

New Life Foursquare

Ahhh, it looks like summer has finally caught up with the calendar. I hope you are all enjoying the sun and keeping cool. I think my favorite thing about Washington is how we complain about the rain but then almost immediately start complaining about the heat.

I love vacation. I love being able to get lazy. On vacation you’re able to let your mind go to mush and eat whatever you want because, “you’re on vacation.” It’s a season of life where we spend more freely and care a whole lot less.

I find two things difficult about vacation. First getting into the “vacation mindset.” Second, once achieving “vacation mindset” I have a hard time disciplining myself back to real life. I spend most of the year paying close attention to what I spend and where I spend it and, believe it or not, I pay attention to my diet. There are times when I’m still mentally on vacation even when I’m home and back to work.

The same can be said about church life. We work diligently all year tending to the harvest God has called us to. Then summer comes and we adopt the “vacation mindset.” All year long churches work hard and accomplished much. We see relationships restored, salvations, support local and overseas missions, care for our community and the poor. It’s important to point out that this work continues through the summer. That being said I want to encourage you with four thoughts.

• Don’t take a vacation from your spiritual growth. Continue to meet with Jesus in prayer and in the word. Let him use this summer to shape you and grow you as a disciple.

• Don’t take a vacation from your service. We are deeply blessed by the number of people who selflessly serve the churches and our community because of their love for the lord and their commitment to his people. We need you this summer.

• Don’t take a vacation from attending your home church. By all means, enjoy some time off with your family to rest, recreate and recover. But don’t forget your church family. We want to continue to grow as disciples through the summer, and your church needs you there to do it. The Bible says that “iron sharpens iron,” and I need what God is doing in you to rub off on me. That won’t happen if you are missing for three months.

• Don’t take a vacation from giving to the lord. Committed believers are the means God uses to reach a community through a local church. God’s heart for the lost does not take a summer vacation, neither do people’s needs or the ministry of your church. Please be faithful to your commitment to support the church through your tithes and offerings this summer, so we can be faithful to his call.

My wife and I are the kind of parents that sit down with our kids over the summer months and have them read a story or two a week or do a few math problems to keep their mind sharp. They work so hard over the school year then get mushy by the time school starts in the fall. I want to limit the time it takes to get them back to sharp again.

I’m so excited for all God is doing on the Plateau. God has blessed this area with incredible pastors and churches. I just don’t want to see us get mushy. Let’s stay sharp and effective for his purposes even through the summer months.