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Slump |
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The dog days of
summer. The doldrums. The summer lull. Everybody has a
different name for this time of year. I have found that they
all have one thing in common-when the weather gets got, there
is a tendency for Christians to get cold. If
we’re not careful, we can become so caught up in going
different places that we neglect the work that must be done
right here at home.
May I make a few suggestions to help us maintain our
enthusiasm and zeal through the rest of this summer season?
Don’t take a vacation from the Lord. The kids are out of
school. The college students are home. People take time off of
work. All of these things are necessary because they allow us
to relax and refresh and regroup. Even Solomon said that we
need to see the good and reward from our labor (Eccl. 3:13;
Eccl. 5:18).
But no matter what time of year it is, we are still workers
for the Lord. We are still accountable for our commitment.
That means that there is no such thing as a holiday or a
long-weekend for the Christian. The Lord wants us all the
time, in season and out of season. That includes June, July,
and August.
Make the most of your summer time. How often do you wish that
you had more time? “If only there were more hours in the
day, days in the week, weeks in the month,” we say. In fact,
I can remember a few occasions when I would have been
satisfied to have just thirty more minutes. But we have no
right to ask for more time when we are such poor stewards of
the time we have been given.
What are your plans for the rest of this summer? Young people
are free from the distractions of homework and school-related
activities. That leaves plenty of time for reading THE book
and preparing for Bible class. Many people use up a week or
two of vacation from their jobs. What about investing some of
that time in improving your relationship with God and the work
He has called you to do? No matter what the calendar says, the
time is now.
Resist waiting for the fall. There is a temptation to save our
best work for when the summer is over. “We’ll wait until
school starts.” “Let’s hold off until everybody’s back
in town.” “It’s just a few more weeks.”
But what if the Lord should come before September? Surely this
time of year fits His coming as “a thief in the night” (1
Thess. 5:2). What a shame to think that our recreation and
leisure time could cause us to be unprepared for the judgment.
We must realize that procrastination is as deadly during the
summer as it is every other season. The Lord is not going to
wait around for us.
Let’s use up what’s left of these last summer days. That
way, we will surely stay hot for the fall.
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Bubba Garner
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Copyright (C)
2008
Southside Church of Christ
All rights reserved.
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