This past Sunday, I talked about our need for spiritual rest (not just physical rest) this summer (Matthew 11:28-30) and how easy it is to miss out on this kind of rest because of our vacation plans and the lack of routine during the summer months (if you missed the message, you can watch it here). But in a nutshell, one of my main points was that we’ve got to be intentional to create space in our lives to connect with Christ and to experience the rest he wants to provide our souls this summer – or it just won’t happen.
One practical suggestion I gave in response to this was to commit to a summer “rest plan”. A daily, weekly & monthly plan/rhythm in our personal devotional lives with God this summer.
Let me unpack this idea a bit further and provide you with a few more suggestions and resources to go along with that plan…
The DAILY, WEEKLY & MONTHLY Plan:
- DAILY
First, commit to spending at least a few minutes each and every day this summer engaging in some sort of spiritual discipline. Read a few verses of Scripture each morning, pray and talk to God for a few minutes, read a short devotional, listen to a worship tune… do whatever gives you life and connects you again to Christ.
For example, a friend told me the other day about how he, during the summer months, makes sure to sit down for 5 minutes or so to read Oswald Chamber’s daily devotional, “My Utmost for His Highest” and to reflect and pray through the Bible verse connected to that day’s devotional. And I think that’s a fantastic option for us all.
Another great option is to subscribe to Youversion.com’s daily “Verse of the Day” that gets sent right to your phone and/or email. They also have summer Bible reading plan you can subscribe to. It’s easy and convenient… and you have to choose to ignore it when it gets sent right to your device!
Whatever the case, let me encourage you to do whatever works for you and to commit to creating even just a little bit of space each and every day this summer to intentionally connect with Christ. It’s so worth it!
- WEEKLY
Second, commit to spending an extended period of time (30 minutes, 60 minutes, or 90 minutes… whatever works for you) intentionally connecting with Christ at least once a week this summer. Put it in your calendar and schedule it for each week.
And as you do that, here’s a few practical suggestions for you as you plan out your weekly extended quiet time with the Lord:
- Go for a walk and enjoy God’s creation. Pray and talk to God in the beauty of His creation.
- Grab a cup of coffee, go to a quiet room and read your Bible. Journal about anything and everything that comes to mind. Create a prayer list and pray through that list.
- Use the Life Journal/SOAP technique (a GREAT tool) for reading and praying through the Scriptures.
- Listen to a sermon online and make notes as you follow along. (If you want a few good (eclectic) options, check out a few of my favorites: Tim Keller, Greg Boyd, Bruxy Cavey and John Ortberg… or catch up on messages you’ve missed at The Gathering!)
- Spend some time in worship through song, thanking God for his faithfulness and goodness to you.
- And/Or consider other spiritual disciplines and practices that might work well for you in your journey with Christ.
- MONTHLY
Finally, if you can, set aside at least one full morning or afternoon a month (or hey – even a full day!) to connect with and rest in Christ. Take a personal Sabbath day (or morning/afternoon) in July and August this summer and rest in God’s presence. And if you like, use a few of the suggestions I gave above and just stretch them out a bit. They can work just as well (or better!) when you have a bit more time.
Now, I realize that practically – from a scheduling perspective – that this is very difficult to do. Especially if you have a family and little kids. But one potential way do this is by agreeing with your spouse (or friend, if you’re not married) to do a swap. Where they take the kids for one day or one time slot, and you take them for another. And you put it in the calendar and commit to making it happen (cause if you’re like me – if it’s not in the calendar it ain’t going to happen!). The gift of “quiet” and “rest” and “time” may be the best gift you could give your spouse this summer.
I also realize that the thought of taking several hours to connect with God might seem a bit intimidating at first. And that’s OK… but let me encourage you to just try it and do what you can do. You never know – God might just show up in a pretty powerful way during this time!
So that’s it… that’s my “summer rest plan.” Creating space to connect with Christ daily, weekly and monthly this summer. It’s simple, but not easy. We’ve got to be very intentional about it! But I so hope you’ll join me in the journey of pursuing the rest of God this summer… 🙂
Peace.
JJ
PS. If you want a great resource on “Spiritual Disciplines”, check out John Ortberg’s book, “The Life You’ve Always Wanted”
