For families with children, summer is the highlight of the year…at least for the kids! If summer could last for 12 months, there would be great celebrations in some households! Nevertheless, as happens every year, summer comes to an end and it’s time to go back to school.
One of the challenges of going back to school is getting back into a routine! Summer is a little more relaxed, not as structured and usually does not have much “routine” to it. But, school on the other hand requires more structure and a definite routine—from getting up in the morning, to leaving the house, to doing homework, to getting to bed on time, etc. Thus, it is that time of year when some of us are trying to get back into (or maybe start for the first time) a regular routine for our days and weeks.
Now, some people have already stopped reading. They thought this article was about families with kids and they bailed out shortly after seeing the title. However, the back-to-school routine was only the launching point for the main thrust of this article. This article really is FOR EVERYONE! Here’s the primary aim of this article: we all need to have a routine for our spiritual lives!
Runners have a routine! Athletes have a routine! Soldiers have a routine! Farmers have a routine! Teachers have a routine! Since Christians are likened to all of these persons, then we must also have a routine! Unfortunately, too many Christians are stuck in a summer vacation! Some of us have allowed the “things” of this life to interfere with our Christian lives and we’ve lost the “routine” that we once had in our spiritual lives. We’ve slipped into a summer vacation (spiritually) and need to get back on track.
Sometimes Christians will set New Year’s Resolutions for themselves when it comes to their Bible reading, prayer lives, etc. May I suggest that we not wait until January 1st to end our summer vacations! As so many folks are getting back into their school routines, let us, as children of God, get back into our heavenly “routines.”
Find at least one time every day when you can talk to God! This needs to be a time (even if just 2-3 minutes) when everything around you is on mute! Find at least one time every day when you can listen to God, by reading His Word! Even if it is only three verses or a paragraph, let God speak to you every day! Find at least one thing to be thankful for every day! Count your blessings! Find at least one person you can encourage every day! Make the church’s assemblies a priority! Open your eyes to the souls all around! Let’s get back into our heavenly “routine” with God!