Christian, Don’t Get Cold This Summer!

Spring has sprung, and summer is upon us. We have traded the chilly winds of winter for the balmy breezes of the warmer months. Snow shovels have been traded out for garden spades, the air conditioner has been set to “cool,” and cabin fever has subsided as we venture outdoors once again.

It’s hard to beat this time of the year. The sun is shining. Flowers are blooming. Once barren tree limbs are now covered in lush new leaves. Warming temperatures have taken thoughts of frigid degrees far back in our memories. Schools have either closed or will soon be closing their doors for summer break. Families are preparing for a time of vacation. Evenings come later. The days last longer. We have transitioned from winter to spring and into the summer months.

Transition times are both blessed times and potentially hazardous times. A transition is defined as, “a movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, or concept to another.” Like I said, transitions can be a blessed time. It’s a good thing for a young person to transition from childhood to young adulthood. It’s a good thing for a married couple to transition from a life of husband and wife to a life of mother and father. A transition in the area of a job can be a positive thing. It’s a good thing in the life of Christian to transition or to grow or to mature in grace and in their personal walk with God. But I also mentioned that a time of transition can be potentially hazardous as well.

A transition is a change. It can be a change in state or stage, but it can also be a change in position or concept. Hazardous transitions are those that begin as a change in state or stage, but that eventually lead to a detrimental change in one’s position or concept as well. For the Christian, as we step across the threshold of transition, it takes conscious effort and earnest commitment to transition for the positive without experiencing any kind of alterations for the negative.

Often, times of transition can lead to seasons of spiritual standstill or sliding backward. Remember our previous examples. The Christian young person who is transitioning from childhood to young adulthood is right in making that transition. It is a healthy, normal transition; but that change packs the potential to adversely impact that youth’s walk with God. New pressures, new people, new opportunities, and new responsibilities all accompany that period of transition; and it will be up to that young person to successfully make a transition in state or stage without forfeiting or diluting any area of his or her devotional life with God. The same thing can be said of the transition from married life to parenthood. The addition of a child is a blessing. It is biblical. But the coming of a child has the potential to negatively affect the parents’ relationship with the Lord if they fail to maintain or to grow to a higher level of devotion in their walk with God during that transition from husband and wife to mom and dad. We could make the same case and point with the illustration of a transition in employment. It is okay to change, but it’s never okay to change. By that I mean changes come in life; that is expected, but we cannot allow changes in life or circumstance to in turn change our biblical principles, our doctrine, our faith, or our walk with God.

So here we are. We are in a time of change. The season has changed. The high temperature for most parts of the country has changed. The number of daylight hours has changed. The routine has changed. The responsibilities have changed. The opportunities for recreation have changed. There is much change taking place. Remember, truth in winter is truth in summer. Right in winter is still right in summer. Duty or expectation in winter is still duty and the expected in summer. May we as Christians not be guilty of cooling off in our walk with God and in our service for God just because we are transitioning into summertime. 

As I travel, I am sad to say that there is often a noticeable slump in church attendance and faithfulness to soul winning and Christian work in the summertime. It seems the warmer climate brings about a spiritual chill. This might not be the case everywhere, but it is still a prevailing problem. It can happen to any of us. Yard work backs up, cookouts come calling, vacations need taking, ball games and practices need coaching or cheering, and many other things can potentially pop up to impede our personal spiritual growth. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the pleasures of summer. In fact, I urge you to do it. Spend time with your family. Enjoy God’s creation. Take advantage of some “downtime.” But let’s not be guilty of putting our relationship with God on hold until the first fall frost.

Here are a few statements to keep with you as summer approaches:

1. There are still sinners who need a Savior in the summer!
2. There is still a church that we’re not to forsake in the summer!
3. There is still a Bible that is to be studied in the summer!
4. There is still a God Who hears and answers prayer in the summer!
5. There is still a need for Bible preaching and teaching in the summer!
6. There is still a faith to contend for in the summer!
7. There is still a personal testimony that you are broadcasting in the summer!

Christian, don’t grow cold this summer.

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