What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say “summer”? I imagine it’s probably not the words “work” or “schedule”. Why? Because we tend to think of summer as free time—“me time”, time for fun. If this is your idea of summer, then you’re about to make a 360 degree turn in your thinking—if you choose to do so. :) Why is it important to stick to a summer schedule? Isn’t summer a time for relaxing and vacation, for T.V., swimming, and fun stuff? And aren’t schedules for school? I believe that many of us (including me) have had a wrong view of summer. When we have wrong thinking for a long time, it negatively affects us and is difficult to change. Trust me. It’s not easy to turn and say, “I’m not going to waste my summer away. I’m going to find productive things to do.” But it is essential, for spiritual growth and discipline, and development of character. We have to learn to take initiative to do hard things, learn new things, and spend time on productive things. If we choose to do nothing this summer, what will we have to say we gained or learned?
So, I’ve conveyed the importance of not wasting our summer, but instead finding productive things to do. Where does the schedule fit in? Can’t I do productive things without a schedule telling me what to do? You may be surprised to find the answer is yes. You can make good use of your summer without a summer schedule dictating your assignments. The only problem is this—you have most likely had a difficult time getting motivated to do difficult and productive things in previous summers. How will this one be any different? I find it much harder to stick to my original ideas and plans if I do not have a schedule. Your schedule may be as simple as a few hour time-frames that say, “do SOMETHING productive”, and you have a list of ideas of things that you could do during that time. I encourage you to at least have some sort of schedule, and if you stick to it, you will find yourself doing many more things that have future and eternal benefit. Now I’m not saying that this summer you may not touch a computer, watch T.V., or have any fun. I’m simply challenging you to try finding some more productive things to fill at least part of your time. You will find them to be much more rewarding and fulfilling!
If you want to be encouraged, challenged, and inspired, I encourage you to start by reading Do Hard Things, by Alex and Brett Harris. Here are two quotes from their book:
“We do what comes easily; we certainly don’t do hard things. The consequence? We waste some of the best years of our lives and never reach our full God-given potential. We never attempt things that would stretch, grow, and strengthen us. We end up weak and unprepared for the amazing future that could have been. We like the freedom low expectations give us, but we’re really being robbed.”
“Where expectations are high, we tend to rise to meet them. Where expectations are low, we tend to drop to meet them.”
P.S. I also posted this on Letter from Christ. :)
