Sellers of deck furniture and lemonade try to entice us with images of a long, lazy summer. And while summer can be a restful season to the glory of God, we must not give into laziness. Ephesians 5:15-16 is an exhortation to a different kind of summer: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
Our comments on this verse in our book Shopping for Time have application to summer:
“We are to walk with the utmost accuracy, with extreme care…We are not to trudge blindly or routinely through [summer]. We shouldn’t just let [summer] happen and try to deal with the results, be what they may. We should not allow one day to flow simply into the next, being concerned only with the present moment. No, we must look around. We must develop keen eyes. We must examine our lives. We must evaluate our present manner of living and consider how to prepare for the future. We must walk circumspectly through each and every day.”
So how can we make the best use of summertime? We must,
“approach [the summer] the same way we go after bargains. We need to discern the best opportunities [summer] has to offer. Then we must seize these opportunities and make them our highest priorities. Every [summer] day presents us with countless options for how to spend our time. However, only some are truly great deals. Only a few things are really important.”
Let’s enjoy God’s gift of rest this summer in the form of lemonade on a deck chair, but let’s also live carefully and wisely, making the best use of summertime. Ask yourself, what are the one or two really important things God would have me do this summer?
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