This Summer has been kind of crazy for my family and me. Everything started with the boys and my wife taking a two-week trip to see family in the midwest, with a business trip for my wife in the middle. When they returned, my wife had ankle surgery that had put her out of commission for the past four weeks, with another four more weeks. With all the adventures and family fun, we have been looking for a church home to be part of and put roots down. So, as Summer winds down, with just a few short weeks away from school, I thought I would take a moment to share five things that should never be neglected as followers of Christ.
1. Don't Neglect Your Time With The Lord.
Don't be so busy that you neglect to sit at the feet of Jesus. Throughout the gospels, we see that Jesus would retreat to solitude to spend time with His Father. We find that Jesus would retreat in the mornings or evenings. As followers, these times with the Lord are when we rest and hear from the Father.
How are you doing with spending time alone with God? Have you helped your children establish a quiet time rhythm?
2. Don't Neglect Your Time With Family.
Spending time with our spouses and kids is essential. It is important to take your family trips and vacations with your spouse. Pastor Chad Veach said, "there is a difference between family trips and vacations." He continues, "Family vacations are when you create memories and have lots of fun together. Vacations are for you and your spouse to rest, read a book, take time to dream, and be refreshed."
When was the last time you created memories with your family? Get out these last few weeks and go camping, hiking, fishing, on a road trip, county fair, or even do a little staycation with your extended family.
When was the last time you vacationed and took time to rest and be refreshed? Don't wait until it is too late. Make sure to put vacationing with your spouse as a top priority this next year.
3. Don't Neglect Being With Your Church Family.
It was said from the beginning that "man should not be alone." God never intended for people to do life alone. God knew that it was not good for us to be alone, which is why He created a help mate for man and a family of believers to do life together. Scripture tells us that when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are adopted into the family of God. This means we have a family that we can lean on during times of trouble as we continue to walk in faith and follow Jesus.
Then in the book of Acts chapter two, we find when the Church family was together, they were outward focused on reaching the lost, worshiped and gathered together, served together, grew in their relationship with God, and connected with each other at each other's houses.
When was the last time you gathered together with your Church Family? Are you equipped so you can train others?
4. Don't Neglect Loving Your Community.
Being outward-focused or connecting with people far from God is what Christ modeled for us. Jesus could be found with groups or individuals considered outcasts in their community. Think about the blind beggars on the side of the road shouting out to Jesus as He walked by. How about the woman at the well in a region considered off-limits because of past history? Or even spending time with lepers and tax collectors. Christ modeled for us the importance of loving our community and being outward-focused.
Where are you spending most of your time? Who are you spending your time with?
5. Don't Neglect Sharing The Message of Hope.
God has given us the message of hope so that others can hear the message of hope. What we have received, we are to pass on to others. Jesus' last words to His disciples were to make disciples as they were going throughout their days. He is calling us to do the same thing still today. We were never called out of darkness to be silent. How are people to hear the gospel story unless we take the time to be equipped and engage our families and communities? God has placed us on a mission to bring the message of hope to show those who are far from God and help lead them to encounter God in a life-changing way.
When was the last time you shared your God story? Who have you shared your story with?
I pray that you will grow deeper in your walk with Jesus daily. Take time to be present with your family. Make being with your church family more consistent and committed. Take time to love your community through being outward-focused and, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, share your God story with others. I am sure other things come to mind that should not be neglected, but I will leave that for you to post in the comments below.
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