No two words are more beautiful to the stressed-out student than summer break. No tests or homework. No projects or papers. Just freedom in all of its sleeping-in, vegging-out, obligation-free glory. If I’m being honest, I miss summer break…a lot. There are not a lot of breaks when you have a job, kids, grandkids, and other necessary responsibilities. Even if you’re retired, I’ve heard that you tend to become busier rather than more free. We all just want a break.
I read an article recently that makes me think there’s even more to it than that. It described our post-pandemic reality with the words “languishing,” and “hitting the wall.” All of us are simply “deeply, deeply tired.” So, we had already been dealing with stress and burnout, now on top of that, we are also flat out exhausted. What happens when we feel that way? Something has to give. And since we can’t neglect our jobs or our children, we often end up neglecting something else…our church.
I get it. I really do. We have to pay bills. We have to take care of our kids. And we, honestly, have to prioritize ourselves at times or everything else will suffer. What I want to remind you (and me) of is that church is also a non-negotiable. God’s will is that we would “not [neglect] to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but [encourage] each other” (Heb. 10:25). Church is not merely a good suggestion, it is a necessity. While you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian, if you never go to church, you probably aren’t a Christian. Let’s do our part this summer to buck the trends and make sure summer church attendance isn’t some of the lowest of the year. Hope to see you this Sunday.
