Memorial Day signals the beginning of Summer for many families. Neighborhood pools open. The campgrounds are full. Beach rentals are hard to come by. The summer of 1980 was unforgettable in Arkansas. That year, we set a record for the most consecutive days with temperatures over 100 degrees. It was the second-highest number of 100-degree days ever recorded, only surpassed by 1954. Ten of those days in Little Rock, where I lived, were 105 degrees or hotter. And there I was, heavily pregnant, living in a home without central air conditioning.

My daughter was born on the very last day of that sweltering August. I’ll never forget the physical heat of that summer. What lingers in my heart is the spiritual lesson summer has taught me.

Summer can be a time of heat, yes. But if we aren’t careful, also of spiritual dryness.

When the Soul Feels Parched

Summertime often brings distractions. Good ones, even—vacations, relaxed schedules, family time, and well-earned rest. There’s nothing wrong with any of that. In fact, God instituted rest. The Sabbath is His gift to us. It provides a rhythm that offers relief from the pressures of daily life. It also creates a space for worship to re-center our hearts on Him.

But here’s the challenge: summer’s change in pace can make it easy to drift. When church programs pause, our schedules loosen. We sometimes unintentionally let go of the habits that kept us spiritually grounded.

We may slowly stop opening our Bibles. Prayer becomes more sporadic. We sleep through our morning quiet time. We skip church once… then again. The lake, the rivers, the mountains, and the freedom of a Sunday morning call louder than the discipline of worship. Before we know it, we’ve coasted into spiritual stagnation.

A Call to Remember

In Deuteronomy 6:5, we’re reminded:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.”

And Jesus echoes this in John 14:15:
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

True love for God is shown through obedience, and that obedience doesn’t take a summer break. Growth in Christ doesn’t pause when the temperature rises. If anything, the slower rhythm of summer offers us the space to lean in, not drift away.

Deuteronomy 8 gives us this wise warning:
“Be aware that you do not forget the Lord.”

Don’t Miss the Invitation

Summer is a reset. And that’s a good thing.

But don’t let the slower pace lull you to sleep spiritually. Don’t nap at the wheel of your faith. Stay in God’s Word. Keep your quiet times a priority. Gather with the church, even when the call of nature seems louder than the call to worship.

Ask God how He wants to use this season to grow and shape your heart. Let this be a summer not only of warmth and rest, but also of deepening your love for the Lord.

Take a moment right now to pause. Pray. Ask God to help you love Him with all your heart, soul, and might this summer. Ask Him to protect you from drifting, and to draw you closer than ever before.