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The sun is up earlier. The nights are warmer. The school backpacks have been flung into closets, and road trip plans are taking shape. Summer has arrived, and with it comes a welcome shift in pace. After the long push of work, school, and winter weariness, many of us are hungry for rest. Real, soul-deep rest.
And that’s not just okay. It’s good.
In fact, rest is a biblical idea. From the very beginning, God modeled it for us. After six days of creating, He rested on the seventh. He didn’t rest because He was tired, but because He was setting a rhythm. A cadence of work and rest, effort and recovery. Jesus Himself withdrew often from the crowds to be alone in prayer, modeling a kind of soul-rest that went deeper than physical stillness. In Mark 6:31, He told His disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” That wasn’t laziness. It was wisdom.
So go ahead. Pack the tent. Head for the lake. Fire up the barbecue and slow down your schedule. Summer, with its open skies and longer days, is a gift. And rest, when received with thankfulness and balance, can even become a spiritual discipline. But here’s the caution: while we may take a break from routines and responsibilities, we can’t afford to take a break from God.
Unfortunately, that’s a temptation that sneaks in. You miss one Sunday because you’re away. Then the next, because you're catching up. Prayer and Scripture reading slowly become an afterthought. Church becomes something we’ll “get back to” in September. And before long, a soul that was meant to be refreshed ends up spiritually dry.
Rest is meant to renew our relationship with God, not replace it.
Think of your spiritual life like a campfire. It doesn’t go out in one gust of wind. But if you don’t tend to it, if you don’t add fuel, poke the coals, and protect it from the elements, it slowly dies out. You don’t notice it right away. But one morning you wake up, and there’s nothing left but cold ash.
A helpful approach is to plan ahead for spiritual nourishment. You don’t need a rigid schedule, but you do need intention. Bring your Bible on vacation or load a devotional podcast onto your phone. Begin your mornings on the deck or dock with Scripture and prayer. Let the beauty of creation lead you into worship. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” If you’re surrounded by His creation, let it move your heart toward the Creator. Perhaps, if you’re away on a Sunday, take time to attend a local church where you are, or tune in online.
Make plans to stay connected to your church family, even if you can’t be physically present with them. A simple check-in with someone from your small group or Bible study can help you stay grounded and connected. Church isn’t a box to tick. It’s a community to belong to. As summer changes your rhythm, don’t lose the habit of gathering, worshipping, and growing together with fellow believers.
As you rest, consider how your family rests alongside you. Children watch how we rest and will begin to learn from what they see modeled in our behaviours. They will notice what we make important. If they see us taking time to read Scripture in a hammock or pausing to thank God before dinner at the campsite, they’ll start to understand that rest and faith go hand in hand. Summer is an incredible time to plant seeds that will grow for years.
In all of it, give yourself grace. This isn’t about guilt or pressure. It’s about invitation. Jesus doesn’t say, “Come to me, all you who are perfect and consistent.” He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) That’s the kind of rest our souls are really after.
So, what does this mean for us? It means that even as we enjoy the gifts of summer, we must stay rooted in the Giver. Don’t let your faith life go quiet when everything else gets loud. Set time aside for God, no matter where you are. Stay connected to the church, even if from a distance. Show your children, your friends, and your own soul that rest and faith are not competing ideas. They belong together. If you need rest, take it. But rest in a way that draws you closer to Christ, not further away. Let this summer be a season of both joy and growth!