I'm a Texas Rangers baseball fan. Until last year, this ranked just below being a Chicago Cubs fan in futility. Every year the Rangers would go into a “June Swoon” just before the All Star break to put them into such a deep hole they could never recover by the end of the season. After a year to celebrate in 1996, the “June Swoon” has struck again. The Rangers have gone from being in first place by several games to being 7 games behind.

    I’ve seen the same thing hit Christians and churches. In North America, most school children are out of school in June. Families take vacations and churches go through what is not so affectionately called the “Summer Slump.” In many churches, Bible classes and small group Bible studies are called off till the Fall. Church giving goes through the floor and worship attendance is poor. Ministries are hard to sustain and momentum gained in the school year is lost. Many Christians give up on their spiritual disciplines until the more regimented school year returns.

Think of all the missed opportunities.

    Sadly, the Summer Slump involves Satan and his armies. They march out forcefully destroying marriages, ruining lives, cratering others to new addictions, and generally using the lull in spiritual passion to wrack and wreck God’s unsuspecting and passionateless people. Thousands never return to their spiritual passion and their daily disciplines are forgotten completely, marriages are irrevocably ruined, and thousands of innocent lives are damaged in the wake of Satan’s open door to the heart of God's people.

    Think about it, twenty years of a “Summer Slump” in June and July means we’ve wasted 40 months—over three years of our lives, that could have been used for the Lord! And that’s the best case scenario. It assumes we are not significantly spiritually damaged or delayed because of this “down time.” Think of all the missed opportunities. Think of all those we meet during this time that didn’t have Jesus as Lord and who will never be saved. Think about the growth we could have made to be ready for God’s opportunity to serve.

    Now that June has passed and we’re headed into the heart of the “slump” season, make a commitment to not let yourself, or your church, have a “Summer Slump.” Instead, make a commitment to have a ! Work on those spiritual disciplines. Take a mission trip. Take time to do some intentional spiritual activities with your friends and family. Work with habitat for humanity. Visit those in the hospital. Set up a daily prayer time with your family and intercede for others. But don't let there be a “Summer Slump”—because when we slump, Satan triumphs. Let’s have a and let God use our summers, too!