Ah, summer. I think it is the best time of the year, and I know a lot of you agree with me. The days are long and carefree, and the commitments are (hopefully) few. We come and go as we please, and we enjoy entire days spent at the pool or waterpark.
Could it just be here already, please?!
There is just one problem in the middle of these long, languid days.
Where do you fit in intentional Bible study with your kids when you have no real schedule to follow?
You don't have to maintain a strict schedule all summer just to get in your Bible study time. If you're intentional about working it in, you'll spend the whole summer in God's Word before you know it.
- Keep some kind of a routine. You don't have to struggle with a strict schedule like you had during the school year, but a routine will help everyone in your family to know what to expect throughout the day. Breakfast, chores, devotional time, lunch, play time, whatever happens in your house should be regular. Make sure that devotional time plays an important role in the routine, whenever you decide to fit it in.
- Keep a devotional like Jesus Today for Kids in your purse. Jesus Today for Kids is a small book, perfect for dropping into your bag. You will have it with you whenever you need it.
- Keep some kind of a routine. You don’t have to struggle with a strict schedule like you had during the school year, but a routine will help everyone in your family to know what to expect throughout the day. Breakfast, chores, devotional time, lunch, play time, whatever happens in your house should be regular. Make sure that devotional time plays an important role in the routine, whenever you decide to fit it in.
- Keep a devotional like Jesus Today for Kids in your purse. Jesus Today for Kids is a small book, perfect for dropping into your bag. You will have it with you whenever you need it.
- Do devotions at lunch. At my house, everyone gets up at a different time. Each person prepares her own breakfast, at her own pace. Bible study at breakfast wouldn’t work out because it would require rousing some of us out of bed before we’re ready. So instead, try devotions with your lunch. Get everyone sitting around the table, wait until the food is finished, and then do your devotion.
- Or, do devotions at dinner. There is no rule that says devotions have to be done in the morning. Include Dad in on the devotional time, and do it before or after dinner is eaten.
- Or, do devotions at bedtime. I’ve heard it said that devotions should be done in the morning so you can meditate on them all day, but I think the same thing could be said about bedtime. You can meditate on your devotion as you’re falling asleep and hopefully it will continue working in your brain while you sleep. Is this a stretch? Perhaps, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with doing devotions consistently at bedtime. In fact, my daughter reads her copy of Duck Commander Devotions for Kids every night before she goes to sleep. I think it’s a great time for quiet reflection and study.
- Get a devotional that your kids love so they’re invested in the process. Jesus Today for Kids is nice because it is written from the heart of Jesus to the heart of your child. It’s like a friendly letter, “I love you because…” and “I want the best for you…” It makes Jesus personal and real to kids (there’s an adult version, too, if you’re interested in one for yourself), and this will keep them involved and interested in devotional time.
The key to maintaining your intentional Bible study time with your kids is to actually do it. That seems like a no-brainer, but in a summer full of fun and exciting, it’s easy to let Bible study time fall into the “ought to” category. It’s not an “ought to.” It’s a pleasure, a treat, something you do for yourself. Treat it that way, look forward to it, and enjoy it with your kids. You’ll be glad you did!
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