Fireflies blinking in the night; water balloon fights and swimming in the pool; the sweet and smoky smell of cookouts; long days of play; the cool, refreshing taste of watermelon; and summer reading lists. The summers that live in our memories cannot be easily summed up in a mere collection of words, but these images evoke reminders of days in the past spent with family and friends. And time can glaze them with even greater significance. We look back at these times with joy mixed with sorrow – joy for the glad memories lived and made but sorrow for what has now passed. Summer is a season of wild beauty and freedom that extends and grows until its marked end, an end that many do not want to see but will come in its timing. To everything, there is a season (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
However, like every season, aspects of summer reflect the Christian faith. From the growth of plants and increase in daylight hours, to the vacations and time away from school, summer captures the loveliness of knowing Jesus and the freedom we find in Him. And some parts of this season even help us look forward to our future with the Lord in eternity. If we are willing to look for them, summer is filled with images and symbols of our faith.
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1. The Sweet Aroma of Flowers and the Fragrance of a Christian Life
Many flowers are in bloom during the summer, including those with strong scents. Those who have gardens know the joy that comes from walking among the flowers and smelling the various aromas of the plants. Whether we encounter the scent of roses or magnolia blooms, we receive a reminder of the beauty God embedded in nature.
Scripture tells us that believers, too, have distinct scents – symbolic ones that are intertwined with the ancient sacrificial offerings and incense used during Old Testament times. Because we are in Christ, we are a pleasant aroma to God the Father (Ephesians 5:2). The more we follow Christ and emulate Him in our daily lives, the more our lives produce a fragrance, though to differing effects.
When we demonstrate the love of Christ to those who are responsive to the message of the gospel, we are perceived as a pleasant scent. As Paul says, we are “an aroma that brings life” (2 Corinthians 2:16, NIV). In contrast, to those who have turned away from the good news, they think we reek of death. For our lives serve as a testimony against them, of the foolishness of refusing the gift from the Savior.
To emit a spiritual fragrance that is as sweet as the most beautiful summer flowers requires living in obedience to the Lord through the power of the Spirit. Faith in Christ affects every aspect of our lives, and so our love for Jesus should be evident to those who witness the way we spend our days.
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2. Set Free to Pursue Greater Adventures, and the Freedom to Live for God
Children enjoy a span of time free from school during the summer. Their days widen to include more opportunities for adventures in real and imagined places. Within the safety limits of their parents’ boundaries and guidance, they enjoy a freedom that allows them to ramble in wonder and discover new aspects of joy and beauty, even if only in their backyard.
Once children grow up and enter the adult world, there is not as much time for unhindered play. However, summer continues to hold a cherished place within the adult mind as a time of possibility. Families often travel on vacation, friends meet for gatherings, and the chance for discovery in one’s own backyard remains the same. During this season of warmth and light, people find themselves tugged toward open spaces and adventures.
Such inner workings of the soul are evidence of spiritual reality. We often think of freedom in terms of unlimited approval to do whatever we desire and go wherever we wish. However, true freedom flourishes within limits, like the parent who wisely tells a child to play within the safety of the yard. The wild beauty of summer reminds us of the freedom we receive in Christ, not the unlimited possibility to do whatever we want, but the flourishing within holy limits.
We are set free from bondage to sin because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross (Romans 6:22). And we are also released from adherence to the Law, for it was never meant to bring us salvation but to make us aware of our sinfulness (Romans 8:1-4; Galatians5:1). In Christ, we are transferred out of the shadow of the Law into the light-filled place of the Law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21). Believers are not able to do whatever they want, receiving a license to sin. Rather, we can walk unhindered in our pursuit of Christlikeness.
As we reflect on this season and all the blessings it brings, may we also be reminded of how the Lord has released us from the chains of sin to walk in the freedom of His ways.
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3. Rest Found in Christ Is Better Than a Summer Vacation
For many people, summer is synonymous with vacation. Kids are on summer break, and families prepare for a period of restful activity together. Some individuals will derive greater refreshment from the peaceful times, such as by reading a book or watching the ocean on the beach, while others view vacation as a time to engage in adventurous activities like riding rollercoasters or camping. Regardless, the idea is that vacation should provide a break from other aspects of life so that individuals can recharge and see life with a renewed perspective.
To rest is a holy activity. Our Lord commanded rest as part of the needed rhythm in life. We are not meant to work as machines; our worth is placed in productivity. God Himself, who neither tires nor requires sleep, chose to rest on the seventh day after creating all things (Genesis 2:2-3). He gave us the Sabbath to show us that we need time to replenish our bodies, minds, and souls. Our lives are not sustained by our constant striving. Rather, we are dependent on Him for life.
Through the giving of the Sabbath and the Israelite practice of it, God provided an image of salvation. In Jesus, we receive rest from any labor to earn favor or to strive for perfection. We are not saved by what we do, but by what Christ has done for us (Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9). We are dependent on Him for all aspects of life, including salvation from sin.
Taking a vacation is not unspiritual since enjoying God’s good gifts and giving thanks for them is a distinctly Christian thing to do. However, we should never confuse temporary leisure with a need for regularly resting in the Lord. A person can travel and enjoy peaceful surroundings, but never truly feel recharged if they do not prioritize their relationship with Christ. He is the One who provides true rest which points forward to our eternal Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9-11). Whenever we are overwhelmed or weary, we can go to Jesus and find nourishment for our souls (Matthew 11:28-30).
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4. Flourishing Plants and the Abundant Life of Following Jesus
The warmer months are when crops are growing and producing a harvest. They are the reason we have delights such as fresh watermelons, strawberries, and peaches. By the grace of God, we enjoy the fruits of the season and should give thanks for the vibrant growth of plants and trees.
Scripture compares our spiritual life to plants. In Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, He presents those who receive the Word of God as good soil that is conducive to growth and flourishing (Matthew 13:23). The person’s willingness to receive the good news and perseverance in the truth led to a multiplying harvest (Luke 8:15).
Our Lord also explained that we cannot bear fruit apart from Him, just as a branch must remain in the vine to produce fruit. Apart from Him, we can do nothing (see John 15:4-5). Jesus is the One who gives us life so that He bears spiritual fruit through us. Hence, we must abide or remain in Him if we want to flourish (John 15:4). This process of maturation and fruition also includes the Spirit He gave us, for the Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives in the form of righteous attitudes and actions (Galatians 5:22-23).
The imagery of seeds and a vineyard provides us with imagery of the Christian life. Believers are not meant to stand alone and bare, buffeted by the problems and sorrows in life. Christ came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). This is a full, overflowing life that spills over into the lives of others, multiplying the blessings of knowing the Savior and following Him. Regardless of circumstances – physical, emotional, or financial – we can experience this full life because of Jesus, who makes us like the good soil that produces a harvest and the fruitful branch. In Him, we can thrive, as the crops and flowers we see growing in summer, and the result of our lives will be just as beautiful.
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5. Longer Days Point to an Eternity of Endless Light
On the Summer Solstice, the amount of daylight is longer than the night. And although the first day of summer has the longest amount of light in the year, the entire season boasts greater spans of sunshine. We notice that the evening hours are still lit until night gradually arrives. Even then, reminders of the greater light linger – fairy lights bordering a pool, the flicker of a campfire, the glow of fireflies as they blink in the night. In some places in the world, the light does not diminish, such as in Alaska, where the night does not arrive for a period. Known as the midnight sun, these extreme periods of 24-hour daylight contrast with the overwhelming darkness of the polar nights in winter.
The sunny days of summer (in whichever hemisphere we live) are the closest example we have to what we read in the Bible about eternity in the New Jerusalem. Isaiah wrote that, “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory” (Isaiah 60:19, NIV). John’s vision in Revelation correlates with this prophecy, as he states that there will be no more night and we will live in the glorious light of our Lord (Revelation 22:5). From these descriptions, we gain a picture of endless light where the evils associated with darkness, like sin and death, will never touch us again.
What it will be like to walk on a renewed earth where all light comes from God is left to our imagination. However, we can know what it is like to live with the Light of the World, Jesus Christ (John 8:12). Through our relationship with Him now, we receive a foretaste of the greater joy of walking with Him in eternity. The glory of His presence will be our focus and delight.
May we savor these longer days and allow them to provide us with a visual reminder of our eternal destiny. God will be the source of our light by which we, and all other forms of life on earth, will live.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Bartek Szewczyk
Originally published Monday, 07 July 2025.