Image from Next Level Leadership

This is a post written mainly for college students, although any follower of Jesus who experiences a schedule change will benefit. Having served as a campus minister for eight years, I personally experienced how an abrupt change in my schedule over holiday or summer breaks could also impact my spiritual discipline and ultimately my walk with Christ.

I developed the following while at the BCM at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and have revised it.

One caveat: spiritual disciplines are not the end goal. Just because you may maintain daily scripture reading does not automatically draw you closer to God. It's a love relationship that you seek to enrich and cultivate, not a set of activities to mark off a religious list.

Richard Foster, in Life with God, says:

A spiritual discipline is an intentionally directed action by which we do what we can do in order to receive from God the ability (or power) to do what we cannot do by direct effort. (16)

Bible study, prayer, self-control, and other disciplines nurture our relationship with God and placeus in the pathway for transformation. They themselves don't change us. It is God who superintends our transformation.

With that said, here's the opening to the attached Spiritual Growth Plan below:

You’re about to “break.” “Breaks” are a wonderful time. However, any interruption in routine needs to be approached with intentionality in your spiritual life. Perhaps, you’ve not been walking with Christ as you desire. Your break gives you the time to “reboot” the spiritual disciplines in your life that are needed to draw closer to Christ. If you have been regular in your devotional life, a break can make you irregular. Head into your time off from classes knowing you this is an opportunity to “retool.” Make plans to continue your daily walk as your schedule changes.

• Download theSpiritual Growth Plan.