So we all know that “Christians” are supposed to read the Bible, but we all don’t do it enough. In reality it’s all a matter of priorities on whether you make the time to make daily Biblical intake a part of your life and the life of your family. So to make it a little easier, here are a few things that can help integrate the Bible into your daily life.
Discussion Questions to think through and talk-through with your small group and/or family:
- In our busy lives, it’s easy to become preoccupied with “Christian” activities and not spend time in God’s Word. Are you just “following” God like you follow someone on twitter or see what they’re doing on facebook or are you pursuing a deep relationship with Him through His Word?
- What are some other ways (besides Sunday at church) that you can hear, read and study God’s Word?
- If you broke down your week, how much time do you spend watching TV? How much time looking on facebook/social networking? How much time reading the Bible? What effect does that have on what comes out of your life? Do you see a correlation between what is going in and what is going out? What kind of example are you setting for your kids/spouse?
- Which one of these ways of scripture memory can you incorporate into your week?
- Print off a verse on a sheet of paper and memorize it as you jog, bike, etc.
- Have family memory verses. Maybe through memory challenges with your kids and go all out to make it like a fun game show.
- Write a verse on your mirror in erasable ink and recite it each morning as you get up.
- Get a small notebook that you can keep the verses you memorize in it and quiz yourself on previous verses.
- Pray through scripture at bedtime for you, your spouse and your children.
A few keys to start making Bible intake a normal and regular part of your life:
- Set aside a specific time
- Find a Bible reading plan (any plan) and STICK TO IT!!! [trust me, the “I’ll just flip open my Bible and read whatever page God leads me to” method does not lead to consistent and rewarding Bible intake habits]
- Choose one word or phrase to meditate on each time you read (you could even memorize it)
- Commit to doing AT LEAST one of the disciplines of Bible intake daily; hearing, reading or studying.
Links to Bible intake resources:
I know it sounds crazy at first, but hear me out and I think you will agree. The truth is that it’s a common practice for us to be blindsided by the things that we think will help us the most. We see it in the husband who wants so badly to provide for his family that he spends exorbitant hours at his job only to neglect the family for which he is working so hard to provide. You see it in the gym rat that wants so badly to look good that they fall in love with exercise and their own appearance. Likewise you can see it in the ministry staffer who wants to give their life to serve God so badly that they can neglect their family and even God himself.
Here’s what makes this all so insane, this happens ALL THE TIME. Preachers, teachers, worship leaders, etc. that fall in love with delivering a dynamic message or a great experiential event that they can get more caught up in the delivery than why they are doing it in the first place. This can be in part because there is often a tremendous pressure to produce something new and dynamic every single time we step in front of people and, if we are not careful, we can put what we do ahead of Who we are doing it for.
There is no better place for this delusion to happen than in our current American culture. Our society has so divorced the Bible and the simplicity of Biblical living and ministry that you almost sound crazy when bringing up those principals. Can you think of how ridiculous you would feel if you had to explain the current state of the church to Paul? Or to Peter? Any martyrs of the early Christian church? People in other countries currently being persecuted for their beliefs? I know I would feel a little foolish trying to rationalize the laziness of my own faith to people of the Bible.
One thing that gave me some insight into this was a conversation that Francis Chan had with some persecuted believers overseas as he tried to describe the church in the US. Chan told them that in America we have these huge buildings that we call “churches” and there are a lot of them in each city. Most people will usually shop around for the one that they like the most by attending a few and then choose to stick with the one they like the most. However, if another church has a better speaker, music more suited to them, a better location, better childcare or sometimes just better coffee in the lobby – they will switch to that church. The believers that he was talking to started laughing, and not just a light chuckle, but uncontrollable body shaking laughter. So much so that is was kind of awkward – AND HE WASN’T TRYING TO BE FUNNY!
I’m not going to lie, I have bought into it too. I like the idea of working in a big building, with great music, great preaching, awesome childcare and great coffee. None of these things are bad and often times something as simple as those things can get people to visit your church… but they can’t be the end goal. It’s what we do once people are there that matters the most. Do we lose sight of God and give them something not worth making the trip or do we show them Jesus and give them the opportunity to join us in experiencing the greatest relationship in the history of the world?
The truth is, it takes an incredible walk with the Lord to be able to see through the fog of “professional ministry.” It takes me putting the things I can do for God on hold so that I can spend time with God. I hope I can do it. I hope that I don’t get so caught up in what I am doing that I miss out on who I am doing it for, because I know it would be very easy for me to do. I pray I spend more time really falling in love with the Creator that loves me so much than anything else that I could ever do. I hope and pray the same for you.
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! – Psalm 139:23-24
While I was on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ a few years ago I had the opportunity to take a group of students to New Zealand over the summer. It was one of the most fun and simultaneously difficult things I have ever done. A team of 24 Americans in a foreign place with the purpose of sharing the Gospel with people we would meet. There were a few times that we just got worn out and frustrated because of what we encountered, but there was a saying that we pounded into our students during our briefing time that paid dividends later – “Flexibility is Your Friend, Expectation is Your Enemy.” We would say it at the beginning of each meeting and throughout our time overseas. We knew that if our team went into our time overseas thinking things would all go the way they wanted or things would be like they are back home, they would be frustrated and upset pretty quickly.
It was a constant reminder that we needed to be reliant that God had things planned for us and we needed to follow where He wanted us to go, not just where we had thought things would go. As a result, our team was able to rely on God, change with our changing conditions and not get bogged down with certain things not going our way. I am convinced that we would have been able to share the Gospel with as many students or be used by God to see people start a relationship with Jesus if we had been so caught up in our frustration over our circumstance.
As Hamilton Village is coming up on one year (yikes) of being a church, I can’t help but go back to that same phrase – “Flexibility is Your Friend, Expectation is Your Enemy.” Take some time to ask yourself a few questions:
- What are some expectations I’ve had that haven’t worked out like I thought they would?
- What have I missed out on due to my frustration? Am I missing out on sharing the Gospel with those around me?
- How can I be more flexible and follow God in the midst of a foreign territory (planting a church) and not expect things that will get me upset?
- What can I do to help people around me who are getting bogged down by things not going the way they wanted?
I know that God has some big things in store for us and I’m excited about how He is using all of the HV-ers to draw people to the Lord! Just remember that as we go through the processes of growing and changing in our foreign setting – “Flexibility is Your Friend, Expectation is Your Enemy!”
