Right back at it

It has been quite a while, but you gotta go when nature calls...for 6 months.... A quick report on how spiritual things have changed since 'mixing it up'.

After having an incredibly deep intellectual and heartless study of James, I decided to take a break from reading the Bible indefinitely. It ended up going for 3 weeks and then one week of unintentional and complete laziness. During that time, I pondered the role of daily(ish) Bible reading in the life of a Christian. I have found that times of reflection and analysis post desert can be quite refreshing, and this has been no exception. During work at the clinic I would try and recall verses that I know and try and apply them to situations like being really frustrated at incompetence of fellow coworkers etc. Really quite stretching.

Here are some of the resulting thoughts on why the Christian needs to read, study and meditate on the Bible:
We need Authority to live by, well everyone does, and it better not be something shallow, like our own intellect, some weird radical reformer with a declared vision and completely bizarre, counter- cultural revelation that humankind seems to have missed out for thousands of years. It also better not be our ability to get a guy or girl, halo, money, academic success or pleasing our families. Those are all going by the wayside in their present form.

We need truth. Our culture incorrectly assigns importance to our lives all the time, and we must have truth to be reminded of how things really are.

We were built for Relationship with Jesus the God man and His Father. How are we going to learn about them and what they are like? What do they enjoy, how should we relate to them? What if we never took time to learn what our friends enjoyed. That's right, we wouldn't have any. If all us guys did was call up girls to play magic cards, the human race would end at this generation.

So, I try and cultivate a relationship with God each morning through praying to him in my half conscious state and tell him my heart, my excitements, fears and whatever else. The Bible is not the first thing I run to at all. Its not what I need, I need a Savior. But after about 2 minutes, our conversations can get a little whiny and circular on my end. So the Bible can be a remarkable remedy for such a dilemma.

The Bible should shape our subconscious living and also challenge us to short term applications of new ideas and realizations.

We can't apply thousands of verses and thoughts all at once. We can't read the whole Bible, digest it and recollect the whole thing all at once like laying out a map on the floor, unfortunately. We can however, be reminded of phrases or principles at defining moments in the day. When we make important decisions in the moment, when people arouse certain feelings (rage, sorrow, warmth, lust, greed, deceit, guilt, bliss, etc.) it is so helpful to have general wisdom so we don't kill someone, get someone pregnant, tell a lie based on these sentiments. We have a response that needs to be shaped. We are still living and susceptible to the flesh, but also slaves to Christ and not to sin. So, we need to fight, and need ammunition for the fight. At first, fighting is quite mechanical and conscientious, and as we practice, it will become more like second nature and natural.

So lets take up the Sword that is the Bible and practice wielding it, get injured and get back up again.

I think I can do this on my own, and in thinking this through become quite self consumed. Thank you for sending Jesus to live in my stead. In His name, Amen