12/29/2009
Resolution #1 for 2010
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com
"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed,
knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have been
acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise
for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 3:14
To know God well, we must know His Word. It seems just about as obvious a statement as, "To live well, we must breathe air and put food and water in our mouths each day." Yet a recent survey about how different generations view and use the Bible found that 59% of the people who profess to be followers of Christ admit that, during a typical week, they are not spending even 15 minutes of time completely alone with God to read the Bible and pray.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not one to crack the whip or pile on legalistic guilt trips. The motivation to dig into God's Word cannot and should not come from sheer grit and determination to keep up a merely external standard of righteousness. In fact, for a great review of what should motivate our pursuit of God take a look at the december 24th crosswalk devotional by my friend shawn mcevoy.
But something's wrong with the church in America if only 41% of professing Christians are engaging God in regular Bible reading and prayer. Just imagine the health crisis our nation would experience if half of the population only fed on a diet of cotton candy and popcorn!
By God's grace in 2010, let's resolve to grow deeper in relationship with God this year through regular times of prayer and grace-dependent Bible study. For those of us with the responsibility of leading families, let us seek to give our children the heritage that Timothy had in the opening passage of Scripture above. From childhood, he had been acquainted with the sacred writings. These ancient words are still able to make our children wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
"You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them
when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way
and when you lie down and when you rise up."
Deuteronomy 6:6
Intersecting Faith & Life:
How would you be able to respond if a survey question about your Bible reading and prayer habits were posed to you?
What do you delight most in?
If you have children, how well are they becoming acquainted with Scripture because of your efforts to "teach them diligently?"
Further Reading