When talking to my best friend not to long ago he commented on how his Bible was doing the exact opposite of what someone had expected it to do when it was given to him. Granted he used the Bible app like all good Christians with smart phones do, but seeing that impacted him. And I made a terribly arrogant remark about how mine has stains and rips and highlighter markings thoroughout it. And now I'm kicking my own tail for it.
Being at Johnson University, previously and to many still considered Johnson Bible College, I've found it pretty dang easy to have my Bible open every day. If not for class, chapel, or church, maybe it's a small group or a debate on whether Jesus was really a passifist or not [thats a whole other story, I'll save that for a rainy day] I was SO worried that the Bible would become a textbook - so I spent a lot of time reading it outside of school. Not as much as I should or could have, but I still tried.
Not being being at Johnson means the Bible went on a shelf and other books got priority. Good books, hardy, challenging, emotionally driven books that kept me up all night till my eyes were puffy with tears or just pure exhaustion. Sometimes I forget how much I actually like to read. I get that from my mom. We can sit down and read for hours without even thinking to stop for food or sleep or anything. We get caught up in the stories, characters, lessons to be learned, etc. We laugh, cry, get so mad we could just stop reading - but we don't. I've read books on everything from church planting to raising over a dozen adopted girls in Africa. I jumped on the Divergent train and loved it - so I borrowed my middle school neighbors copy of Insurgent. And there is always a Donald Miller book in the mix these days too.
Yet not once since I've been back have I touched my Bible. It doesn't matter how many books I read about the church or good Samaritans, unless I am reading, learning, and engulfing myself in scripture - applying it to my life each and every day, there is no point. That is a Jesus freaks gps. "A road map to heaven" someone once told me.
I can read spiritual books written by Christian best sellers, feed and clothe the homeless, volunteer in the children's ministry every Sunday till the day I die, all while living a life for Christ. All of those things are good and what we are called to do as his followers, but if I don't have scripture to encourage me, or teach me and educate me on all of the people that have failed and succeeded. To find guidance and love and hope and the evidence of His compassion on His people.
So tonight I am embarrassed and ashamed that I let it get to this point. That I don't consider it the first thing in the morning, or when I am having a hard time. I look elsewhere or not at all and then I am left feeling empty still. Through His word, however I am restored. And I am going to do my best to make sure dust never collects on the coolest book(s) out there.
"Until I get there, concentrate on reading Scripture in worship, giving encouraging messages, and teaching people." 1 Timothy 4:13 NLT
#stopthedustybibles
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