The One Thing You Must Do To Break A Bad Habit

Replace it with a good habit. Easy, right? Well, it depends.

When I was a kid, I had to deal with overt racial tension in school. So, life wasn't easy. I had learned to cope by waking up every morning before school to ruminate on how the day would go. I believed that if I could imagine the worst, it will help make the day go better.

The Bible Wasn't Written to You. But it was Written for You.

I needed to think about this aphorism for a moment. "The Bible wasn't written to me?"

This statement, when I first heard it, gave me pause. I was a little uncomfortable with it at first. However, the second sentence puts it into perspective. "But the Bible was written for me."

When we read the Bible, we ought not read it to get a personal message from God. The Bible wasn't written that way. However, that doesn't mean the Bible does not have messages that can personally apply to us. In fact, God does communicate to us by giving us understanding of who He is, and what He desires — even what He desires for us.

When we read the Bible we are reading literature that was originally addressed to people who lived at that time. Much of the literature contains lessons and wisdom that are intended to be passed on to future generations, including us. But they were not written directly to us.

Because the Bible is not a single book, but a collection of books written by different human authors, at different times, in different locations, we have the obligation to consider each authors' manner of writing, each type of writing, each historical context, and each original audience as we read any text in Scripture. We must read it well, before gleaning meaning we can use. Otherwise, we will not understand what we are reading.

When we read the Bible well, we will glean what is intended for us to glean. (And perhaps avoid reading into it what we want to get out of it.) And in doing this well, we will hear from God.

Photo by Wallace Chuck from Pexels

The Treasure Principle

Last time we looked at the false assumption that the Bible should be easy to read. We tend to feel this way because we Americans have a plethora of bibles and a consumerist approach to religion. This makes us susceptible to taking the Scriptures (the Bible) for granted. And, as a result, we may mistake God, Scripture, and the church as existing to please us. And many in our culture will find it difficult to believe we are even accountable to God.

Who Said Reading the Bible Is Suppose to be Easy?

I remember giving away Bibles during an outreach event in 2018. Many people either weren't interested in a free Bible because they have a bunch at home, or they wanted a Bible with larger type or a particular English translation. People were pretty fussy about it. 

Are You Hungry?

I believe many Christians want something better.

They are tired of the same old Bible teaching that focuses on trite sayings or rudimentary instructions like: 

God wants you to do the right things. You don't. You should. Amen.