We started off the year with our official 2013 Spiritual Workout Plan to help us all train for the Big Race.
Today’s topic? FAST from dumb stuff.
Here’s today’s Bible dose:
How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. (Psalm 119:9-16)
Does the above accurately describe your approach to the Bible?
Do you truly rejoice in God’s word? Do you meditate on it? Do you delight in it?
Or do you neglect it?
Here’s a little test we do here on GUWG every once in awhile to help us all answer those honestly:
THE HOW DO YOU REALLY SPEND YOUR TIME? TEST
1. Approximately how much time do you spend each week on the following:
- Watching dumb stuff on TV? ____ hours
- Mindlessly surfing the ‘Net? ____ hours
- Reading non-Christian-y stuff? ____ hours
- Listening to non-Christian-y music? ____ hours
- Shopping for stuff you don’t really need? ____ hours
- Doing other amusement-y stuff? ____ hours
- TOTAL: _____ hours
2. How many hours do you spend each week in God’s word?
- TOTAL:____ hours
If your first total is larger than the second, I humbly suggest that you ask God to help make his word more of a priority in your life.
To help combat Rampant Bible Neglect Syndrome, GUWG hereby presents the following …
TOP 13 WAYS TO GET MORE BIBLE IN YOUR ♥
- Get a Bible app on your cell phone (two excellent choices: PocketBible and YouVersion)
- Use a Bible verse as your computer password (e.g., 1Thess5:16)
- Hit “mute” during TV commercials and read the Bible instead
- Listen to the Bible while exercising or driving around (my personal favorite: The Listener’s Bible, featuring the cool British vocal stylings of Max McLean)
- Get into the habit of reading the Bible first thing in the morning and the last thing before you go to bed
- Teach a Sunday School class (there’s nothing like the prospect of second graders barraging you with questions like “Who Made God?” for motivation)
- Post your favorite verses on your bathroom mirror, closet door, forehead of one of your kids, etc.
- Pray through Scripture on a regular basis (Beth Moore’s Praying God’s Word is an excellent resource)
- Set a goal of memorizing a verse a week and ask someone to punch you in the arm if you don’t
- Fast from your TV, computer, iPad, iPhone, iPod or anything else that starts with an “i” for a week
- Listen to Christian music (it’s available now in just about every imaginable genre: pop, rock, country, alternative, disco – even screamo)
- As we discussed earlier in the week, follow one of the read-thru-the-Bible-in-a-year plans found here
- Always, always, always ask the Holy Spirit to help drive the words deeeeeeep into your heart
FAST FROM DUMB STUFF
FEAST ON GOD’S WORD
Discussion