Welcome back to the Bearded Acorn. Here’s something that has been percolating in my mind over the past few days. It all started with a New Year’s resolution. Yes, I know that we all make them, break them, then forsake them. It’s a tired pattern.
Oftentimes a New Year’s resolution — also known as a New Year’s transient self-suggestion, or for the really undisciplined, a New Year’s wish-that-won’t-come true — is about a major change that we want to make. There are the usual ones such as weight loss, money management, time management, stress reduction, regular exercise, eating less cabbage, etc. These fade because major change is very difficult. So, with this in mind, I set a couple of minor goals for 2015. They are simple, and will take very little time, but will yield goodly results.
The first goal is to do push-ups (not the orange sherbet-flavored ice cream treat for kids) three nights a week. I have to do at least three sets each session. While I won’t ever be able to compete in a body-building competition with this work out system, it will be beneficial to a 40+ guy who tries to take pretty good care of himself. In that vein, I won’t mention my goal for getting 100% of my daily fiber intake each day. But, if you are interested in the reason for it, hopeful outcomes, and ways to determine success with this goal….well, just email me.
The second goal is small, somewhat bookish, but very beneficial. When I run across a Bible verse in my reading of Christian books that I cannot immediately recall to memory, then I will look it up, and study it.
Why do this? Here’s why: any book written about Christ, or the Bible, is a vitamin supplement to the Christian life; the Bible is the meal. Our singular source for eternal, infallible, unchanging, living truth is God’s Word. It’s steak for the soul. In 1 Corinthians 3:2 Paul tells the believers at Corinth that he fed them with milk, not solid food (also translated as meat), because they were not ready for it yet. Ahem…look it up for yourself.
So, here’s the point: don’t try to live on the vitamin supplements of Christian books, gorge yourself on the steak of God’s Word. Christian books are helpful, and have been invaluable to my growth as a Christ-follower. But, there is a tendency to spend more time in those books than in the Book. In sum, I want my reading in books that are secondary to the Bible to drive me back to the Bible, not keep me away from it.
Pushups, more fiber, and verses in books driving me back to the Bible, that ‘s my New Year. What’s yours?
By the way, this process drives the topic of my next post. Stay tuned….
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