You’ve seen this, maybe done it yourself. Parents of young children mark feet and inches on the wall so they can measure the growth of their children. “How big are you?” we ask a toddler. “So big!” comes the delightful answer. The pastor in me wonders if churchgoers are that intent about our growth in faith. The doubter in me fears many people go to church because, well, that’s what we do.
The doubter in me knows many of us aren’t disciplined when it comes to Bible reading. For many years, Michelle was my faithful, hard-working executive assistant. Sometimes she’d say, “Dr. Dale, you have to read this carefully. Don’t just skim it.” In our age of short social posts, channel surfing, rushing here, rushing there, skimming Scripture is what we naturally do. Like a stone skipping on the water, we take in this biblical thought, then the next, and sooner or later sink. We may not sink eternally but we certainly don’t grow into spiritual maturity that helps us cope in the hardships of sinful life.
Using Psalm 119:5-8 (NLT), let’s experiment with disciplined reading. “Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!” When I skimmed those verses earlier this week, I thought they’re about living by God’s words. Yes, but “Dr. Dale, don’t just skim it!” Disciplined reading tells you more. The psalmist confesses he’s not consistently living by Scripture, but sincerely wants to grow. “Then I will not be ashamed… I will thank you by living as I should!” And he begs, like a child to parent, “Please don’t give up on me while I’m still growing!”
Salvation is by grace through faith, but ultimately you alone are the steward who will give an account to the Father. Thanks to Dr. Matthew Borrasso for this quotation from the German theologian Helmut Thielicke. “My plea is simply this: every theological idea that makes an impression upon you must be regarded as a challenge to your faith. Do not assume as a matter of course that you believe whatever impresses you theologically and enlightens you intellectually. Otherwise suddenly you are believing no longer in Jesus Christ, but in Luther, or in one of your other theological teachers.”