Just Enough to Get By

            When working on a remodeling project, the average homeowner will accomplish just enough to get by.  We will put up the studs, do the electrical, hang the drywall, and even put in the carpet.  Invariably, however, the moldings will either sit in a pile, or be left leaning up against the wall where they should be attached. The reason this happens, is that we can live just fine without finishing the details. Once the major tasks are done and the room is livable, we move on to the next big thing.

            It is difficult to fully enjoy the beauty of a project if we ignore the details.  The moldings finish the room. Calking and grout make the tile project. Trim makes the house paint look good. Paying attention to detail is the key to a successful project.

            Many are those who simply get by on their spiritual journey. They take care of the basics in their salvation, but they do just enough to get by. However, (to borrow from another saying) the blessings are in the details. Prayer, Bible Study, joining a small group, and regular church attendance. These are the trimmings, which make our spiritual life more complete. Growing in Christ is found in the details.

            Is it any wonder that many Christians claim burnout, and become discouraged with their spiritual lives. They have ignored the details, leaving them in a pile in the corner of their spiritual room. They know what the scripture says about prayer, and Bible study. They understand that there are reasons for every aspect of a worship service, yet they fail to participate in parts of the service. They remain quiet during the music, let their mind wander during the sermon, and escape from the building just as soon as it is possible to do so.

            Finish the job. Put on those moldings, and do the little things that make your spiritual life complete. Don’t give up until the task is done and you hear the Lord say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Quiet Times

From the new book The Art of Worship, coming soon.

            Do a Bible word search on the term, “quiet time”.  It is not there, in any translation. Try “personal Bible study” in any concordance.  That phrase is not there either. There is no description for how to spend time in the word. Do we get up early, or stay up late? Should a journal be involved? How long is the correct investment of time? Does our one on one time with God have to be daily, or can it be every other day?

             Personal Bible Study may be one of the most guilt producing aspect of the Christian faith.  Listen to someone testify about getting up at 4:00 AM to spend an hour each day with the Lord, and some feel guilty that they are not morning people. Hear someone else describe spending evenings with the Lord, and another group feels guilt about having to spend their time with the children.  If someone equates reading the Bible with spirituality, there is yet another group that feels bad because they struggle to read a single sentence.

            There are no rules about spending time with God, and there should be no guilt associated with how you approach him. That being stated, Believers are not off the hook. Jesus said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:46-49).

            The difference between a house built on the rock and one built on the sand is the strength of the substrate the house is built upon. The person in the sand house claims Jesus as his Lord. The issue is that they do not do what he says.  Why? Because they don’t know what he has said. All they know is what others have told them.

Tell me what you think about Bible Study