One of the central ways God uses to change us is through study, which makes it a perfect spiritual discipline.
This is Felicia Ferguson with Christian Mix 106, helping you build faith for the journey.
One of the central ways God uses to change us is through study, which makes it a perfect spiritual discipline. When you were in school, you had to discipline yourself to study for a test. You set aside time, pored over the material, maybe made flashcards or came up with mnemonic devices to retain the material. The same is needed for studying the Bible or other bible-related texts.
Study forms new neural pathways in the brain and these pathways change the way you think. If you’re battling fear or anxiety, the answer is to study God’s word. Fear not is mentioned 365 times in the Bible, one verse for every day of the year. But if you haven’t read it for yourself, haven’t studied it, then you won’t know that and fear and anxiety can continue to cripple you. (I don’t mean diagnosed mental health issues).
But to get the full results from study, one must first come to the discipline humbly. We must admit that we don’t know everything about a topic and be teachable—sometimes a difficult prospect in our modern times where people are regularly ridiculed on social media for asking a simple question. After we’ve come humbly and read, then we must reflect on what we’ve studied. Look for God’s perspective on what we’ve read. Take time to ponder its truth in our lives.
According to Mortimer Adler, there are three rules that need to be followed for effective studying when reading a book. The first is understanding what the author is saying. The second, interpreting what he’s saying, and the third, evaluating what he’s said and determining is he right or wrong? Now, obviously if you’re studying the Bible, the author is always correct. But if you’re reading a commentary, a non-fiction book based on a biblical principle or argument, then evaluation is a must. Writers are humans. We may feel divinely inspired by God, but sometimes that divine inspiration is last night’s pizza talking not the Holy Spirit.
So when you study, don’t just swallow the view or argument whole. We are called to test the spirits, and so we should also test the words of those claiming to represent God. Study, especially of the Bible, is a discipline that will expand your knowledge but it will also deepen your appreciation for and relationship with your creator and the one who loves you perfectly.
This is Felicia Ferguson, thanks for listening to Christian Mix 106.
