Never Inhale

Truth be told, we all have been guilty of inhaling...scripture that is. Whereas inhaling certain substances may result in changing one's reality, simply inhaling scripture will not result in providing sustenance to our lives. The equivalent to inhaling scripture is described in James 1:23,24 - "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in the mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."

Instead of inhaling scripture, we need to ingest it. Just like we ingest food and it provides energy, sustenance and growth, we are to ingest scripture in our lives. How will we know if we have ingested scripture? We will eventually be changed people. So how do we ingest scripture instead of inhaling it? Here are a few tips.

1. Study the Bible. Read a passage of scripture, more than a verse or two. Understand the context of a verse or passage. We are not called to simply read scripture, but to study and meditate on it. Buy a bible commentary to grasp the true meaning of a passage. This can be work, but we are called to love the Lord with all our hearts and minds.

2. Pray through this passage. Take a passage of scripture and read it regularly for a period of time and then pray through it. Pray to God that the truths of it may be applied in your life. Pray thanking God for the truth of a particular passage. Pray for understanding and greater application of the passage in your life. As you understand a passage and it convicts you, confess your sin to God and even to another.

3. Share it. We as Chrisians can talk plitics, sports, trivia, news and family stuff, but we rarely talk apecifically about what Jesus is doing in our lives. So whenever together, especially in small groups, be sure to share what God is teaching you from his word. However, be careful not to share what God is telling others they must do, rather only share what God is revealin to and doing in you. In other words, don't preach it, just share it.

AS we ingest God's word, may he surgically remove the beams from our eyes so we can see how we can become more like Christ.

Beams Away!