Be sure to read your Bible

 I was thinking today about the importance of Bible reading.  There are obviously many reasons to read your Bible.  It is God's revealed Word to us.  God commands us to meditate on it.  It is there to instruct us, correct us, train us, equip us.  It is encouraging and exhorting.  It is sharper than a two-edged sword and will reveal our thoughts and intentions.  It is a mirror that helps us to see ourselves rightly.  But as I was thinking, I wonder how often we think about the Bible as a means to correct our perspective on history?

I think that we all have a tendency to view our world as being the worst it has ever been.  We see moral decay and decline and we think that we have it worse than all those who have gone before us.  I find myself doing this even recently with our young people - thinking that they have it harder than all those generations that have gone before them.  In some ways this might be true, but the Bible reminds us that our world is not unique in its rebellion against God.  Which is harder, our world today or the open pluralism and sexuality that was present in the world into which the epistles were written?  Which is worse, the violence and murder today, or the first family in which brother killed brother?  Which is worse, the blatant violation of God's created order for the family or Lot's daughter's, Noah's son Ham, Jacob and Esau, and the many other stories of this family order being upended.

What all of this does for us is remind us that we are not alone, and God is still in charge over it all.  As He has been for all of time He is today.  He reigns on the throne and has promised to us and to those that came before us that there is coming a day when He will make all things right.  Read your Bible and allow it to adjust your perspective!

Independance

 We as a culture value our independence.  It is built into our national heritage.  We after all just celebrated independence day.  We don't want to be dependent upon any one, for our oil, for our electric, for just about anything we want to be able to do it ourselves.  We have been told from the time that we are very young that we are to learn to do things on our own.  

I think that I want to understand that instead of independence, we need to learn appropriate levels of dependence in our lives.  What do I mean by that?

1.  We are never truly independent because we are created by God and therefore, by virtue of creation alone (but this is not the only reason we are dependent upon God), we are dependent creatures.  We cannot ever claim total independence without denying a practical and functional part of our identity.  No matter how hard we strive to do it alone, we cannot for we rely on God.

2. We are never truly independent because we are created by God for relationships with each other.  This started in the garden with husband and wife.  It was not good for man to be alone.  God created us in His image, male and female -designed for relationship.  He called His people into relationship with Himself and promised Abram many children.  He has given us the church body.  We are not, nor have we ever really been, independent. 

3. We are never truly independent because we were created by God for service.  This by necessity involves other people.  We were never designed to be an island to ourselves, nor even a grouping of like-minded people on a larger island.  Instead, we were designed to fill the earth and subdue it for the glory of God.  Post-fall this involves evangelism and taking the glory of the gospel to the lost.  We were tasked with this by our Savior and so we are not independent.  

I could go on.  We are given other tasks to complete for the benefit of God and others. We are told to be encouraged and served in our relationships with others as we serve and encourage them.  We are to be connected in prayer, in unity, in fellowship, under the Word, under the authority of the church, and I could keep going.  

Independence is a word that should rarely enter our mouths as believers.  We are dependent on God and upon each other!