Athletes have very strict diets and those who follow the diet will be strong and provides them the energy needed for their everyday routine. Sumo wrestlers have their own kind of diet in order to be able to stay in the wrestling ring. Body builders can not be vegetarians for they need solid food to help them build up the muscles and give them their physique. Everyone have their very special diet according to what their profession is. A man working at a construction site needs more food than one working in an office. Athletes eat more and have a stricter diet compared to a teenager attending college.
So we as Christians have our very own diet in order for us to be “alive” and stay “strong”. A Christian who does not follow the Christian diet will be considered “immature” for he is not growing spiritually. If a boy who is 17 years old but have a body and mind of a 10 year old surely he is considered abnormal. So is a Christian who has been coming to church for so many years but has not shown any growth.
WE NEED TO GROW.
I will share about other aspects of growth in my coming blog posts but today I want to bring your attention to the ONLY FOOD that can make you grow – the flawless Word of God, the Bible.
We as Christians need to “eat” the Bible everyday. It is like the food we consume each day to survive. If you do not eat food for 3 days you will be as weak as a vegetable, likewise if we do not eat spiritual food we will be a spiritual vegetable, which is of no good use.
One very easy way to ensure a steady growth is to read the Bible and “eat” it by memorization. It is not very hard to memorize Scripture verses, we can memorize a full page of lyrics but why can’t we memorize a verse or two from the Bible? It is not easy, all you have to do is to read a verse and repeat it in your head for at least 5 times. Then write it down on a piece of paper for 5 times without refereeing to the Bible. Then meditate upon it throughout the day.
To meditate is not to sit down cross-legged and say a chant or something, NO! That is NOT meditation. A Christian meditates by thinking of and reciting the verse over and over again in the head throughout the day. We have to ponder upon each word and see if it has a significant meaning to you, for God’s Word is RICH, you can never stop studying it.
TRY IT...
Now I tell you the importance. First, it sharpens your mind and allows you to hear the voice of God more clearly. For example: one day you got really angry with your friend and want to take revenge, then suddenly the verse Ephesians 4:26 comes into your mind which says, “In your anger do not sin.”. And so you decide to forgive him and not take revenge. That is how God speaks to us.
You want to hear from God and you pray and pray and pray but you still don’t hear? How silly of you! You are not even reading God’s written word and you say you can’t hear form God?!
Second, Scripture memorization builds you up spiritually:
Acts 20:32
Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up.
You think you are spiritually weak? Don’t just pray and ask God to give you a greater passion, but do also the memorization of God’s Word and the daily reading of the Bible. Only then you will be able to see yourself growing step by step. God’s Word can build you up.
I have found that Scripture memorization greatly benefited me. So far I have memorized a lot of memory verses, close to 200. Not to boast but to tell you that it can be done. I will share further on Scripture memorization in the coming posts. I can tell you a lot but you have to do it yourself to find that I am not lying. God’s Word has power to transform lives!
Above all I would rather you memorize 5 verses and live by it than to memorize 50 and live by none!
Strive to live by the Word of God. Do what God says in the Bible. Do not just read the Bible but eat the Bible and live the Bible.
Jeremiah 15:16
When Your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear Your name,
O Lord God Almighty.
Let us eat and live the Word,
Zlwin Chew.
Dad, Aaron Kwok and Me... Well Aaron's wax haha. This pic taken in Hong Kong, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
No comments:
Post a Comment