As a Christian dad, are you more like the Israelites wandering in the desert or the disciples following Jesus? Maybe you attend church regularly and try to do the right thing most of the time. You have one foot on the boat of worldly matters and one foot on the dock that is the Christian life, and it is getting uncomfortable as the boat starts to move.
The real question is, “Do you know Jesus?” It was a piercing question when a pastor asked it of me years ago. I told him I did because I attended church. He said that meant I knew church. He asked again, “Do you know Jesus? Have your read His book, His Word?” I was busted, wandering instead of following Jesus. I needed to read His book.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. … The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. – John 1:1-2, 14. John’s gospel is my favorite gospel because Jesus spends a lot of time talking about His Dad. This opening passage specifically convicted me to read the Bible. I started in Romans and read through Jude, then went to the gospels and read through Acts. Then I went back to Genesis and read through Revelation. I just read a chapter or two early every morning, wrote down a passage that hit me and made some notes / journaled on why it hit me. Then I would go for a walk or run to meditate on what I had taken in through the reading of the Word. It took over two years but I got to know Jesus to a whole new level. That was over 30 years ago and I have since read many different translations all the way through, some with commentary and some without. Every time through His book, I got to know Jesus better and nurtured a deeper relationship with Him. The process also developed a biblical lens through which to view the world. This was quite a contrast to the secular lens that I had been viewing the world through. At one point, my bride and I led several other couples through a program to read the Bible in 90 days. That was a fabulous experience, particularly in that we would read the same passages on the same days and as a result had a lot more discussions around our spiritual life than we ever had. Reading His book is a spiritual fitness program that conditions dads to stand firm against the devil’s schemes, to rebuke his efforts to distract, discourage and destroy marriages, homes and churches. A committed athlete will modify nutritional intake and intensify a workout routine to get ready for a competition. Similarly, a Christian dad must take in the Word of God and initiate a workout routine to get strong spiritually in order to stand firm in this world for his marriage, home and family.
Tips to Read His Book:
- Start with Paul’s letter to the Romans;
- Check out the many Bible reading plans, pick one and start;
- Introduce the discipline of reading Scripture together in family;
- Commit to getting spiritually fit.
Prayer guide: Lord, thank You for Your Word and the Word becoming flesh. I confess that I thought going to church was enough spiritual input for my life. Now I realize the devil was happy with that mindset. Forgive me. I need to get in better spiritual shape. Grant me the discipline needed to read Your Book, grow in relationship with You and lead my family under the authority of Your Word. That is the dad You call me to be and that’s the dad my kids need to see. Amen.
A faithful father commits to personal spiritual fitness by reading His book.
