When I was a kid my brother Bill and I would go to Vacation Bible School three times in a summer. We would go twice at my grandparents when we lived with them in the summer and once at home at our own church. One summer my mother and father insisted that my brother Bill and I memorize a Bible verse each day. We typically chose quick and easy ones like “Jesus wept” or “Judas hung himself.” We had been drilled on John 3:16 our whole life so we acted like that was the one we wanted to remember or Matthew 28:19-20: - “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
We even chose some more humorous ones like “Num 22:29 - And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.” Or Galatians 5:12 "Would that those who are upsetting you might also castrate themselves!" This gave us the license to swear a little without getting in trouble.
My mom and dad believed that knowing certain key verses would get us through the challenges of life, and I have come to believe that they were right. What we focus on shapes how we view the world and interpret the events of our lives. The thoughts we emphasize become soul food, nurturing our spirits. Accordingly, Paul counsels the Philippians, “Think on these things – whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is pure, whatever is just, whatever is worthy.”
Paul knew that our words and thoughts are like the food we eat – it can be either nutritious or harmful, full of life or full of useless calories. We can’t sustain our faith on spiritual fast food. We need slow cooked, honest, and challenging soul food. Food that builds our faith muscles for Him.
The founder of the Jesuit monks, Ignatius of Loyal believed that at the end of the day a person should engage in a regular processing of the day and that doing some simple mental exercises we would get close to Him. He called it the Examen or Day Review. He encouraged that we contemplate and think on 5 things in our prayer.
Where did I see God today (Ask God for the Light) ?
What am I thankful for today?
What did I feel today? (Review the day)
What should I pray for? (Face your shortcomings)
How do I feel about tomorrow?
2 Co_13:5“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”
Comments