Collecting Hats

My friend’s dad passed away recently. She loved him dearly and it was hard to say goodbye, but she’s so thankful for all the sweet memories he brought into her life.

Now she’s going through the things he left behind. She’s deciding what to keep and what to give away. Her dad collected a lot of hats, like hiking hats, sports hats and hats from places he visited. They represent a lot of happy times the family spent together, but she’s probably not going to wear them herself. She loved seeing Dad in them, but hats are not her way of remembering special events.

Does It Fit?

Sometimes trying to make the spiritual practices of others fit into our lives is like trying to fit someone else’s hat collection into our closet. We love how those practices look in the lives of others and we think maybe we should do what they are doing, but those practices don’t seem to fit us.

Take Bible study as an example. The Bible is an important book and we want to know what it says so we look around for help. We hear that we should read it from beginning to end, study it in depth and memorize parts of it, but that’s like trying to wear a lot of hats from someone else’s collection.

Customize!

What if getting to know the Bible is something you can customize for yourself, taking it one step at a time? Instead of doing everything you think others are doing, you could get into the Bible on your own terms. Maybe start with one comfortable practice and see where you go from there.

Here are a few suggestions to help you get started:

1. Choose one book of the Bible to read. The New Testament books of Mark or John are a great place to start. Try reading one book all the way through and don’t worry about how long that takes.

2. Each day, read until you are ready to stop, maybe only a few verses or paragraphs will be enough for you that day. You’ll know when you have read as much as you want to think about for that day.

3. Write down any questions you have about what you have read. Questions are important! Don’t skip over them because eventually you’ll be able to get answers to your questions and that’s how your understanding of the Bible will really grow.

4. Pick a favorite verse from your reading and make a note about it. Look at the note during the day and think about why that verse stood out to you. Verse by verse you will get to know your Bible and it will begin to change your life.

5. Tell a friend about your favorite discovery from the day’s reading. People like to hear other people’s news and it will reinforce what you are learning.

You Can Do This.

The Bible is for everyone! You can make it yours by simply reading at your own pace and taking note of whatever means the most to you. Think about it . . . ask questions . . . get answers . . . and the Bible will begin to change your life.

Just a note about getting answers to your Bible questions: It’s always good to read the Bible with other people, especially with people who are as interested in the Bible as you are. Discussing what you read often clears up questions, but if you are still stumped, you can get more information from a pastor or Bible teacher.

The way you get the Bible into your life may be different from the way anyone else does, but someday a friend may look at your life and want what you have. When they ask how you got to know the Bible so well, you’ll be ready to share what you’ve learned . . .and help them get started, too!