Read 1

A while ago I heard a presenter talk about how to make the reading of God’s Word  a habit in your life. Two things stuck with me that day. One was the constant reminder that when we are reading God’s Word, we always have a defender. His point was that the devil is always trying to distract us from doing it. Talk to some of the greatest spiritual leaders, and they will tell you how they constantly wrestle with making sure this discipline is in their lives.

Second, he addressed building the habit in your life so that it is common. I am not sure what it was when you were a kid, but we all have things we just know will happen. Some of us had dessert every night, some of us always had time to play a game or do something else. No one had to force you to like those things--it just was natural. Your family did them as you grew up, and you continue to enjoy them into adulthood.  Mine is music.

Music was something that permeated my house. My mom and dad had records that we listened to. I remember break dancing to Michael Jackson in my living room as a kid. My dad played the guitar and I have memories of singing songs with him. My mom sang to us all the time. I remember long car drives and hearing Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel or Glad. One of my first purchases as a boy was a stereo. I can tell you my first Cd I ever bought. My brother randomly texts me song lyrics. Music is in my family through and through. No one ever told me to like it, and no one ever had to because it was modeled for me every step of life. My kids now have music in their lives. There are already times when they are dancing in my office or living room. Jacob, my four year old, taught Gavin, my two year old, the lyrics to Carly Rae’s “Call Me Maybe.” You should hear Gavin try and sing “This Is Crazy.”

We all have things that we naturally teach our kids to love because we love them. Stickers on my car, my planner, a picture on my office wall, all indicate who my

favorite artist is. It all started with my parents’ love for music, and how it became my love. But what if we did that with Scripture? What if our kids naturally saw us read God’s Word every night? What if we were reading it to them? Would it make it that much easier to fall in love with it? Would they tell you that no one made them like reading God’s Word--it is just what our family does?

I believe it is absolutely necessary to set this model, and build this habit in as a young kid. Because the older you get, the more challenging it is to build it. Some of us know the fight of convincing ourselves day in and day out to get back to God’s Word because we know He is the source of life and truth.

In my house we have an age appropriate Bible and my boys know where it is. It is the last book we read before bed. They know where to get it. Trust me, I am not perfect but I am trying the hardest to make it a practice in their lives from early on. I believe in the power of God’s Word. I know it is necessary to know what He says as a disciple. This world can tell me so many lies, but His Word tells me that I am loved, unique and His. This is my heart--not just for Mt. Calvary, but for the Church at large. I know it is hard. I know we have a defender, but the more we practice it in our lives, the better shot we have to stay connected to the strongest Words that have ever been written. We stay connected to the God who redeems us. We stay connected to the redemption we need in a world of pain. Read 1. Just start with one verse a day, and I know God will grow your life to enable you to hear His Word to you.