The thirty-sixth chapter of The Love Dare is titled: “Love is God’s Word.”
For the casually-religious person or the stranger to Christianity, reading the Bible – some so-called sacred text – can seem like a boring waste of time. Even for the believer with good motives to understand God more and grow closer to Him can fall prey to the “this is a chore” syndrome. Anything good that you make a routine can get that way, I suppose. Reading God’s Word is a discipline. It can be easy, cozy and inspiring in small, short-commitment chunks. That’s a good place to start, because soon into the Bible almost any reader (but definitely more-so that person who has asked God’s Holy Spirit to live inside and beside them) can’t help but come away with being impressed at how well this book nails our condition and experience as humans.
I remember a friend talking about how she was blown away when she found out that the Bible described drunkenness so well, perfectly describing the lust for and addiction to liquor can bring. I like how it seems to know relationships so well. People are really amazing and sometimes challenging – and God’s Word seems to really give us insight on how to get along with others.
“Be in it,” this chapter says. “If this is not already a habit of yours, now is the time to begin reading a portion of the Bible every day. Ideally, read it together as husband and wife – in the morning, perhaps, or before bed.”
Wow, I wish I wasn’t such a failure at this. I know my attempts to be the “spiritual leader” in our family have been few and far, I confess. I have taken resistance and “not right now” disinterest too personally, perhaps, and let it keep me from being persistent. That in the morning together or before bed routine sounds pretty sweet to me right now. I love the intimacy of two hearts sharing something so affirming. This sounds so simple and yet it’s apparently pretty easy to never really get in the habit of doing.
“Stay under it,” the chapter explores. “You’re right, the Bible can be deep and challenging. That’s why it’s so important to be part of a church where the Word is faithfully taught and preached. By hearing it explained in sermons and Bible study classes, you’ll get a broader, more balanced view of what God is saying through His Word. You’ll also get to join with others who are on the same journey you are, wanting to be fed by the truths of Scripture. ‘Continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from who you have learned them'” (2 Timothy 3:14).
“Live it,” the chapter goes on. “Unlike most other books, which are only designed to be read and digested, the Bible is a living book. It lives because the Holy Spirit still resonates within its words. It lives because, unlike the ancient writings of other religions, its Author is still alive. And it lives because it becomes a part of who you are, how you think, and what you do. ‘Prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers'” (James 1:22).
“Jesus talked about people who build their lives on sand – their own logic, their bust guesses, the latest reasoning. When the storms of life being to blow (which they always will), foundations of sand will only result in total disaster. Their houses may light up and look nice for a while, but they are tragedies waiting to happen. Ultimately they collapse…” Jesus told us that applying His Word to our lives is like building our homes on the Rock.
This is great advice for marriage, but it’s also part of a principle that makes marriage the best it can be – by being the man or woman God wants you to be. After reading the Word for awhile, it’s easy to start trusting God and a broad trust is formed for your life with Him. We can trust that being the person God wants us to be is going to be a person full of love, who puts others before themselves. A beautiful person that is selfish can eat away at those around them. The outward beauty can be overwhelmed by a selfish personality that makes loving that person more of a challenge. But just imagine if selfishness gets put away and minimized because that person is learning to become selfless and transforms into a more loving person. It makes sense to me.
Today’s love dare is:
Commit to reading the Bible every day. Find a devotional book or other resource that will give you some guidance. If your spouse is open to it, see if they will commit to daily Bible reading with you. Begin submitting each area of your life to its guidance and start building on the rock.
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