Proverbs 21:16
Whoever wanders from the way of understanding
will rest in the assembly of the dead.
This paints a pretty dramatic picture. Clearly there is no room for compromise here. If you wander from God and His Word, you will die- for all eternity. Jesus warned about how the wide gate and the easy path lead to destruction. This is a very stern warning, but it also offers hope.
If wandering from the way of understanding leads to death, then staying on the path of understanding leads to life. See how the solution is in the warning? Understanding this is the easy part. Disciplining yourself and doing it is the hard part. Let's look at some ways to help you stay in the way of understanding.
Read God's Word everyday. This is crucial for building and strengthening your faith. Developing the habit of reading every day is essential for success in life; developing the habit of reading God's Word everyday is essential for staying on the "narrow path". This is how you stay on the path of understanding. This doesn't need to be complicated. It can be as simple as starting in Genesis, and reading one chapter every day. How much you read at a time isn't the most important part, especially when you're first getting started.
Creating the habit of doing it every day is what is most important. This isn't a race to finish the book as a quickly as possible. This is the process of building the foundation for your whole life. Work on it every day. Take your time. Build it strong.
There is no reward for simply reading the entire Bible. The reward is what the Holy Spirit is doing in your heart as you are reading it. So take your time and study it. This is for your life, not for a book report.
Listen to podcasts or the audio Bible everyday. This is a powerful way to keep you focused on Jesus and what you are doing- is it glorifying Him? Listening to audios is a powerful method of learning. It is also more versatile than reading. You can listen to audios just about anywhere, anytime: while driving, working out, at work, anytime that you listen to music currently. Listening to audios daily will go a long way to checking your attitude and keeping you focused on what's most important.
Here are some places to get started, if this isn't a habit in your life already:
Read God's Word everyday. This is crucial for building and strengthening your faith. Developing the habit of reading every day is essential for success in life; developing the habit of reading God's Word everyday is essential for staying on the "narrow path". This is how you stay on the path of understanding. This doesn't need to be complicated. It can be as simple as starting in Genesis, and reading one chapter every day. How much you read at a time isn't the most important part, especially when you're first getting started.
Creating the habit of doing it every day is what is most important. This isn't a race to finish the book as a quickly as possible. This is the process of building the foundation for your whole life. Work on it every day. Take your time. Build it strong.
There is no reward for simply reading the entire Bible. The reward is what the Holy Spirit is doing in your heart as you are reading it. So take your time and study it. This is for your life, not for a book report.
Listen to podcasts or the audio Bible everyday. This is a powerful way to keep you focused on Jesus and what you are doing- is it glorifying Him? Listening to audios is a powerful method of learning. It is also more versatile than reading. You can listen to audios just about anywhere, anytime: while driving, working out, at work, anytime that you listen to music currently. Listening to audios daily will go a long way to checking your attitude and keeping you focused on what's most important.
Here are some places to get started, if this isn't a habit in your life already:
- Christ for Disciplers podcast
- Gird Up! podcast
- C4D discipleship audios
- Bible Gateway or You Version Bible app
The final piece is associating with other Christians. This is the piece that most people recognize, but they are also most resistant to it. Many people have had a bad experience with church and are no longer interested in being part of a church. The Bible encourages us, as Christians, to "not give up meeting together". Meeting together with God's people is so important because we are relational beings. This is also a time that we can encourage each other and lift each other up.
Going to church every Sunday isn't the only way to associate with fellow Christians, but it is a powerful one. Another way of associating with your brothers and sisters in Christ is by attending a weekly Bible study. This is a great way of studying God's Word while building each other up. A Bible study is also a great way to get familiar with the Bible if you currently aren't.
These are three simple steps to help you stay on the path of understanding. It is your responsibility to actually do it. Use these three simple suggestions, and may the Lord bless your discipleship.
God bless
Jason Fredrick
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