If you were marooned on a desert island and could have only one book with you, which book would you choose? Somebody once asked this question of G.K. Chesterton (one of the most creative Christian writers in the early 20th Century) expecting his answer to be the Bible. But Chesterton chose “Thomas’ Guide to Practical Ship Building.” Makes sense! If you are trapped on a desert island you want a book that will tell you how to be saved!
Truth is, we are all trapped, as Eugene Peterson put it, on an “I-land”. We are trapped in patterns of selfish thought and behavior that lead to death. And we need to be saved. We need to be transformed. The question is, “what transforms us?”
Every year at this time we seem to make a litany of goals we call New Year’s Resolutions that we hope will transform us. We make goals to save more, to lose weight, to get organized, or to quit something. Our intentions are good, but usually, by the end of January, we feel like epic failures.
There’s only one book that will save us! God’s Word is the only thing that will transform us! A large study of over 1000 churches and 250,000 people by the Willow Creek Association revealed: “the most effective strategy for moving people forward in their faith journey is Biblical engagement” (Move, 2011). And from Core52, Mark Moore states, “Research has shown that those who engage the Bible four times a week or more have stronger marriages, healthier habits, and better self-esteem.” Simply put, if there is one thing you can commit to in 2021 to transform your life, it is to read God’s Word!
So put down the New Year’s Resolutions and pick up the Bible! There are several different ways you might choose to do so:
So, if you were marooned on a desert island and could have the Bible and one other book with you, which book would you choose?
Ryan
P.S. Start today by reading Ezekiel 37. What does it say about how God’s Word transforms our lives?
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