Just as we exercise our bodies to build physical endurance to be able to do more, work harder and get stronger, we must do the same with our faith. How do we exercise our faith? This is a question I ask my Junior High Sunday School kids often. The common answers are pray and read the Bible. While that may be true, I try to explain to them in more detail how. If we just pray because it's a duty and we don't believe we are actually speaking to God, it's not helping our relationship. We must visualize Him in the room, or wait for Him to meet with us before we start and imagine or feel his presence there. Just think, if Jesus walked through your door when you asked for him to meet with you, what would that be like?
We can read the Bible from beginning to end, but just reading it doesn't strengthen our faith. I don't have an accurate statistic, but I bet 99% of the time when we first start reading the Bible, it can seem overwhelming or confusing or wait for it... boring. Why? Because it's new. As we build our relationship with God through prayer, he speaks to us through the Holy Spirit living within us. The Holy Spirit alive inside is what teaches us the scripture. We cannot just read the Bible, but study it. It can be so difficult to do at first because we are trying to create a new habit and be obedient. Anyone can read the Bible and know the history, but unless you believe it and choose to strive daily to try to live the example Jesus sets for us, it's not worth your time. No, He is worth your time. He died for YOU and me, and every single person. Believe Jesus died for you so that you can be saved. Saved. What does that mean? It means that when your time here in this broken world is finished, you'll move on to the perfect life He wants for you. And that perfect life is left to our imagination of what it will be like until we are there. Another topic the kids love to talk about. No pain, no sadness, no worry, no fear, no judgement, no haters.... perfection! I want that for you.
There are so many resources out there on how to pray, how to study the Bible. If you need any guidance on where to start, I would be happy to give you some direction. I'm still learning myself and building my endurance, but I can point you in the right direction and give you some help. :)
