Speaking of tithing your time…

The Bible holds the answer (or at least the principles from which to find the answer) to all of life’s problems. But in order to know those principles, we have to know our Bibles. I have frequently been astonished at how little people who have been saved all their lives know about The Guide Book God has given them. I have known people who were saved for forty years, sometimes even deacons of churches, that didn’t know the simplest, most basic things. The answer to this is, of course, to read the Bible yourself. In this day and age, even illiteracy isn’t an excuse. Audio Bibles are all around us. Our dollar store will even sell you a CD of individual Books such as Corinthians, James, etc. These would work great in the car on the way to work. So here is the plan…

1. Set aside one time per day to read the Bible to yourself. Key it to something you are already doing regularly such as waking up, brushing your teeth, or eating breakfast. In fact, this is how you remember to do things like brush your teeth; you have formed the habit of including it in “Go to bed.” As one book I read put it, “Would you ever remember to brush your teeth if you had to do it at, say, 2:00pm?” Key your Bible reading the same way until it just becomes part of getting up, going to bed, or eating a meal. Also, limit yourself, especially at first, to one chapter per day. What many people do is sit down on the first day of reading and read for an hour. Then the next day they don’t have an hour, so they skip it. No habit ever gets formed because few of us ever have a complete hour everyday we can devote to this. Only read one chapter (five minutes). Your goal is not to get through the Bible in a year, but to get to know God better. In fact, at first I would recommend you read Genesis, Psalms, Samuel, and the New Testament. Save the rest for when you are more in the habit of reading because some of them can take a little more discipline to get through.
Include in this a few minutes of thanking God for everything you can think of. This is a great way to start the day.

2. Once you have the preceding as a habit (Give it two months at least), start reading together as a couple. This is one of the best habits I ever started. I was in the habit of reading the Bible to myself before bed when I got married so on our wedding night I picked up the Gideon off the nightstand and began to read. My hubby asked what I was doing and I explained that I always read to myself before going to sleep. He told me to read it aloud to him. Thus began a habit that has lasted more than 22 years now. We have seldom missed a day. There was the time we both had laryngitis, and the time we went on vacation and forgot the Bible, or the time I simply never made it to bed because of puking children, but the sum total of what we have missed wouldn’t fill two months. We have had many a night of discussing the reading before sleep (not that it happens all the time, but occasionally). This has been a time of sweet fellowship with my hubby and my God. Marriage is a triangle with wife, hubby and God at the points. The closer you draw to one the closer you draw to the other. (I moved my personal reading to first thing in the morning after the honeymoon).

3. When that habit is established, it is time to include the whole family. People in this country used to just except it as fact that if you were a Christian, you read your Bible and prayed (and often sang) after every meal. Today we are far more likely to “worship at the shrine to Hollywood” after (or during) a meal than to worship our God.
We need to spend time as a family reading the Bible. Our children need the example and knowledge of the Word.
What I am suggesting is one time per day (right after a meal seems to be best for most people) you read your Bible to your family (one chapter), pray, and sing one hymn. Don’t worry if you are not a good singer. The Bible says to make a “joyful noise unto the Lord” not necessarily a good noise:-) God appreciates it even if you sound like squalling cats.
I began this habit at bed time when my oldest was less than a year old. I wanted God’s Word to be the last thing on her mind before bed. Today it is the last thing we do before the children go to bed. My children know more about the Bible than most seasoned Christians. They have it stored in their brains to help them when they need it in the future.

All this added together will take less than half an hour; less than ten minutes for you personally, less than ten for you as a couple, and fifteen for the family (including singing time). This adds up to a whole three and a half hours per week. Let me repeat…

Doesn’t your God deserve at least that much?