The importance of God's Word in your leadership
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I was 16 years into my faith-life journey before I realized that my relationship with the Bible was, at best, casual. It wasn't because I didn't know what it meant to be totally committed to something. As a life-long athlete, I had spent a good deal of my time immersed in playbooks and game plans while enduring endless hours of practice.
I did this because I knew there was no shortcut to being the best athlete I could be in any given game situation. We all have things in this life for which we go the extra mile. The Bible should be paramount among those things.
Ultimately, the truth of biblical teaching lies in the words that were written, not in the charisma of the voice from the pulpit, the leader of your Bible study or the words in this article. The Bible's words are not just ordinary words. They are words of wisdom and power (see 1 Corinthians 1:24; 2:4-5).
We must endeavor to hide those words in our hearts if we hope to be living as God intends (see Psalm 119:11), and we must be examining ourselves daily to make sure that our manner of living is a constant reflection of those words. For as long as we breathe, we must seek to live continuously as the student, not the Teacher, as the reader, not the Author, as the player, not the Coach.
For many, in-depth Bible study may be unfamiliar territory. It certainly was for me. But by embracing that approach, I was able to discover the appropriate background knowledge that made the Bible come alive for me.
"Filing Paperwork" became "Washing Clothes" and it made my relationship with the Lord become something altogether different than it had ever been.
In Romans 8, Paul wrote, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (8:16). I have never heard an audible word from the Lord, but I have conversations with Him all the time. His voice is in my thoughts, and, more times than not, I know them to be His thoughts.
It wasn't always this way for me, but as I committed to hiding His word in my heart, He began to speak to me with those very words. As I look forward to the day when I will be standing before Him, I am comforted knowing that we will not be meeting each other for the first time.
I often wondered how Paul could write of "taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). I now know what he meant.
Indeed, my relationship with my Bible is no longer casual. It had become my dearest possession and my most important nourishment. Confusion, doubt, and disappointment no longer reign in my faith life.
"It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4).
I have found this to be completely true.
This is excerpted fromThe Gospel You've Never Heard: An Understanding That Will Change Your Life, by Maurie Daigneau (Trilogy Christian Publishers). Used with permission.)
 | Maurie Daigneau is a retired business owner/entrepreneur and author of the newly-published book The Gospel You've Never Heard: An Understanding That Will Change Your Life. He has been in a personal relationship with the Lord for more than 50 years, and has committed the balance of his days to sharing the lessons he has learned from the only One any of us is to call “Teacher.” Maurie and his wife, Susie, raised five children of their own and are now the proud grandparents of 13. Learn More » |
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