"When was the last time you ever had your mind changed by what you read in the Bible?" That was a question that the main presenter made at my annual pastor's conference earlier this week. For those who don't know what these things are, every year, the various districts of my church body hold conferences for pastors and church workers to go and be challenged and encouraged in their ministry and their ministerial formation. So for the past few days, that's where I have been, having my mind and thinking sharpened while being challenged to continue to grow.
That's a great question. When did you have your mind changed by something you read in the Bible? I have to confess, there are times when I start to read a part of the Bible, and since it is so familiar, I already "know" what it's going to say. I already have in mind the "applications" for those teachings. Sadly, when I do that, there are times when I miss something simply because I'm so familiar with the section. Maybe it's a nuance that I haven't picked up before. Or maybe I simply haven't realized how it says something that applies to what I have been thinking all along, but is even greater or more in depth than I had thought before.
I do have to say, though, that over the past several years, there have been frequent times where I would read, and suddenly the Spirit would open something new up in my mind. It hasn't often shown that I was thinking wrongly before (though that has happened once or twice), but rather, it has shown me a richness and deepness that I had not previously thought or seen. Or, in a few occasions, it has shown me that there is much more going on than what I had previously thought. At those times, it's been humbling to realize that something so familiar can contain so much more than what I can ever fully comprehend.
There are some things that I know the Scriptures reveal that will likely not change. However, I also realize that God's Spirit, working through those words, will constantly be working to change me. I'll never know fully while I live in this world and have all my human limitations and nature. So I constantly look forward to the next time God reveals more going on than what I had previously thought or suspected, which leads to even more joy in the next time I engage God's Word.
That's a great question. When did you have your mind changed by something you read in the Bible? I have to confess, there are times when I start to read a part of the Bible, and since it is so familiar, I already "know" what it's going to say. I already have in mind the "applications" for those teachings. Sadly, when I do that, there are times when I miss something simply because I'm so familiar with the section. Maybe it's a nuance that I haven't picked up before. Or maybe I simply haven't realized how it says something that applies to what I have been thinking all along, but is even greater or more in depth than I had thought before.
I do have to say, though, that over the past several years, there have been frequent times where I would read, and suddenly the Spirit would open something new up in my mind. It hasn't often shown that I was thinking wrongly before (though that has happened once or twice), but rather, it has shown me a richness and deepness that I had not previously thought or seen. Or, in a few occasions, it has shown me that there is much more going on than what I had previously thought. At those times, it's been humbling to realize that something so familiar can contain so much more than what I can ever fully comprehend.
There are some things that I know the Scriptures reveal that will likely not change. However, I also realize that God's Spirit, working through those words, will constantly be working to change me. I'll never know fully while I live in this world and have all my human limitations and nature. So I constantly look forward to the next time God reveals more going on than what I had previously thought or suspected, which leads to even more joy in the next time I engage God's Word.
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