In Romans 12:2, Paul tells us to be transformed, which is an odd command. This doesn’t mean to metamorphize ourselves with some magic trick, but to be transformed, to be changed by the Holy Spirit. The question is, is our role passive?
Not in the least bit. In another letter, Paul tells us to think about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). As we fill our minds with these things—the things of God—we will renew our minds, and through the renewal of our minds, God will transform us. We will know what is of God and what is of the world (Romans 12:2). But how do we know what is of God? Where do we find these things that are true and honorable and all the rest? We go to the Bible.
For most of human history, children learned their trade through apprenticeships. They worked for their employer (or parent) day in and day out. For years, they lived with their parent, ate with her, watched how she went about both her business and her entire life. If we want our minds transformed to the mind of Christ, our wills conformed to his will, and our behaviors to mimic his, we need to apprentice ourselves to him.
Jesus’ first disciples walked with him, ate with him, camped out with him. They heard his teachings and saw his reactions to seekers and doubters, friends and enemies. Like any child, they asked all the questions: “Why did you do that? What does this mean? How do we do that?” We do the same in reading the Bible, praying, partaking in communion, and more.
We renew our mind with the Word of God. We live like Jesus when we learn who Jesus is in the Bible and spend time with him (1 John 2:5–6). As we follow Jesus’ journey throughout Scripture, we see what it looks like to be human. He walked around in a real place dealing with real people just like we do. Some people challenged him, some wanted to bring him down, and some loved him, just like the people in our lives. We see in his words and actions what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.
As you study the Bible, take notes about the way Jesus lived and loved. We have a guide in our hands (the Bible) and a guide in our hearts (the Holy Spirit). Our time spent getting to know Jesus will change the way we live.
I do enjoy studying the Bible. Right now I am finishing reading through the Old Testament, and sometimes I will write down a verse that stuck out to me during my time in the Scriptures. Other times, I will study a particular verse and go into what some of the words mean in the Hebrew or Greek to know what was truly meant in that passage.
Yes, I enjoy studying God’s word. My time of devotional had looked like reading, and gleaning from his word, praying, memorizing scripture and singing time. Now, with running a preschool/ day care My devotional in this season looks very different! I do make time, time is spread out, and not all in the morning with a cup of coffee and at peace.
I enjoy reading the Bible, but I need to work on my studying skills. I typically read the Bible along with a devotional or bible study, but I want to be able to read it and discern it on my own. That is something I am going to be practicing this year and I go through a 1 year Bible study plan.
I did a bible study early in 2020, the Joy of Seeking God First. It has helped me spend time with Jesus MOST mornings, although not always first. I find it helpful to ask Jesus what He’d like me to learn about Him that day before reading. I always have some insight after doing so.
Yes! I love it. I go to an app called enduring word, and it helps me if I don’t understand something. I journal my thoughts and prayers and even praises. I listen to worship music in the background. I write God a letter, I sometimes even go on a date with Jesus and go to the lake, take my bible and journal and pens and spend time with him out in creation with no destractions. Ussually a verse will jump out at me, and I’ll just sit with it for a while and see how it pertains to my life. If God is trying to speak to me through it. I love my time with God. I crave it. Sometimes life gets so busy, and if time with God gets skipped: my heart knows it!! I need time with my father everyday.
I do when I know where to start. But, lately…I get sleepy almost immediately and end up walking away. I do the same thing with prayer. I’ve taken to walking and praying instead of listening to music, but I’m honestly still struggling with Bible time. In the past, I’ve gone on deep dives and studied through it strong…but, I don’t know if life got too much and too hard, or if I’ve got brain fog…I dont’ know. But, it’s hard now.
Sometimes I’m embarrassed about how little I know about scripture. I’m not even sure where to start studying it.
Right now, most of my time in the word happens on my bible app while I’m nursing. I’m slowly working my way through the whole text for the first time. For the most part I really enjoy reading the bible although its sometimes quite puzzling. Sometimes I am hungry for it and sometimes I’m not but I have been immensely blessed by these scattered bits of study without any pens or dictionaries. It feels like I’m offering what little I have as a new mom and Gordy is blessing it.
Haha! *God not Gordy. Oh autocorrect…
Truly enjoy learning and studying scripture.
Time in scripture for me is usually finding a quiet hour or two so I can sit down with my journal and my Bible and just dive in to the word.
I enjoy finding scriptures that particularly relate to things that I am reflecting on that day and maybe the days prior and learning to and training my self to handle day to day life with scripture rather then the conformity of the world.
Learning to allow scripture and the renewing of my mind and heart to change me.
Yes enjoy bible study. Not very much. I need to spend more. Only study word while in bible study group. Need to while not in study