As children, there were a lot of rules handed down to us from the powers that be. Eat your vegetables. Finish what's on your plate. Go to bed. Take a shower. Brush your teeth. At first we had to be told these things over and over again, even suffer punishment for not obeying. But eventually, most of us settled down and obeyed these, even if we didn't want to. Why? Many people would answer, "Because that's just what you're supposed to do." We do a lot of things in our life just because we're supposed to. I, for instance, always stop my work day at around noon and eat. Why? Is it because I'm hungry? Not always. Is it because if I don't stop working I'm going to scream? Sometimes, but again, not always. I stop and eat lunch at noon because that's what I've always done. And it just seems right. Doing things without asking why you're doing them isn't always bad. Sometimes it's okay to do something just because it's what you do. But I feel like too much of that happens in the church and I, for one, am tired of it.
Growing up, we were always taught in Sunday School that we should have a daily "quiet time." It took me awhile to figure out what that was (sounded more like a punishment than something I would willingly do), but eventually learned that it was supposed to be a time when I read my Bible and pray. When anyone asked "why" you were supposed to read your Bible every day, the answer would inevitably be something like "because God wants to spend time with you," or "so you can learn more about God." So I would start one, but then I'd get busy and stop it. Or I'd start and not feel like I was learning anything, so I'd get discouraged and stop. But as I got older, I was told that even if you get discouraged you should push through and do it anyway. Just do it, even if you don't want to! Because when you don't want to read your Bible, that's probably a day when you need to read it the most. So I'd try that too, usually with the same results as before. Then I felt guilty and ashamed. I've lived the majority of my life ashamed of the fact that I have never been able to sustain a consistent quiet time.
Now, I'm a runner. I've run two 5k races and I'm training for a 10k race in October. When I started running I didn't enjoy it. I got tired and winded easily, and my feet always hurt. But I somehow pushed through that part and am in a pretty good place with running right now. And I wondered the other day, why do I run? I run because it makes me feel good. I burn calories, which helps me maintain my weight, it helps strengthen my muscles and joints, and I like the feeling I get after I pushed myself further than I thought I could. I don't always want to go running. And I don't always enjoy running while I'm doing it. Sometimes I really hate it. And some days I skip because I just can't force myself to do it. But I know that when I do run, it's incredibly beneficial to my physical, mental and emotional well-being.
I've also recently developed a semi-regular quiet time in the last several months. But my reasons now are far different from my reasons before (perhaps why it's been easier to be consistent). I read my Bible in the mornings before I start work because it benefits me. Many days, I feel like God is speaking directly to me through the passage that I'm reading. Often, the passage is applicable to something I'm dealing with at that very moment. But sometimes I don't get that. The passage may not make sense to me, or it may not be applicable to my life at that point. I still get benefits from reading my Bible, and it's simply a feeling of calm, a feeling of "centeredness," if you will. Our days can get wild, crazy and hectic. But taking a few moments at the beginning of each day to remember who you are, where you're going and why you're going there can make a world of difference in your attitude and how you react. Even if the time doesn't seem to be "spiritually significant" in any way (wow, I just figured out the Trinity! Thanks, quiet time!), the benefits are still great. And that is why I discipline myself to read the Bible every day. That is why I read it and pray even when I don't want to. Because I know that it's worth it. Just like running.
It seems to me that an explanation like this could make a world of difference in people's views of Christianity and in their lives. No longer is it just simply rule-following, but I'm disciplining myself to do these things because I see real benefits in my everyday life. No longer am I speaking in cliches because I don't understand the deep truths behind a centuries-old religion. I'm only saying and doing things I understand. Could we, as children, have benefited from someone explaining this? Not just telling us to read our Bibles, but explaining how to read our Bibles and showing the reality of how it has helped their lives? And what about other Christian cliches that we throw around without understanding what we're saying? Should we take a step back and examine those too? I feel like if you're going to do or say anything in this world, you should do it on purpose, being fully aware of what you're doing.
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