Why the Truth Still Matters

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I've been quiet on my blog the past few weeks as I caught up on reading (I'll have a review of a fantastic new book up soon!) and Bible studies. God has not been quiet, though. He's been speaking loud and clear to my heart through my Lent study of Holey, Wholly, Holy. It hasn't been an "easy" study. It's been a hard, tearful few weeks, leaving me broken and grieving over my own sin. But it's also ignited a fresh fire in my heart as I see - really see - how big and amazing God's grace really is.

As God has taken me deeper into His Word, I've realized more and more how important it is to have regular time with Him. Studying the Bible isn't just something we should do, it's something we must do. If we aren't consistently spending time in the Bible, we'll shrivel up and die spiritually. We must study and learn the Bible.

Why? Because it's truth, and we need to cling to it.

We live in a world that no longer accepts truth. Instead, they have opted for "convenient Christianity," a watered-down version of faith that allows them to sin as long as they say the occasional prayer. Francis Chan puts it perfectly in his book Crazy Love:

All around us, the world is changing. There is more hostility toward Christianity than we've seen in our lifetime. Standing up for your beliefs will get you labeled as "bigoted" or "hateful." Many churches and ministries now accept lifestyles and actions as normal that just a few years ago were considered unquestionably sin. People are walking away from their faith like never before.

I look at my two boys, becoming men much too quickly. I think of the kids I teach every week in children's church. And I'm scared. I think of Brooke McGlothlin's words in Praying for Boys: "All it takes to lose the truth of the Word of God is one set of parents who fail to teach it." In a generation where ball games and birthday parties and sleeping in are more important than church, where God is put on the back burner so He doesn't interfere with the lifestyle they want - we're losing a generation right in front of us.

The truth still matters. Many times, we don't like the truth. It challenges us. It forces us to make a decision. It shows us that we're wrong. That's exactly why we need it.

God loves us too much to let us stay the same.

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He wants to change us. He wants to shape us and make us more like Him. If we love Him, we want that too. Even if it hurts. Even if it's hard.

We can't follow the truth if we don't know what the truth is. Next week, I'm starting a series on one of my passions: Bible study. I'm going to walk you through choosing a Bible version, finding the right study, and setting up a Bible study notebook. I'm passionate about spending time in God's Word, and I believe that knowing God's Word is more important than ever. I hope you'll join me.