The Centrality of the Word of God: Guest Blog
In June of this year, my husband and I decided to make the HUGE shift from serving as lead pastors to that of being youth pastors. While it is true to say people are people, ministering to these teenagers as compared to adults is dramatically (in every sense of the word) different. But there is one timeless encouragement in ministry that should transcend every type, form, and aspect of ministry:
Read your Bible.
For those of us who grew up in church, we know the answer to every question is “Read your Bible, pray, and Jesus.” But as a minister, I know by experience that knowing this and living it do not always go hand in hand. It is too easy for each of us, minister or not, to let the responsibilities, pressure, burdens, and plans of life draw us away from our immersion in and dependence on God’s Word.
Honestly, I think God knew this was going to be a struggle for humans – that the time and energy it takes to read, study, and meditate on God’s Word would be one of our biggest hurdles in making Him the center of our lives. He addresses this challenge for us in Psalms 119. Psalms 119 is the longest chapter of the Bible. Its main topic is God’s Word.
In this chapter, David writes about a consuming passion and driving love for God’s Word. His language is grounded in determination reminding us of the willpower and discipline it takes to engage with Scriptures. He demonstrates his dependence on God’s Word in drawing closer to God, determining his identity, and relating with others. David clearly communicates that God’s Word is the center of who he is and what he does.
Reading David’s words, or rather, God’s Word through David, challenges me:
Does my life reflect the same love and passion for God’s Word?
Do my words and actions show me as someone who centers their life around God’s Word?
Am I relying on my own words to do God’s work?
These are not easy questions to ask myself. It is not fun to admit I have closed off my heart to God by not being passionate about his Word.
But I hear the Holy Spirit calling to me. I hear him reminding me to pick up my Bible and helping to reorder my life to make God’s Word the center. And as I choose to do this, I feel my spirit aligning with God’s heart. I see him lighting my path. His praise more easily rolls out of my heart and off my tongue.
FINAL THOUGHT
Living with my life more fully centered on God’s Word helps me understand why the church answer has always been “Read your Bible.” The Bible is God’s living and active word. It is light and hope and life to us. No matter what ministry we are involved in, when we are engaging with God’s Word and encouraging others to do the same, we are succeeding.
As one pastor recently put it, “A few moments of truth can bash to pieces all of the lies thrown out throughout the week” (Michael Neff).
NOTE: Crystal Neff and her husband Andrew serve as Youth Pastors at Tabernacle of Praise in Hannibal, MO. She is also completing her Master’s Degree in Counseling and serves on the leadership team of her denomination’s local next gen ministry. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, crochet, travel, and connecting with other ministers. She is also a member of Journey Pastoral Coaching.
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