The ABCs Of Spiritual Hygiene

Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
–Romans 15:4

Many Christians agree the Bible is important for spiritual growth. We are ready to argue with anybody who doubts the inerrancy of Scripture. But very few Christians actually read the Bible. More than 150 years ago, Charles Spurgeon roared to his congregation, “You know more about your ledgers than your Bible; you know more about your daybooks than what God has written; many of you will read a novel from beginning to end, and what have you got? A mouthful of froth when you have done. But you cannot read the Bible; that solid, lasting, substantial, and satisfying food goes uneaten, locked up in the cupboard of neglect.”

I believe this neglect of reading the Bible explains why so few Christians experience the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Remember, the Word of God is one of four conduits through which God pours His power into our lives in order to transform us into the image of Christ. God wants to wash away all the grit and grime of sin until we perfectly reflect His Son. Just as it takes water and soap to get clean physically, it takes the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to become clean spiritually. If we are going to become like Christ, then God’s Word is essential.

But how do we make Scripture a part of our everyday lives? This week, I want to give you the ABCs of spiritual hygiene–practical ways to give God’s Word the place in your life it deserves.

“A” stands for “Appreciate the uniqueness of the Bible.” You will never make God’s Word a part of your everyday life until you realize how different the Bible is from any other book.

John Kass, a former columnist for the “Chicago Tribune,” wrote about a waiter in Chicago who had an unusual pen pal: he was receiving personal letters from Mohammed VI, king of his home country of Morocco. The reporter reflected, “How many guys hauling beer and burgers in a Chicago tavern have a correspondence going with a royal monarch?” Kass asked a Moroccan official if this was unusual for the king. The official replied, “It happens a lot. It’s because of his personality. He loves his subjects.”

We serve a King who loves His subjects. Even though we live in a distant country, He has sent us a love letter that tells us everything we need to know about Him. God’s Word is God’s complete revelation of Himself so we can know Him and have a relationship with Him.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “The ABCs Of Spiritual Hygiene” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2011.

Charles Spurgeon, “The Bible” (sermon), in “Sermons of the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, of London” (New York: Sheldon, Blakeman and Co., 1856), 40; John Kass, “Waiter’s Pen Pal Just a Cool Guy Who Runs a Country,” Chicago Tribune, July 23, 2001, https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2001-07-23-0107230238-story.html.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.