Abiding in the Word

[Gregory Matthews]

The following has been abstracted from the given citation and are only partial quotes:

Quote:

To be a healthy disciple of Jesus, feeding on God’s Word must be your first priority, which Jesus called “abiding in His Word.” To abide in the Word of Jesus one must:

1) Accept its authority: Only God’s Word is the perfect standard which never leads in the wrong direction.

2) Assimilate the truth of the Bible: It is not enough to believe in it. One must receive it, read it, research it, remember it and reflect on it so that the Holy Spirit can transform you.

3) To receive God’s Word one must listen and accept in an open and receptive mind.

4) To read God’s Word one schedule regular Bible reading. One can read the entire Bible through twice in one year by cutting out one 30-minute TV program and reading the Bible instead.

5) To research the Bible one will ask questions of the text and record the insights in either written or digital form.

6) It is God who has given you the gift of memory. You will memorize the Word of God if you consider it to be important.

7) To reflect on the Word of God is to meditate on it. Biblical meditation is the exact opposite of putting your mind in neutral and letting it wander. It is focused thinking, which takes serious effort. It is focusing on the Word of God instead of the problems of your daily life.

8) As a final step, the principles of God’s Word must be put into practice in one’s life.

From Rick Warren, THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE: WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR? Zondervan, 2002, pages 185-192.