Listen

 July 18, 2023

“You are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.” These words from St. Paul (1 Corinthians 3:23) have been going through my head all day. Most of the time when I read the Bible, I seem to gravitate towards the instructions given in various ways. Whether it be the poetry of the Psalms, the exhortations of the Law and Prophets, or the parables of Jesus and the letters of Paul, the commands and warnings are what jump out at me, encouraging me to change this or improve on that. 

Last night in our men’s Bible study, I encouraged the men to follow the ancient method of reading the Scriptures called Lectio Divina (I didn’t give them the formal name; just laid out the pattern). It is a simple four-step method that encourages us to do more than merely scan the text looking for whatever jumps out at us. The pattern is as follows:

• Read……..Simply read the chosen text. It need not be long. Even a single phrase will do.
• Reflect……Turn it over in your mind, looking at it from different angles; ask questions.
• Respond…Pray the text and your thoughts back to God.
• Rest………Listen, and let God love you.

It was amazing to listen to the men tell what God had been saying to them through this exercise, but I didn’t expect how it would affect me this morning. Anyone who has read St. Paul knows that he is never short of exhortation, correction, or challenge, and the chapter I read this morning was no exception, but it was these final words that caught my attention as I slowed down long enough to do myself what I had encouraged the men to do last night:

I settled on these words, and actually rested on them all day long. Whenever my mind wasn’t actively involved in something that needed my full attention, these words kept running through my mind: “You are Christ, and Christ is God’s.” 

There is a solidity to those words. In these days when our society has cast off so many of the foundations of life that were commonplace when I was growing up, hearing this throughout the day brought a particular peace to my heart and mind. Even now as I write, it settles me. No matter whether I succeed or fail, I am Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. If all goes well, or everything falls apart, I am Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. When I am certain of the path before me, or if I am wondering what my next step should be, I am Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. 

The same can be true for you. Take time to get into God’s Word. Even more, take time to let God’s Word get into you. It is a game-changer.