The photo above was an Instagram post from one of my friends and it stopped me in my tracks. When I saw it, I was very intrigued. It was the polar opposite of “should”!! It like being invited into someone’s journal as they did daily life. So I went out his Instagram photos and there were several of these photos.
Book of Rules
It would be easy to think of the Bible as a Book of Rules. I actually started to lead this section with “If you are not a Christian, it would be easy…” But, my suspicion is that many Christians feel this way too. People have a weird love/hate relationship with rules. On one hand, they are comforting. Do not drink and drive. Murder is illegal. 25 MPH in a school zone. Some are easy like Don’t put diesel fuel in a vehicle that runs on gas. It is unlikely anyone would argue with that because the consequences are immediate and personal. But most of life is not that cut and dried. Many times its gets slippery. “No Running” signs at the pool come to mind. “But, I can handle it.” you say.
There is no doubt the Bible contains rules. The 10 Commandments are probably the most obvious example. The deeper question is why though. Why are there rules? Why should I not covet my neighbor’s stuff? My suspicion is that God inspired the Bible writers to record principles for living that would keep us out of danger. In that respect, the Bible is sort of like an Owner’ Manual for human beings. Change your oil. Use the right fuel. Wash yourself occasionally. Make sure there is tread on your tires in rainy weather. You get the point.
Show Me a Worn out Bible
“A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” ― Charles Haddon Spurgeon
That quote is another one that can stop you in your tracks. Take any book and look at the spine. If it is broken and frazzled, the book has been read a LOT. It has not been revered like a relic and set aside for safe keeping. It has been devoured like a wonderful meal. Over, and over, and over again. Very few books look like this. Why? Because once you read a regular book – even a great one – you get the concepts after once or twice. The Bible though is different.
Manuals, on the other hand, get used over and over again. They are full of systems and procedures. Ways things work best. Created by the creator of whatever it is. “Did you look in the manual?” is a very natural question when someone is having car trouble. Manuals may even be spiral bound or in a binder because they are supposed to be used. If you owned any type of franchised business, you would be expected to master the information in the manual and use it explicitly.
Yes, You Can Write in It
Notes in the margins! In PEN!!!! Oh – my – word.
Maybe its just me but I was afraid to mark in my Bible for the longest time. Then, once I felt the freedom to write in my Bible, I was still afraid that it would be messy. Today, I realize that margin notes and messy pages are signs of real living and wrestling with real life. When there are actual dates, it brings back memories of a past struggle where many times I have been able to see God’s fingerprints all over my life. Sometimes the struggle continues. Prayers that I thought were unanswered – got answered in a different way. I was able to see that there was a way and a better way.
Proverbs 14:12 English Standard Version (ESV) – “There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.”
Beyond “Religious”
The words Religion and Religious bring up all kinds of connotations. Most of the time they make people think of behavior and performance standards, having to go to church, etc. This is why the photo at the top of this post is so so meaningful to me. It, along with all of the others like it that my friend posted, capture the gritty intimacy that is a daily relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And, I need to see that. I need to hang around people who live like that. That is how I want to live!
If you want to check out the rest of the photos, here is the link to my friend’s Instagram account.