The first four articles of 2017 are meant to get you thinking about seven different areas of our lives, our families, our churches, and our civil governments that could be changed or improved upon (rebuilt) in 2017.
Right now in our nation, individuals, families, churches and civil governments are all doing poorly in terms of obedience to God’s word. So, starting at the individual level, here are seven suggestions of ways to improve your life. Not so that you can have your best life now, but so that you can (if God so wills) be used in the advancing of His kingdom.
God gives every individual person certain skills and interests that He doesn’t necessarily give to everyone else. However, there are certain things that every Christian should either be doing, or know something about. These seven suggestions don’t include everything that God would have you do in life; they are just a few ideas that I would suggest to any Christian who wants to live an effective life for the Lord.
1. Pray. Every Christian knows that prayer is an essential part of the Christian life, but few in our day do very much of it. If you want know how bad your prayer life is, just read about the prayer lives of great men and women of God from centuries ago.
I don’t believe that our prayers cause God to work. If they did, that would mean that we can control God, thus making us sovereign rather than Him. However, when God wants to do a great work, He will motivate His people to pray. The fact that so many modern Christians (myself included) don’t pray as they ought is a clear sign that revival has yet to begin in our land (at least on a large scale).
2. Read and study the Bible. If you think that most Christians are already doing this, you are sadly mistaken. While many Christians do read their Bibles, most don’t read very much, and very few Christians in America study it. I mean very few. Modern American Christians are some of the most biblically illiterate Christians in history. I’m not just talking about those who claim the name of Christ but only go to church on Christmas and Easter. The average Bible College/seminary-trained pastor in America today knows less of the Scriptures than the average 13 year-old did in colonial America. Yes, we have been that dumbed down.
How do you know if you are reading the Bible or studying it? If you are not looking up verses and taking notes, you aren’t studying.
3. Read books on theology. Many Christians think that only pastors and seminary professors need to read books on theology. Not true. While not everyone has to read 1,000 page Systematic Theology books, there are certain theological concepts that every Christian should know.
When I say to read books about theology, I’m not talking about reading books from the “Christian Living” section of the bookstore, but books that introduce you to various theological topics or controversies. Thankfully, there are many different books on a wide variety of theological topics that are written at a layperson’s level. I would also suggest reading books from different doctrinal perspectives than the ones you hold to now. Even if they don’t change your mind, they will force you to consider another perspective. If you have trouble reading, learn to read well, but until you become proficient with reading, there are many podcasts on the internet that you can listen to.
4. Study history. Learning history is one of the most important things you can do. Societies that don’t know history end up dying. Societies that don’t know history are made up of people who don’t know history. Our society is dying. Are you one of the ones in our society that is contributing to its death?
There are many reasons why the study of history is important, and I don’t have space to list them all, but one of the great things about studying history is that you learn that the way things are now is not the way things have to be. Example: did you know that for the first several decades of America’s history there were no police, and yet most crimes were still solved and punished?
While all of history is important, Christians especially need to study Church history. If you know nothing of Church history, you can start with history books that are written for children (just tell everyone that you bought those books for your children or grandchildren).
5. Learn about the three God-ordained institutions. God has created three covenantal institutions: the family, the church and the state (civil government). These three institutions each have their own jurisdiction (area of responsibility). When one institution tries to do the job of another, it negatively affects the whole society.
Every Christian needs to know the biblical jurisdictions of each of these institutions. Some have a tendency to think that if they’re not a government official, they don’t need to study what the biblical role of government is. Likewise, many think that if they don’t have a position of leadership in the church, then they don’t need to learn about the roles and responsibilities of the church (etc., etc.). But because most Christians don’t know the biblical jurisdictions of these institutions, they end up supporting some of the very things that have destroyed this nation. Everyone needs to know what the Bible says about these three institutions.
6. Manage the resources God has given you. The very first command given to humans included the command to “have dominion.” Godly dominion isn’t domination by force, it is managing those things that God has given us (in accordance with His will). So, learn how to manage the money that God has given you, and learn how to get more. Often, Christians think that being concerned with making money is ungodly. This is true if you are only spending your money on your comfort and happiness. Instead, think of your money as a weapon that can be used to advance God’s kingdom. Do you want a small weapon or a big one?
Your time is another God-given resource. Are you using the majority of your time being a productive steward, or is most of your time (outside of working and sleeping) spent on things that don’t really matter? Some recreation and entertainment may be fine, just don’t let those things take up the majority of your time. Those who aren’t productive with what God has given them are “cast into outer darkness” (Matt. 25:26-30). Not a good place to be.
7. Prepare for tough times. I believe tough times are ahead. I don’t pretend for a moment to know the future, but by just looking at the state of things in our culture, governments, churches, families, etc., and by looking at certain generational statistics, it seems that big trouble is headed our way. Our culture, economy, welfare, education, law, morality, etc., are not built upon God’s word, and therefore, they are not able to go on in their present form much longer. We need to be prepared for when these things fall apart (if they haven’t already).
Many Christians see the decline of our society and they respond with either fear or whining. Our response should be to trust God and rebuild. When/if the welfare systems fail, we need to be prepared with our own welfare systems. When/if the economy dies, we need to be prepared with our own economies. When/if the food supply, healthcare, elder care, education, etc., falls apart, we need to be prepared to take care of ourselves, our families, and our local church members, and not rely the federal government to do these things for us.
The rebuilding of a godly order starts with God remaking us, and though it is God who rebuilds, we still have our responsibilities. Start by confessing and repenting of your own sins. Study His word. Learn how to apply it to all of life and society. Find something that God has given you an interest in, then find out what the Bible says about that thing. Then, get to work on conforming that thing to God’s word. Don’t wait for someone else to do it; get busy learning, then get busy doing. May God bless your efforts.