Learning Spanish has been a wish…desire…of mine for many years. I live in southeast Texas and have many bi-lingual Hispanic friends. They’ve learned my language, and I want to understand theirs. This would help me communicate with others too, of course. About a year ago, I set learning Spanish as a goal, and I started studying.
It’s been a struggle, guys! In fact, I grew so frustrated at the end of last year that I stopped everything for two or three months. When I picked it back up recently, I figured I’d have forgotten all I’d learned and would have to start over.
I was delightfully surprised by what I recalled, and I’m slowly progressing again, praise God. I’m nowhere near ready to carry on even the most basic conversation, but I occasionally pick up on things my friends say and it’s encouraging.
Just this morning, I had an epiphany about something seemingly unrelated—the Bible.
I’ve known many Christians who said they wanted to read the Bible, but when they picked it up they didn’t understand it or get anything out of it. Is this you?
If so, consider this.
Well, I have more than one thing for you to consider and the first may seem confrontational, but I promise it’s not. Stick with me.
So, first, are you a Christian? By that, I mean do you believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived without sin so He would be an acceptable sacrifice for your sin, died on the cross to be that sacrifice, and rose again on the third day? Have you accepted Him as your Savior, the One who died for you, and your Lord, the One to whom you owe allegiance and obedience in every part of life?
I ask this question because, as I heard a minister say once, if you’re not a Christian, attempting to read the Bible is like trying to read someone else’s mail. Frankly, the Bible was written for God’s covenant people, and without the Holy Spirit you’ll have a hard time grasping much of it.
Or, to return to my history with Spanish, it’s like it would be if I were to pick up a textbook written in Spanish. I wouldn’t understand it, not because I’m stupid, but because my lack of fluency means I would only be able to grasp a word or phrase here or there.
If you answered that no, you are not a Christian, but you’re ready to accept Jesus, let’s pause a sec. If you believe this and are willing to accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, it’s as easy as saying a simple prayer. You can pray this right now.
God, I come to you ready. I believe that Jesus was born of a virgin and lived without sin so that He could die for me, so He could pay the price for my sins. I accept that sacrifice! I also believe He rose again on the third day, was taken up into Heaven, and sits at Your side now. Jesus, I accept You as my Savior and my Lord, and I commit to live for You. In Your name, Amen!
If you just prayed that prayer, welcome to the family of God! Now let’s keep going.
When you receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, you also receive the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is the best Teacher of all. As Jesus said in John 14:26 (NET): “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.”
Now let’s return to the very first thing I said. “Learning Spanish has been a wish…desire…of mine for many years.” It was a wish for many years but stayed a wish. Then it progressed to being a desire but stayed a desire. Nothing changed. I wanted to learn Spanish, but I didn’t learn Spanish. Why?
If wishes were fishes, no one would ever go hungry.
(But they’d get terribly tired of fish.)
Yes, it’s a silly expression, but I think you get my point? I hadn’t learned Spanish because I hadn’t decided to learn Spanish. I didn’t follow through until I changed my mindset and made it a goal. For years, I’d consciously picked up words here and there, like many Christians pick up a Bible verse here and there. And, just like those random Bible verses, the words were tucked away in my brain, but without any context attached.
My point is that learning the Bible takes studying the Bible. It can start with “simply” reading the Bible, but as you read you should be listening for the voice of your Teacher, the Holy Spirit. As you do, you’ll see things you simply can’t catch on your own. Before you start to read, pray. As Him to teach you. He will!
And as you grow in your relationship with the Bible and with the Holy Spirit, you’ll grasp even more. But learning doesn’t happen without effort on your part. It takes an investment, just like learning anything else does.
And that investment is worth it.
Me learning Spanish can greatly help me and every Spanish speaker I meet, but that cannot even remotely compare to the value of me making God’s Word a part of my very being.
Fluency doesn’t happen by accident—not in language, and not in Scripture.
As I’ve heard it said, a man will invest years in becoming a lawyer, mechanic, accountant…whatever. And these are only careers that will help him in this life. The Word of God would help him in this life too, more than career training ever could, and…more importantly…it would prepare him for eternity.
But his Bible sits, unread, on the shelf.
Don’t be that man.
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C