I’ve been guilty of giving simplistic counsel in the past. There was a day when there wasn’t a person with a problem to whom I wouldn’t start with, “Have you been reading your Bible and praying?” I suppose I may have asked that question to create distance and make it so that I didn’t have to do more work, and I got to sound spiritual while asking it.
With some more years off my head and more grey hair on my face, with loved ones passed or in daily pain, with friends lost or running in wrong directions, with more awareness of sin between spouses and sin from parents toward children and sin in governors and sin in society and sin in my own heart even on days when I’ve read my Bible and prayed, I have learned that there are facile attitudes that ignore true complexities.
And also, I’m more convinced than ever, that Jesus alone has the words of eternal life. Jesus alone atones for sin. Jesus alone forgives and cleanses consciences. Jesus alone reconciles men to God, and men to men. Jesus alone builds His church. Jesus alone is the Savior. Jesus alone is worth knowing, and Him crucified.
So have you been reading your Bible to know Christ’s Word? Do you pray in Jesus’ name, since the Son’s work is to bring us to the Father?
Our world has a lot of moving parts. Our hearts have whole worlds within them. But the national guard, and “experts,” or drugs, and/or masks, cannot fix what is broken. The reason Jesus is a Sunday School answer is because He is the answer. Have you given yourself to Him? Then commune with and love Him around His table. All we have is Christ.