The Five R's - Receiving

Last blog I listed the five R’s that can help you get the most out of God’s Word, but now I want to talk specifically about each one to better understand why these are so important in your walk with Christ.

The first way to get the most out of the Bible may seem silly to even go over, but Jesus told an entire parable on receiving his Word. Throughout the New Testament Jesus used parables (or stories) to help illustrate all kinds of things.

In Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus uses the story of a farmer planting seed to show how different people receive the Bible.

1. The unreceptive attitude (hard soil)- Are you open-minded to what God might be teaching you through the Bible or a message?
2. The shallow or superficial attitude (shallow soil)- Are you skating by Sunday to Sunday but not developing your own roots system through the Word?
3. The distracted (soil with weeds)- Are the things of this world like television, the computer, friends, or activities keeping you from reading the Bible?

Jesus used the idea of soils to illustrate the attitudes that keep us from growing into strong rooted people. By “rooted” I mean, we have taken the time to dig deeper into the Bible, studied and prayed, so that when life’s storms come rolling through, we won’t be blown over or uprooted (Because our roots are deep in Christ’s promises!)

Think about it this way, God is giving you opportunities to grow in him but your attitude can very easily prevent growth. Anytime you feel you are not learning from a sermon or Bible study -- check you attitude! Pride and arrogance are often like earplugs. However, anyone who is humble and receptive can hear from God through even the most boring of teachers.

James 1:21 says, “Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, for it has the power to save your souls.”

The point is if you want to grow in Christ you have to be willing to receive his Word exactly for what it is. It isn’t always easy to accept what he wants us to hear but in order to walk closely with him, it's a must! When you learn to humbly receive it, you’re establishing roots and getting the most out of the Word.

What soil are you? How can you improve in your receptiveness to grow in Christ and get the most out of the Bible?

I encourage you to read Psalm 119:9-48 (<<-- Click the link to read The Message translation)Next blog I will discuss Reading and Researching.