My fifteen-minute Bible study routine and time with God during college

I don’t have a lot of time during the semester. Even with only taking Friday and Saturday nights off for fun/sanity purposes and not doing much besides schoolwork and extracurriculars during the week, I still only get between five and seven hours of sleep a night.  But, there’s no WAY I’m going to neglect reading the Bible on a regular basis. So I need a quick and simple way to get a good healthy dose of Bible every day.

Here’s how I do it. It can be summarized with this sentence. Pick a chapter, read it, pray. That’s it. I’m not a very fussy person, and I know that any quality time that I spend with God and the Bible is going to be fine, so I don’t mess with complicated reading plans and regimens. I’ve tried, and I’ve found that as soon as I get a day or two behind, I start feeling this enormous sense of guilt and not only stop following the plan, but stop reading the Bible entirely. Some Bible reading is better than none, so this is the plan I roll with. These fifteen minutes shouldn’t really be the only form of Bible study that you do, because it doesn’t go very deep into the word, but this particular plan serves a very good purpose for me, in that it keeps God on my mind every single day.

Here are some more specifics on what I do for this fifteen-minute daily Bible study:

• Time: I’m an early morning person, so I do my Bible reading at breakfast. I find that it’s better to do Bible reading while I’m still fresh, as opposed to when I’m half-asleep at midnight. Also, if I have a set time every day of the week, it helps keep me on track. (You may not be able to do the same time every day of week because college schedules vary so much, but if every Monday you read at 10am, that will give you some sort of schedule to work from.) And, of course, if you have longer than fifteen minutes (I normally take a twenty-minute breakfast for this, but I’ve done it in fifteen) then by all means, be flexible with the time.
• Setting:  Whatever works for you. I’m fine doing it in the cafeteria, you may prefer a quieter spot. This depends a lot on whether or not you pray out loud or silently.
• Passage: Depends on the time of the semester. I’ll often start the semester reading straight through a longer book (I’ve done Exodus and Acts that way, among others). After that, I’ll switch to a shorter book because I’ll start to get busier and my mind honestly won’t be as focused. But I don’t stick to this “through a book” method. If there was a passage that came to mind the day before and I wanted to read that, or if I feel like what I’m going to face in the coming day requires a specific passage, I’ll read that. I’m pretty flexible.
• Reading: I don’t do any deep reading in these fifteen-minute sessions. Once through is enough for me. I want to get the general overview of the passage, and I pay close attention to verses that stick out to me as I’m reading as focus for my prayers.
• Prayer: Everyone prays differently of course, so this is totally up to you. I tend to just sit quietly for a few minutes and see what God brings to my mind. If there’s something specific on my mind that’s getting in the way of listening to what God is saying, I’ll pray about that to get it off my chest first.
• Miss a day?: This is the most important one, and the one I get myself caught on so many times. If you miss a day, don’t stress out about it. Really. It’s not a big deal. God understands that things come up. If you miss one day, don’t feel like you have to read for twice as long the next day or anything. Let it go and move on with your reading.

If you have specific ways that you fit Bible study into your busy college schedule,  if you have used something similar to this method in the past, if you have tried this since reading this and it has or has not worked for you in the past, or if you have any other thoughts, post them in the comments!

Battlestar Galactica and Religion

I’ve recently become absolutely addicted to the SciFi Channel’s hit TV series Battlestar Galactica (often times know simply as BSG). I’ve watched seasons 1 and 2 in the past two weeks and now I’m starting season 3 today. I think I like it so much because, while it is science-fiction, it’s the most human side of science fiction that I’ve seen since Asimov. The characters are compelling, lifelike people with great character development and they have to make many difficult decisions. The show also hits  a ton of issues that are relevant in today’s society, but it doesn’t force you into believing one side or the other, because it almost always shows some characters for and others against a particular issue.

The theology presented in BSG is quite eye-opening. The good-guy humans believe in polytheism, and the bad-guy Cylons, robots who were created by the humans and then branched off to rebel against the humans and are now at war with them, believe in monotheism. As a Christian, seeing the bad guys with the religious view that most closely matches the theology of my beliefs is a strange feeling. However, I more often find myself agreeing with the other tenants of the human’s beliefs, such as their belief in the preservation of innocent human lives whenever possible and appropriate, even though they are polytheist.

Once I watch the entire series, I’ll probably comment again about the topic, when I have a more complete view of the topics, but until then, I found this article, entitled “Born-Again Battlestar” an interesting read. (It was written in the gap between seasons 1 and 2, so there are no spoilers in it!) If you’re a fan of BSG or sci-fi in general, or even if you’re not, take a look at it and comment here on what you think of the theology or of the show or whatever. But please please please please PLEASE, NO SPOILERS. You’ll break my heart into a million tiny pieces if you do. Please don’t do it. Thanks!

Be joyful always (sparked by a bad case of the giggles)

Last night, I was on the phone with my boyfriend, and I got the giggles. Now, you have to understand, this is not an unusual occurrence with me. I’m a laugher by nature. Anything that is even remotely funny, I’ll laugh at. I can even be found laughing my head off when no one is around and nothing really funny is happening. So this was nothing new, but something that I said made me think a little harder than I normally do about my laughter. At one point, I finally caught my breath and spit out the words, “Haha, you just want to hear me laugh!” He responded back with, “Yes, definitely!”

Laughter have huge health benefits for the laughee (okay, yes, here’s where I start to make up words). One of my favorite passages from the Bible is from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” These verses are a driving force in my life, because it’s so simple and outlines God’s will for us in three short commands. It has always struck me that “Be joyful” comes first, before “pray” and “give thanks,” two big commandments to all Christians that are found throughout the Bible. At least Paul, a messenger of God, must have thought that being joyful was very important!

But what does our laughter, or more relevant to this blog, our joy because of God’s forgiveness for our sins, do for the people around us? Let’s look at the story of the Prodigal Son, found in Luke 15:11-32. This story is intriguing for me because of the obedient older brother, the one who was by his father’s side while his younger brother blew his portion of the family’ estate. He did not want to be joyful because of his personal prejudices over the father’s “unfair” treatment of the brother. But the situation screamed for joyful feelings. The younger brother had come back and asked for forgiveness…that was all that was needed for the father to be overjoyed. In this joy, the son’s return became an example of the joy required for events.

Buy why is the joy surrounding this event required to be so showy? I’m always one to be modest, and so early in my Christian walk, I was bothered by this passage because it was so extravagant. But this show of joy shows the true importance of the redemption of a sinner and God’s forgiveness to the world. What if, when a friend of ours became a Christian, we responded with, “Oh. Okay. That’s cool. What’s for dinner?” How would others, especially non-Christians, who look in on this conversion view the importance of it? They wouldn’t think much of it, that’s for sure, because outwardly, we don’t seem to think much of it.

We know that repenting our sins and receiving Christ’s forgiveness is the most important thing we could ever do in our lives; indeed, it saves our souls. For others to see the importance of Christ in our lives, we must constantly be showing our joy of Christ’s saving grace. The old saying, “Actions speak louder than words,” is definitely applicable here. If we proclaim to be Christians but don’t show how joyful we are because of Christ’s grace, then how will anyone truly know what they are missing?

I’m not saying that we should be happy all the time. That’s physically impossible, because during college, there are definitely stressful times where we are just not happy with how much work we have to do and how little sleep we’re getting. But what I’m trying to get across through the above examples is that, no matter what’s going on in your lives, don’t forget to show the appropriate joy for Christ. You’ll put yourself in a more joyful mood, regardless of the circumstances. But you may also plant a seed in someone’s heart that may lead them closer to a relationship with Christ.

Dear God, thank you for your saving grace. Let the joy we have over this redemption shine like a light for others to see you through. Amen.

A Charlie Brown Christmas and the true meaning of the holidays

I may not get a chance to post a Christmas update, because I’ll be with my family all day, but I wanted to share one of the first  that actually introduced me to Christ: the segment of A Charlie Brown Christmas where Linus recites Luke 2:8-14 and shows the masses of children and their families watching to the true meaning of Christmas:

“‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

Have a very merry Christmas! God bless you!

Dear God, I thank you for this day, the day your son, Jesus Christ, was born of the Virgin Mary, who would later save us all. Please be with us this day, and keep our hearts and minds firmly on you and your Son, the wonderful Savior that Christmas is all about. Amen.

Be prepared in season and out of season

Am I the only one who, since going off to college, feels like they don’t get into the Christmas spirit until days before Christmas, if at all? I’m just now starting to get into Christmas this year, and honestly, that’s only because my family is Eastern European, so we celebrate Christmas Eve more than Christmas – which means we open presents on Christmas Eve. O.o

Yes, we know it’s Advent, and hear about peace and joy and hope and Christ at church, and those are some of my favorite times from this past month. I really got a chance to just be with Christ outside of my stress and schoolwork and just be with God and fellow believers. But normally, day to day, there just isn’t a group of college Christians who sits around the dinner table and lights an Advent wreath and does devotionals. Even when such an activity exists, it’s almost impossible to fit into our schedules. I know I didn’t attend a single Advent devotional this year because it was held at a time that I was always studying.

So what does God have to say about preparing ourselves for Advent and making time for him? I looked up “prepare” in the concordence of my NIV Study Bible, and I discovered these words from 2 Timothy 4:1-2, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.”

The phrase that struck me from this verse was, “be prepared in season and out of season.” Would God like us to give him as much time as we can give him in the season of expectation before Christ’s birth? Yes – that much is a given as it’s a constant theme throughout the Scriptures. But I believe that God puts our other activities, the ones that aren’t related to God in a direct way, in our lives because those also lead us in our personal mission here on Earth. More importantly, I believe that God wants us to be prepared year-round, always thinking of him day in and day out and crafting the moments of our weeks to more closely fit his ways. Yes, the Advent season is one of the more showy times in the Christian church, but that does not mean anything unless Christ is also integrated into our daily lives.

Dear God, thank you for this day, the Eve of your Son’s birth. Help us to remember the importance of his birth in our daily actions, and help us to always be prepared to do your will, no matter what the season. Amen.

Shave that unibrow! (or, unbelievable commands from God)

I love this comic from Toothpaste for Dinner:
Every time I read it, I think about listening and obeying God’s word. Many times when I’m trying to make a decision, I know that God is screaming something in my face, wanting me to listen to his will. But then, at the last second, I’ll hesitate and worry that, if I listen to the command God has handed down to me, I’ll end up looking like the guy on the right with ridiculous eyebrows. And there is NO WAY that I want eyebrows like that guy. What would happen if I listened to God and then ended up doing something that looked ridiculous to me and to others around me?

During times like these, I am often reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own  understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Even if something sounds ridiculous, if it’s from God, it’s good. Possibly more importantly, God will guide you on the journey that he handed down. He’s not going to command you to do something and then leave you high and dry to defend yourself…he wants you to run to him and leave the understanding bit to him.

For a Christmas-themed example, read Luke 1:26-38, in which God sends the angel Gabriel to tell Mary she will bear the child of God. I always imagine Mary’s reaction right before verse 34 as being, “Uhhh…what?” But, even though that proposition sounds ridiculous to Mary, and even to us if we take it out of the context of what comes next, it is from an angel, a trusted messenger of God, so it must be good. In my own life, I’ve seen God use the most unbelievable situations for a glory to him that I would have never been able to imagine. I know that a better outcome has come from the situations when I’ve leaned firmly on God’s grace, rather than try to do things by myself.

Dear God, please lead us in our questioning of your will. Forgive use for the times where we go our own way, down a path that is not yours. Remind us that commands from you are good, and that you want to lead us in those commands. Amen.