Swinging

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Relationships are a two-way street. A relationship cannot exist with fewer than two people, and healthy communication is a back-and-forth endeavor, like a swing. The nature of a swing is that it goes back and forth. Talking to God and listening to His Word—going back and forth with Him—is the sweetest swinging of all.

As I go back and forth (literally) through the pages of His Word, I find He prepares me for every circumstance I face. All of us can make this investment. It makes sense that reading His Word helps us learn more about who we are swinging with. We can find related truths spaced hundreds of pages apart, with hundreds of years spanning the dates they were written, and they apply to everyday life no matter the century.

For example, in 1 Corinthians 13, God not only tells us through the apostle Paul what love is—patient and kind—He also tells us what love is not—jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love does not demand its own way, is not irritable, and keeps no record of wrongs. Whew! If I’m unloving, especially to the two people on earth I love the most—my family—I go forth to 1 Corinthians 13 and see how wrong I was. Then I turn back to Psalm 51, and I am reminded of God’s great love for me and that He forgives.

The most wonderful thing happens in this process. God brings forth my many shortcomings and I see my lack of love, so I flip back to be reminded of His great love for me. I am washed clean of my guilt. Better yet, this back-and-forth process keeps me so busy that I am less likely to spend time focusing on the faults in others!

In our communication with God through Scripture, let’s go back and forth so often that our pages are worn but our relationship with Him and with others is strong—two-way, honest communication. And if reading the Bible through seems overwhelming, no worries. Start with a psalm or proverb.