Thursday's Tune-Up: Are You A Dummy?

source: www.Christianphotos.net

It's mid-January and for many of us some of the New Year excitement has started to fade and the determination we had to read God's Word daily, attend church regularly, memorize scripture methodically, and pray fervently in 2012 has faded along with it.

Does that describe you? Could this be your photo above? Let's see if there's any resemblance.

• Are your eyes glazed over when you read your Bible each day?
• Do you paint on a phony smile when you "have to" go to church?
• Is your brain wooden when you try to memorize verses?
• Do the words coming out of your mouth when you pray sound like a well-rehearsed script?

Mmm-hmm. I thought so. It happens to all of us sometimes.

Unfortunately, it's natural; meaning it's part of our nature. We easily slip back into old familiar habits like puppet skits performed many times.

And that's exactly why we need to keep practicing new routines whether we feel like doing them or not. Reading the Bible, praying, memorizing scripture, and attending church are the means God uses to change the old nature into a new one that resembles His own.

We have a tendency to resist change in spite of all good intentions. (I wonder how crowded the health clubs are these days?) But if you continue your new spiritual exercises one day you'll find that your eyes no longer stare vacantly at the pages of your Bible, your smile is genuine when you meet with other believers, and your brain meditates on those memorized scriptures with the result being honest heartfelt prayers to God.

What a picture that would make!

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Col 3:16-17 (KJV) -- imported from Bible Explorer 4 (emphasis mine)