About 11 years ago I decided to attend a women's Bible study w/ ladies from my church. We met in the home of one of the women and when I arrived, I didn't know anyone. We sat in a circle and the leader said we would be studying the 10 Commandments. She challenged the group, "Can anyone name all ten?" I was the first (and only) to raise my hand. All eyes fell on me. "Really?" said the leader. "Sure"' I said, and proceeded to name all 10. The leader looked incredulous as she consulted her notes while I rattled off the "Thou shalt"s. "You even named them in order!" Then, I think to save face, she snarked, "Where did you go--Pilgrim Academy?" (a local Christian school). I said some thing like, "How do you know how to live if you don't know the basic instructions?" Lots of "Mmmm"s...
I have often revisited this moment and have wrestled with the pride surrounding it. Why wouldn't a room full of Christian women know the 10 commandments? We can remember 10 things to get at Shoprite, 10 of the worst presents our husbands ever gave us, our top 10 favorite songs (and probably all the words too!) but we can't remember the 10 basic commands God left for us?
Even more, God left us an instruction manual to teach us how we are to live. It's called the Bible and although, like some instruction manuals, I'm not sure why certain things were included (So-n-so begat so-n-so) but I firmly believe that everything I need to know to live is contained between the covers. I confess, sometimes I don't always feel like consulting it and I'd rather figure stuff out on my own, but, like any device, that usually ends up with me making a mistake, getting it wrong, and having to go back and consult "His" manual for living.
I realize that each person is on their own road in their journey with the Lord. Some might not even have a Bible and I'm quite certain many know more verses than me. It's not just about knowledge though, right? The Word is powerful--it's alive--it's our offense when confronted by the giants of the day to day. How often I've armed myself with a scripture or two only to have the principalities of darkness flee. Or have found myself beginning to unravel, only to claim a verse, a passage, a truth from the TRUTH and feel my soul begin to strengthen again. This is real stuff! Not just words on a page, not just lines to memorize...
I'm glad God saw fit to leave me an instruction manual--He knows I can use all the help I can get to figure out all the complexities of life! If you are reading this and you're not a regular reader, start. Anywhere. Or at the very least, memorize the 10 commandments! You'll be amazed at how your spirit will hunger more and more.
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