{The Twelve Days of Christmas} Day2

{This post is part of a series on celebrating The Twelve Days of Christmas.}

As I write this, one of my sons is vacuuming up the crumbs from morning’s birthday celebration (happy birthday, Simon!) and my husband is loading boxes into our station wagon and setting out to pick up our moving truck. The newly-minted one year-old is trying to wrestle open the bulk flour bin, my preschoolers are dragging boots and winter coats on to head outside, my teenagers are finishing packing their belongings, the dog needs to be let out, and my kindergartener is hunting for a lost Lego.

In other words, just like you, we’re busy folks. We have things to do, boxes to check, and a whole lot of life to cram into the 24 hours we’re given every day. We fall into bed fully tired most nights, satisfied that we’ve taken advantage of every moment gifted to us. The danger,  of course, is the tendency to be overly busy, overly scheduled, or overly distracted. When the balance of life swings in that direction, no one benefits.

Often, the first thing to slip off the to-do list in the busyness of daily life is the meaning behind the pair of turtle doves in The Twelve Days of Christmas— the Bible. How many of us, with good intentions, plot out a reading plan but never follow through? How many of us sincerely mean to sit down with our children and disciple them, but just never quite pull it off?

Yeah. I’ve been there, too. And the problem is pretty widespread. How do I know? Not only do I hear from friends near and far that they just can’t shave a few minutes off the pressing, urgent things in their lives to fit in some time for Bible reading of family devotion, but our family also happens to be involved in AWANA leadership. That means that we sit with kids who come in announcing that they are ready to say a dozen verses … but can’t tell us the meaning to a single one, and flub the entire context in a rush to up the ante on those around them. If you ask them if their parents explained the words or were available for reference, the answer is always a solid “No.”

Ouch.

Here’s the thing: the Bible is necessary– vital, indispensable— to spiritual growth. In the busiest of times, when it threatens to fall totally off your radar? Fight for it. Fight for it with the same intensity that you’d fight for your son to get that soccer medal he earned. Fight for it with the same fervor you reserve for making sure your teething infant takes a nap.

But fight for it without the specter of guilt. In other words, don’t assume that because you didn’t have the same two hour window of inductive Bible study that the homeschooling mom of twelve next door seems to enjoy, your efforts are unworthy. First of all, I’m here to tell you that even if she manages to pull that off from time to time, it for sure isn’t happening with any regularity. And also, your hard-won snippets of time re-reading the same verse that’s been tacked to your kitchen cabinet and ruminating over it as your wash dishes? It’s going to produce fruit. Trust me.

It’s not a competition. God isn’t glorified by whether or not you know every single one of the Old Testament judges, or by how early your kid finishes his AWANA book. What He is interested in is a heart intent on knowing Him, and a desire to walk in His word. That’s why He gave us the Bible. That’s why it’s worth reading. That’s why it’s worth fighting for.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!