What the Presidential Debate Taught Me About Bible Study

It must be terribly inconvenient to run for President of the United States.

The debate last night must have required tremendous preparation.  Not only do President Obama and Governor Romney have to prepare to present their own positions, each must prepare to make his opponent’s position seem foolish.  Each must also prepare to respond to whatever accusations the other might bring to the floor.

And then there are all the social dynamics: moderator, attendees, cameras.  Personal lives get exposed; mistakes in judgment get exploited; everything is scrutinized.

And all for one purpose: to get my vote.

But what difference will it make if one candidate wins my vote?  How can I make a difference?

Here’s the beauty of how it works.  By winning one person at a time, vote after vote after vote, an aspiring leader does something magical.  Many individuals make up this thing we call “the people.”  And when the people elect a leader, stuff changes.  Policies take effect.  Administrations administrate.  The glorious future begins to spill into the dreary present.

What did last night’s debate teach me about Bible study?  That it’s all worth it. 

It’s terribly inconvenient to study the Bible.  It’s not easy.  It requires discipline and practice.  I might not get it at first.

But, as I do it, I get better at handling the Word (2 Tim 2:15).  The better I handle the Word, the better equipped I am at passing it on (2 Tim 3:16-17).  The better I am at passing it on, the more likely I am to make a significant difference for God’s Kingdom.

So keep going to church, week after week.  Keep reading your Bible.  Keep learning how to communicate it effectively.

It will feel mundane.  It will feel like hard work.  But it’s how God changes the world.

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:1-2).

Do you think it’s worth it to study the Bible?  What encourages you to keep doing it when it’s inconvenient or difficult?