The Most Important Meal of the Day
By Grant Gaines
Thirty one million people skip breakfast every morning according to a study by The NPD Group[1] —a marketing research company. That’s unfortunate because that means that 31 million people daily miss out on incredible health benefits such as[2]: better cholesterol levels, increased short term memory, more energy, more physical strength, weight loss, higher concentration, a decreased chance of getting diabetes, eating junk food, getting cranky, or becoming obese.
What’s more alarming than the 31 million who skip the “most important meal of the day” is the staggering number of American “Christians” who do not read their Bible every day. Recent studies have shown that of the roughly 311.5 million people who live in America, 73% claim to be Christians (in case you care about numbers, that’s 247 million Christians in America[3]). And of those 247 million, do you want to take a guess at what percentage reads their Bibles daily? 19%[4].
That means that 81% of Christians, or roughly 200 million people, skip their daily helping of the Bread of Life. And while 80% of Christians believe that the Bible is sacred and God’s direct revelation and direction for our lives, only 19% of people consult the Word’s wisdom every day.
Think of the absurdity of this. It would be like visiting a foreign country that you’ve never been to before and relying completely on your intuition to reach your destination rather than relying on the fully functional GPS that is sitting right in front of you. But that’s what 81% of Christians do every day—they wander about this world as aliens (1 Peter 2:11) and hope that somehow they will stumble upon God’s purpose for their lives rather than simply looking at the Bible—the God-given turn-by-turn GPS for humanity.
“So what’s the big deal, Grant? Why do I need to daily get into the Bible?” Thank you for asking! There are two main reasons why daily devotions in the Bible are essential, not optional, for Christians.
The first reason is productivity. If you want to have any impact or productivity for the Kingdom of God throughout your life you must get God’s Word in your hands and on your heart every single day. John 15:4 is a verse we have covered in the past in Running on Empty blog. The verse reads, “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me” (John 15:4, NLT). Just as a fruit tree must continually remain connected to the roots in order to bear fruit, so we must continually remain connected to God if we want to bear fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)). And what better way is there to remain in God than by daily feasting on His very words?
Not only does time in the Word allow you to be productive for God, it allows you to be protected by God. It’s easy to be on your guard against Satan when he comes at you like a roaring lion looking to devour you (1 Peter 5:8), but what do you do when he attacks you as a deceitful serpent? You see, Satan knows that you’ve gone to church, you’ve heard the sermons, and read the books that have warned you against socially unacceptable, visible, and “big” sins such as murder and rape so he’s not as likely to tempt a Christian with those sins. Instead, just like he did with Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 and Jesus Christ in Matthew 4, Satan will dangle a half-truth in front of your head like a carrot and wait for you to bite.
“It’s ok to commit this small sin—God will forgive you. Remember what He said in 1 John 1:9?” “It’s ok to look at porn—God is not that strict against adultery. Remember how Jesus quickly forgave the adulteress in John 8?” “It’s ok to tell a little white lie to your friend, God wants you to promote unity. Remember what He said in Ephesians 4:3?”Satan will actually use Scripture (out of context of course) to make you fall for his schemes. And if you’re not firmly entrenched in the Word day in and day out, it’s easy to mistake one of Satan’s lies for God’s truth.
If eating a healthy breakfast has the ability to improve your overall health, how much more will the eternal, unchangeable, and all-powerful Word of God radically transform your life? I can’t think of a better way to start out your day–before checking your phone, email, or the news–than by checking in with God’s guidance (agenda) for you for the day. A healthy breakfast has the power for change your day; the Word of God has the power to change your life.
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
©Grant Gaines 2013
