Fundamentals

Scripture is the basis of our faith. But, sometimes, I think we get so caught up in life that we start to look at familiar verses and almost label them as cliché. As sad as that sounds, we hear verses like John 3:16, Philippians 4:13 and Jeremiah 29:11 and simply pass them by or say to ourselves, “Oh, I’ve heard that a thousand times.”

While that may be true, it doesn’t take away the relevance of Scripture! A high school coach of mine once said that when things go wrong, it is important to go back to the basics—to the foundation of the game—and to re-establish a routine. He was talking about softball, but I think this relates to our faith in a profound way. When we become busy or just plain overwhelmed with life, we tend to forget that we need to get back to the fundamentals. Looking at these familiar verses shows us how vast and profound the love of our Lord really is. I find that no matter how many times I read a Scripture, it speaks to me. It may be in the same way it has before or in an entirely different way.

The Word is living and active, and that means that it continues to minister to our hearts regardless of time or situation. There is a difference between our saying, “Oh, I’ve heard that scripture a thousand times,” and when we say, “OK, Lord, I know that my life is in Your hands, and I’m trusting in this Scripture as the foundation of my faith.” That kind of mindset brings intentionality to every thought and action, and helps us get back to the basics when things seem to fall apart. It’s important to have a routine, but we need to make sure that it doesn’t get stale.

We don’t want our relationships with Christ to become mere routines, but having a regular quiet time is important in establishing a strong faith. It will help us remember these foundational and fundamental Scriptures and bring us the comfort that is ours as members of the Body of Christ.

Today, when you hear a familiar verse, don’t look past it. Instead, let it remind you of powerful truth and encourage you in your identity as a child of God.