The Bible, Leadership & You

• I run in the path of your commands,

  for you have set my heart free. —Psalm 119:32

  Certainly one thing that can be said about the teaching at Redeemer is that the Bible is central to all that we do in life. This belief is the cornerstone of our counseling program. The challenge for us as men is to extend this reliance upon the Scriptures to all areas of our lives. On the basis 2 Peter 1:3-4 and other passages, summarized in our confessional standards, we affirm that the Bible is the only perfect or infallible rule for faith and life.

  It is important for us to examine how consistent we are in applying this truth to our lives. With the time pressures and many responsibilities of everyday life it is easy for us to unwittingly add to the standard of the Bible as our only infallible rule for faith and life. For example, do our wives and children see us consistently appealing to the Bible as the basis for our day to day decisions? Or do they see us relying on some homemade combination of dad's conventional wisdom and common sense?

  We must not let the Bible be crowded out by day to day pressures. Our world is so full of competing philosophies and perspectives that we have to make an intentional effort to start with Scripture. While it is often easier to do things the way we've always done them, or the way friends at work say to do them, or whatever the popular conventional wisdom says, God wants us to do the hard work using his word as our source of wisdom. Although challenging, this approach provides great freedom.

  Let's explore this theme for a moment. The goal is not to quote Scripture locations with every sentence that we speak. Rather, our goal should be to have the principles of Scripture be so familiar to us that they flow freely and naturally out of our mouths. As John says in his first epistle, the commands of God are not burdensome. Psalm 119:32 puts it this way:

  I run in the path of your commands,

  for you have set my heart free.

  This verse accurately reflects the mindset of someone who believes that the Bible really is our only perfect rule of faith and life. Here, intimate knowledge of the word of God produces a genuine heartfelt freedom. This verse does not describe someone struggling with a heavy burden, but someone who moves with eagerness and freedom along the path of life. This is what the Bible is designed to do for the people of God. Psalm 19 says that the word of God revives the soul, makes the simple wise, gives joy to the heart, gives light to the eyes and is much more valuable than precious gold.

  Men, if this is what the word of God is to you, then your attitude and behavior will encourage those around you. You will find yourself being excited about discovering new ways to apply the Scriptures to your life.

  Since last fall, we have covered a lot of ground in our discussions about leadership. In the next couple of weeks, as we approach the summer break, let's specifically thank God for the sufficiency of his precious word. Let's pray that God would produce in us the reality of having our hearts set free, as we run in the path of his commands.

  Remember, if we think the word of God is restrictive, our children will think the word of God is restrictive. If we act as if obedience to Christ is a heavy burden, then we will not be the encouragement to our wives that God calls us to be. If following Christ is drudgery to us, then others will have no desire to serve the God that we serve. Men, does your life reflect the joy of Psalm 119:32?

• List some areas in which you do not rely sufficiently on Scripture for wisdom.
• List at least two areas in which you commit to grow in your reliance on Scripture.
• What will you do to accomplish this? Include what, when, and how. To whom will you be accountable?

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