I was swimming laps the other day and unlike those with strong endurance, I have to rotate strokes in order to stay afloat. The truth is, I spend most of the time using the breast stroke because it’s the easiest. However, while doing the side stroke for a couple of laps, I caught the attention of the swimmer next to me. As I was taking a breath between laps, he was leaving the pool. He asked for permission to correct my stroke, which I, knowing that the Olympics are just three years away, readily obliged. He stated that my hip was too low in the water, forcing my head up, creating tension on my neck, and reducing my glide in the water. He gave me tips on how to fix it and then I nervously performed the side stroke with my new teacher watching. What ensued was ridiculous. I began to suck up water, but not wanting to show weakness, I kept swimming and then began to swallow the water. In simple words, I was drowning. As I stopped and placed my feet on the bottom, he encouraged me by saying that I may “drink” a little water, but I would figure it out in time.

Such a brief moment in my life, that has such deep spiritual growth lessons. Over the next few days, when I was doing the…..breast stroke…(it’s easier)…I began to think about the lesson and apply to spiritual growth.

With a new emphasis from our pastor on reading the bible over the next year, I wonder how many of us need to change our technique. Are you like me in that you have become very efficient at using poor techniques? Are you creating tension in the body by doing things your way? Would you rather do things the easy way, instead of the best way? Are you going to keep trying the new way, or return to your own ways?

These questions are almost endless.

Transitioning from swimming to reading the bible. Let’s be honest…………are you ready?………most of us don’t read the bible…Shouldn’t have shocked anyone there…However, now is the time to start!

For those of us that do, well, we use strokes and techniques that don’t get us the distance we could get if we used better strategy. Our genuine quest for God is still distorted by our humanity of easiness. One simple technique tip is to sacrifice quantity for quality.

Read less, Change more!

slow down

read the same thing multiple times

memorize it

teach it to others

use it in conversations

journal it

pray it

draw a picture about it

sing a song about it

twitter it

post in on your wall

create a collage of it with pictures or words

This list is far from exhaustive and is not intended to be a single alternative. We should take a simple reading plan and turn it into a complex structure that changes our lives. This is the only way to move the history of Genesis or any other book to a personal narrative of redemption.

Lastly, when these things become difficult and you find yourself drowning in your own genuine effort, put your feet on the ground and start again. In the mean time, I’ll be sucking up water as I practice my side stroke.

Chance