It's amazing how practical God is.
That's a conclusion I've come to over the last who knows how long. It is especially amazing when you consider how impractical God seems when you're a youth forming your first opinions on the world around you.
When I was young and sitting in a pew at church, it was not uncommon to hear Philippians 4:8 in a sermon or youth group lecture: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is holy, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Often Philippians would be coupled with 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstance; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
As a young adult I'd read/hear such things and in my mind envision these qualities in some sort of mystical holy man, always praying, always worshipping, always being in constant communion with God. The concept wasn't something I believed to be attainable for me, certainly not in the short term. How could you even become such a person? My thoughts were always on the task at hand, the trouble of the day, or on troubles in the future. I always pictured this type of person as being magically touched by God to desire such things, because if I was ever honest with myself I'd have admitted that doesn't sound like a very fun person to be. Or to be around. I would imagine God desiring to morph us into something like this Holy Man:
Daniel: "Hello Holy Man, how are you today?"
Holy Man: "Rejoice always! It's a wonderful day!" (1 Thess 5:16)
Daniel: "uhm, okay. How was work? I know you've got that big review coming up."
Holy Man: "I don't worry about tomorrow friend, for each day has enough trouble of it's own." (Matt 6:34)
In my own life, how could I become like that? Which would come first, I'd often wonder: the desire to actually spend time praying, always meditating on good things and over all being a good holy person, or would being a good and holy person inspire me to pray continually and meditate on good things? I could never decipher this riddle, so I concluded there was a bit of magic involved.
As I've encountered difficulties in my own walk I've discovered that God has a practical side I've often ignored. Thinking of the adjectives applied to God I am reminded of a Just God, Honorable, Holy, Powerful, Merciful, Omnipresent, and the list goes on. But a Practical God? Not ever. But is He not?
If you were to invent some type of machine (let your imagine run wild), would you not also write an instruction manual with it? Instruction manuals aren't magical. They're very practical. For a toaster, "Do Not Use in Bathtub." That seems like a very practical suggestion. For glass cleaner: "Do not spray in eyes." Again, that seems practical.
As God created us, would he not give us an instruction manual for our lives? Why is it we can say of the Bible, "Oh yes, it definitely shows us how to live" but then when it comes to actually applying what the Bible says we receive it as though it is mystical or magical or impossible to understand?
I've come to understand God as being much more practical. Let me use my marriage as an example. I desire to be a good husband. I really don't wish to suck at it. And yet there are plenty of areas in which I fall woefully short. It's pathetic, really. But if I wish to improve at my husbandly job, which would better assist my efforts: to come home after a long day and relax watching Monday Night Football, or to come home after a long day at work and read James Dobson's What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women? Should I come home and watch Transformers, or would I be better served to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-5: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."
This is the practical application of "if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think on such things." As a human being, I've got horrible perspective. I am constantly drawn in by the events of the day. Even if I desire to become a better husband I can't think of it all day, as I'm too busy trying to not get fired at work. However, if upon returning home from a long and difficult day I read Dobson's book, I am reminded or my desire to be a good husband. I'm reminded about my struggles and how I desire to improve on them. I'm encouraged by his anecdotes. I'm encouraged by scripture. In that way I'm much more likely to be successful in becoming a better husband than I am if I watch Monday Night Football. There is nothing wrong with watching MNF, but it certainly isn't as edifying as focusing on something like Scripture or reading a book like Dobson's.
I wish I could go back and tell my pre-teen and teenage self that God's instruction to 'think about such things' isn't some bizarrely magical device we can't understand. It's a practical instruction on how to best live our lives. That God's practicality is found in other areas as well: He knows we can't function as a society if we are constantly killing each other, hence "Do not murder." He knows it's hard to live next to someone if you're sleeping with his wife, so He says "Do not covet your neighbor's wife.'' Sure, these instructions have other dimensions to them as well, but they are immensely practical too.
So to answer the questions from my youth, which causes which? Does reading Scripture result in becoming more like Christ? Or does God's Spirit impart holiness on us which causes an increased desire to read Scripture? The practical answer is: read Scripture and you'll become more like Christ as it reminds you who you want to be, and gives you strength to follow in His footsteps. Stop worrying about not wanting to read. In the immortal words of Nike, Just Do It.
There will always be facets of God's personality I do not understand (He is God after all, and I just a man), but I find it reassuring to understand He is also practical.
