Nothing beats a great study Bible! All the extras just lend you that much more to reflect on.
Example of what I’m talking about!
Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all of this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Jesus Christ.
Study Bibles input:
Paul says jay his goal is to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all Christ has in mind for him. This goal absorbs all of Paul’s energy. This is a helpful example for us. We should not let anything take our eyes off our goal – knowing Christ. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christians. What is holding you back?
This is always the point in reading the study Bible.
I say ouch man, make me shine a light on my truths and own up that it takes work daily to keep on like an athlete in training.
In today’s age, 99% of the time I’ve fallen off track its been with technology and its distractions. It’s not just TV and Movies. It’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, snap chat, google, games… it’s easy to lose time in a day to any of the above or more. This list is just some of my bad habits. It’s a battle some days. I believe in honesty and I’m not a perfect Human some days I get so distracted that the only time God makes it into my day is at the dinner table and tucking my kids into bed. How rude of me. We talk about this he knows I’m working on it. If you think about it, it takes 2 seconds to adapt to the ways of this world and get distracted or lost in a world where God isn’t the center focus.
It takes work and dedication and active training daily to put him first and to call on him throughout the day. It’s not a 2-second daily fix. The more you seek him the more this happens because as your relationship grows so does your desire to seek him. But without that desire, the world will always win your attention because the devil does a good dance and he is great at making things pretty and distracting. His main job is to keep us from knowing God. So what is holding YOU back?
Check yourself before you wreck yourself.