God's Terms

I got a new cell phone yesterday! My old one was limping along after three years, a dinosaur by smartphone standards. Of course I spent the better part of two hours configuring it and downloading all of the apps I wanted it to have. I discovered all of the new features that have been invented since the last time I got a phone, some of which I might actually use. Every time I downloaded or opened a new application, I had to agree to the "terms of agreement" or "terms of use" for each one and select the permissions. Some permissions are basic, i.e. the email app would like permission to read your email. Seems easy enough, but why does Facebook want to listen to my phone calls? Okay, I don't think that one was actually on there, but you get my point.

I am feeling unnerved about how easy it became to push the "accept" button on each of the "terms of agreements" that would continually pop up. Has anyone ever actually read one of those? They are dozens of pages long and written in a way that would confuse most lawyers!

This got me thinking. What are the "terms of agreement" for being a Christian? How about the bible? It's longer than even the longest TOA that Google writes.(Probably) It's often filled with confusing language and commands. Are we treating God the same way that we treat Apple? Are we saying "sure, I accept that," without really knowing what we've agreed to? Are we accepting the Terms of Agreement as they are written in our third-grade bible without reading them through?

I'm not saying that you have to have read every word in the bible by the time you're in the third grade, (or even the 12th grade or the 16th grade) but it is an agreement that we should get to know. If you're reading this right now, I challenge you to pick up your bible and read. Don't know where to start? Try 1 John, chapter 2. (toward the back :-)) Read for five minutes, or ten minutes, read a chapter or a whole book. Just spend some time with the word of God today.

Blessings,
Rob