Filled and Formed

Jesus told his disciples that his words needed to abide in them (John 15:7-8), a sentiment Paul echoed to the church at Colossae: “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives” (Colossians 3:16, emphasis added). What would it look like for Scripture to live in you, to remain present to you at all times?

We tend to memorize those things—such as oaths, pledges, or vows—for which we believe the language is so important that we have to know the words verbatim. Committing these things to heart, Thomas Newkirk notes, is “an act of loyalty and deep respect, of affiliation.” Memorizing Scripture is all this and more, a tribute to the God who generously reveals himself to us through the gift of language.

Dallas Willard said that if he had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, Bible memorization would be first. He called it “absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation … because it is the fundamental way of filling our minds with what they need.” The formation of our souls is God’s intent when he instructs us to store up his Word in our hearts, assuring us that this will help us avoid sin, live purely, keep from stumbling, and find delight in doing his will. He invites us to bind his words on our heart, promising that they will guide us, plant our faith in deep-rooted soil, and nourish our souls like food does the body.

Tricia McCary Rhodes is the author of several books including The Wired Soul: Finding Spiritual Balance in a Hyperconnected Age. She is an adjunct professor of practical theology at Fuller Seminary. Taken from The Wired Soul copyright © 2016 by Tricia McCary Rhodes. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.