My theme for 2022 is cultivating an Abundancy Mindset. On January 1st, I posted that “I’ll seek abundance in health, wealth, love, gratitude, kindness, trust, faith, expectancy, spirituality, connectedness, inspiration, living, giving, openness, listening, learning, relationships, playfulness, and happiness.” A good way to get a jump on all of that is to read the BIBLE: Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth.
For Christmas 2020, I gifted New International Version (NIV) Student Bibles to my wife and son, hers in a violet leatherette cover and his in brown. The NIV Student Bible contains study plans, useful commentary, informative footnotes, and a practical index. Also, the translation is in modern English. I thought having a user-friendly Bible would be helpful and enjoyable for my wife and son throughout life, and I couldn’t get more apropos than gifting Bibles for the holiday that celebrates Jesus’ birthday. I had more in mind, though.
These student Bibles contain a 3-track plan for reading the Bible. Track 1 is a six week “Introduction to the Bible.” Track 1 allots two weeks for studying the life and teachings of Jesus, two weeks for studying the life and teachings of Paul, and two weeks for studying the Old Testament. Track 2 broadens the scope over a six month duration to read “Every Book in the Bible” but not every verse. “Every Word of the Bible” is saved for Track 3, a three year commitment.
My big idea was to do regular family Bible studies, starting with Track 1. Thus, in January 2021, we commenced reading about the preparation for Jesus’ arrival, the story of Jesus’ birth, and the beginning of His ministry. We were on a roll…..until we weren’t. We read a whopping four chapters together in 2021. Then we quit. So much for my big idea.
And here we are in 2022, the year of the Abundancy Mindset! As I have been contemplating what an abundancy mindset means and what I need to do to nurture it, I have concluded that the Bible must be a central part of the process. I am curious about, respectful of, and influenced by many faiths and philosophies. However, just like these United States need a Constitution, I need a core document. I have chosen the Bible as my core document.
To grow in my faith and to absorb the wisdom of the Bible, I need to be in the Word on a regular basis. Part of my effort in that regard is roping my family back into Bible studies. By studying the Bible together, we are cultivating abundance not only by digesting the subject matter but also by enjoying productive time as a family unit.
Our goal is to study four chapters of the Bible per week. This goal is SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Our structure is that we take turns reading from a chapter or two under the Track 1 plan immediately after dinner and then we discuss for a few minutes. This structure ties the desired habit–studying the Bible–into an existing and strong habit–eating dinner–and thus will make the desired habit more likely to stick. We’re usually together at dinner, anyway, so after eating we easily can extend the deliberate pause just a bit longer. The post-dinner studies have provided a welcome change from everyone dining and dashing.
In our most recent study, we shared the verses that seemed “coolest” to us. My son went first; he chose Matthew 7: 7- 8:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
That was my pick, too! My heart “strangely warmed” with both of us having chosen the same verses, especially since Matthew 7 has a lot of good stuff, including the Golden Rule. While my son wisely related the verses to connecting with God, I also found them to be useful in the secular world. Whether spiritual or secular, these verses certainly encourage an Abundancy Mindset!
How about you? Do you have a core document? What’s your plan to keep it top of mind?
With Love,
P. Gustav Mueller, author of The Present