Sure, all of the new brain science is interesting, but does it have a practical purpose? You bet your sweet neurons it does, including how you parent your children. Think your teen is deliberately being surly? Chalk it up in part to his pre-frontal cortex not being completely wired (which doesn’t excuse his behavior but changes the tone of any conversation). Want to help your kindergartner succeed at reading? Talk, talk, talk to her from the time she’s born and limit videos, DVD and computer games (they can overstimulate reactive attention, making it difficult to pay attention to a teacher who's simply talking).
But the most convincing argument for face-to-face time, with the science to back it up, is this:
Babies can’t develop the building blocks of language from listening to audio recordings or watching TV or videos. A baby needs completely individualized language experiences delivered by a real person.
I think faith in Jesus works on the same principle. I used to rely almost solely on others to teach me about Jesus, mainly my pastor, speakers and authors. How did they become so wise in the ways of God, I wondered? The answer? While I was reading books about God and listening to sermons about God (biographies, so to speak), these men and women immersed themselves in God’s autobiography, the Bible, whispered the Spirit.
What an eye-opener for me!
We share our lives in Christ with each other. Yes, God speaks words of love, direction, hope, joy, even discipline through others. But He also has things He wants to say directly to us, spiritual wisdom and insight delivered straight from the most-real of all entities: the transcendent God Himself. And He has a love-fueled desire to speak to me…and you.
So read Max Lucado, David Platt, and Sarah Young. And listen to Beth Moore, Louie Giglio and Anne Graham Lotz. But, most of all savor regular bouts of time with God, reading, praising, listening and praying.
That’s where the building blocks of faith are assembled...in the very presence of God.
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