How a single word can provide context for living …

The attention span for many of us living in the 21st century has shrunken by radical degrees. We’re a people who increasingly prefer to communicate with emojis, pictures rather than words (e.g. Instagram), abbreviations in already abbreviated texts, or perhaps the verbose ramblings of 280 characters (e.g. Twitter). So the idea of spending extended periods of time wading through and studying the enormity of the Bible feels overwhelming … so most of us don’t.

But we need to.

We cannot rightly know how to live separate and apart from the content of the Bible.

But what if we could find context for living in just a single word?

One word?

Yes, often a single word can provide profound context for living. For example, the following illustration from the book, “Fill These Hearts,” shows the need to put the Bible or theological statements into their proper context or framework. Once you understand the context, everything else falls into place and makes sense. For this illustration, read the following paragraph and ask if it makes sense:

A seashore is a better place than the street because you need lots of room. At first it is better to run than to walk. You may have to try several times. It takes some skill, but it is easy to learn. Even young children can enjoy it. Birds seldom get too close. If there are no snags it can be very peaceful. But if it breaks loose, you won’t get another chance.

Without any context to frame the sentences, this paragraph doesn’t make any sense. Now read it again, but this time let me provide some context — a one-word frame or interpretive key. The one word is kite. Now see if it makes sense:

A seashore is a better place than the street because you need lots of room. At first it is better to run than to walk. You may have to try several times. It takes some skill, but it is easy to learn. Even young children can enjoy it. Birds seldom get too close. If there are no snags it can be very peaceful. But if it breaks loose, you won’t get another chance.

The context helps the paragraph make sense. In the same way, when it comes to the Bible (or theology, or Christianity, or the gospel), once you have the context or the framework, all of the details start to fall into place.

We need all of the Bible, it’s important that we not give up on studying and plumbing the depths of its great story. But to help you from day to day, you can take a single word from scripture and gain great context for living. Let’s look at an example, using the word salvation as our one-word frame.

As a Christian, you are saved from sin and its consequence of death. What should that mean regarding how we actually live? What context can the word “salvation” bring to how we should live out the rest of this day and all of our tomorrows?

The apostle Paul uses the word salvation as a frame to provide context for living in Titus 2:11-12 …

“For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.”

Paul teaches us that because we have received the free gift of salvation from God, that is supposed to result in real changes in how we live. The apostle doesn’t keep us guessing about what kind of change, adding that because we are saved, we are to …

• • Turn away from godless living (take a moment and ponder what “godless living” means).
  • Turn away from sinful pleasures (take a moment to consider what “sinful pleasures” means).

And because of our salvation, writes Paul, we should live in this world …

• • With wisdom (ask yourself how much better your life could be if you were wise and exercised wisdom).
  • Righteousness (take a moment to reflect on what “righteousness” means).
  • Devotion to God (ask yourself what it means to live in “devotion to God”).

Would you like some clear context for how you, a Christian, should live your life TODAY? Then ask yourself some questions:

• • Because you are saved, have you turned away from godless living?
  • Have you turned away from all sinful pleasures?
  • Are you living with wisdom that God is happy to supply (James 1:5)?
  • Are you living righteously?
  • Are you living each day fully devoted to God?

So if you used the word “salvation” as your one-word frame for today to provide you with context for living, would that help you have a clear understanding about how to live your life? It should … but the question is, will you live that way?

Scotty

P.S. This is just an exercise in exploring the depths of a single word from scripture. As noted previously, we need all of the Bible, and we need to be serious students of it. But it can be helpful to take different words (all kinds of words … love, joy, obedient, propitiation, faithful, redemption, justified, sanctified, disciple, seek, serve, etc.) as we read and study scripture and see what context it brings to living, and more specifically, to how we are living our own lives.