#FridayFriends — I’ve Wasted 30 Years of My Life
Today's blog post was written by my dear friend Tara McAdam. Tara is a wife, mother of two, teacher, and photographer. All of our family photos have been taken by Tara, so check out her photography on her Facebook page and website. I have been so encouraged by her friendship the last six years, and I pray her testimony of the power of God's word would encourage you today.
I have wasted thirty years of my life not knowing who God is. I became a believer of Jesus Christ at twelve years old and rededicated my life at age twenty. From twenty years old to thirty years old, I tried countless methods of trying to know who God is. I would listen to solid Christian podcasts, read best-selling Christian books, listen to recorded sermons, soak up teachings from my pastor, and be super involved in the latest bible study. All of those things are good things, but none of those things could be my first source of knowing who God is.
The Bible is the living, breathing Word of God. The Bible is how God reveals who He is to His people.
The Bible is the living, breathing Word of God. The Bible is how God reveals who He is to His people. The Bible is a book about God from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible is not a book about me. Over the last decade of my life, I feel like I have been on the “baby foods” Christian diet slowly building up to the Christian diet I intake now. This past year is the first year in my life I have truly tasted the “meat and potatoes” Christian diet.
I wake up daily hungry and thirsty for time with God in His Word. I have never had that consistently in my life until now. Sure, I would have it for days or weeks at a time, but never every single day itching to have my quality communion with my God. I long for the time in my day where I spend quality time with my Lord and Savior. For years I lacked the confidence to study God’s Word on my own. I was intimidated by the Bible. I was scared to not know all the answers. I was not zealous for meeting with God every day like I should be as an active follower of Christ.
I recently read a book by Jen Wilkin titled Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both our Hearts and Minds. It has given me several tools, resources, tips, strategies, and the confidence to now pick up God’s Word and use it as my first source of knowing who God is. I am dismayed at how I went for so many years without this hunger and thirst for my time with God. I fear there are many believers out there who allow Satan to prevent their daily time with God from happening as he did so many years in my life. Satan led me to believe my “baby food” time with God was enough. I did not know the “meat and potatoes” I was missing until I tasted it. Once you taste the solid food time with God, you never want “baby food” time again.
Once you taste the solid food time with God, you never want “baby food” time again.
There is a time for “baby food” in your walk with Christ as a young believer, but at some point, you should shift to a “meat and potatoes” believer. It has taken me thirty years to make that shift. I want to encourage you, don’t waste the years of your life like I have. “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it” (1 Corinthians 3:2).
Are you ready for “solid food?” What does your Christian diet look like? Do you wake up with a hunger and thirst to spend quality time with God? What or who stands in your way? “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).