You Don’t Always Know What You Need Until You Get It

You don’t always know what you need until you experience what you’re missing from your life. This point hit me straight in the heart recently.

Four months ago I got invited to start attending a men’s small group Bible Study on Wednesday mornings. How long is it, I asked. About 90 minutes, sometimes two hours. Hmmm. I’m a working man. Do I have that much time?

I’ve gone to church every week for my entire life. I taught teen and then young adult Sunday School for more than 20 years. I’m not a Bible scholar, but I do have a seminary degree, and what with working in Christian publishing most of my adult life … how do I say this without sounding like a jerk … I’ll just say it … I feel like I know the Bible pretty well without adding another study. I always have something to learn, but I often get that through reading or sermons. It’s always felt like enough.

But I really liked the guy that invited me and knew a couple of the other guys and really liked them. So I said, yes. That’s when I found out what I really needed at this point in my life. I’ve only missed twice since that first week, both times for travel. I really missed being with my Bible study group both times. Every week I start looking forward to our time together by Monday and set my alarm a little earlier on Tuesday night. I don’t want to be late – though no guarantees on that. What makes this time so special?

We shoot the breeze about sports and politics for about thirty minutes. Well I get plenty of that elsewhere. Then someone asks, what chapter are we on? We don’t have a teacher or leader so someone volunteers to read the passage. Most of the group asks what translation it is and switch to that version on an iPad or Samsung Note and we follow along. (I’m still a paper and ink guy myself.) I’ve been in more structured Bible studies.

But it’s wonderful.

After we read the passage, one of our members who was a pastor for many year, often offers some very keen insights and context. But some weeks he doesn’t say anything. And the majority of the next hour is pretty simple. We informally take turns sharing what the passage means and how it applies to life. We get a nice mix of responses from the academic to some questioning to the heartfelt to an occasional rant to the deeply personal.

I’ve come away every week feeling closer to God and very connected to a group of guys that care about their country, their church, their community, their families, their personal integrity … and each other.

We pray for each other and boy do we need it.

One friend had cancer. Another was fighting to keep his business above water. Another has a new album hitting. Another is suffering from heart failure. Another is working hard on his marriage. Another is making a huge decision on whether to accept a job transfer. The list goes on and is ever-changing.

I’ve not heard anyone claim to be perfect or to have all the answers. But each man seems to have a sincere love for God and living a life that pleases God and makes a difference in the world. Just like me.

Wow. I need that. I didn’t know how much I needed that until I experienced it. At this time and in this way.

I won’t project what I need on your life. You might need something different right now. This blog post isn’t written to tell you if you aren’t in a Bible study like mine you are missing what you need.

But all of us get into a groove in life where we aren’t really open to an invitation that feels like one more to-do item to add to a list that already feels too long and busy.

I’ll leave it with this question. What invitation have you had recently that doesn’t immediately light a fire in your mind – but just might be the place, the activity, the group, and the experience that you really need most in your life right now?