Go Beyond

Over the next few days I will share some thoughts about practical ways to grow in the coming year. Perhaps you’ll read an idea or two that you can put into practice. Or perhaps my lists will help you to think about other things you can do to sharpen your mind, soften your heart, strengthen your hands, stretch your horizon, and simplify your life. I begin today with ideas to sharpen your mind.

Read one chapter of Proverbs daily. | Saturate your mind and heart with the practical wisdom of the book of Proverbs this year and then let it seep out in your daily walk. Take the time to journal your insights throughout the year.

Memorize your favorite chapter of Scripture. | It’s not that hard to memorize a chapter. If you can memorize the words of a song, you can certainly memorize the words of a Psalm. Visit my Bible Teaching Notes website for tips on how to memorize Scripture.

Bone up on apologetics. | Read a book by Ravi Zacharias, a Christian apologist in the vein of C.S. Lewis, or read Chuck Colson’s Breakpoint Commentary. Become better prepared to give an answer to those who ask about the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15).

Exercise your brain. | Play Soduku, complete a crossword puzzle, or do some kind of mind-challenging activity every week. Do something that will improve your math skills, your vocabulary, and your reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Write your own creed. | The word creed comes from the Latin word credo which means “I believe.” What do you believe and why do you believe it? Set aside time to investigate and to write in your own words what you believe about the major tenets of the faith.

Learn conversational phrases in another language. | You don’t have to buy expensive software or CD’s to learn another language. Most of us know several people who speak other languages. Ask a friend to help you learn basic conversational phrases. Look for opportunities to practice what you learn.

Research the answers to tough questions skeptics ask. | There is no shortage of questions that skeptics (some of whom may be good friends) ask about God, the Bible, evil and suffering, and more. Dig into the Word and search for the answers to these questions. Doing so will help you to understand the questions and to own the answers.

Learn to recite the alphabet backwards. | This is not as hard as it sounds. Learning the alphabet backwards will cause you to think in new ways in order to learn the associations between the 26 letters that you have known since childhood. And then, pick out words on billboards as you drive home and try to spell them backwards.

Have a friendly debate with a friend. | We live in a world where ideas and issues matter. Ideas and ideologies have an impact on the world and affect the way in which people understand the world. One good way to understand ideas is to have a debate with a friend who cares. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll learn through the process of debate.

Mentor a younger believer. | Invest in the next generation (2 Timothy 2:2). Help a younger believer learn how to love God and love people. Teach someone new in the faith how to dig deep and dig responsibly into God’s Word. Start at home with the people closest to you (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).