The importance of studying the Bible for yourself!

A person studying the Bible

I was preparing a program for next year for the kids, and my biggest fear is teaching them something biblically unsound. While preparing this program, I was completely confused between two people in the Bible. From where does the confusion come? I don't really know, but sure, I saw the importance of studying the Bible for myself.

The program

Next year will be the second year that I'm the leader of the kids (ages 0 to 18). I don't have a degree in working with kids. But I'm always careful not to teach the kids things that aren't biblical. This year, the whole department was a mess; the Church itself is a mess; every department is focused on running programs with the best of intentions. But I felt lost this whole year, not knowing what to do or how to fix the problem the Church has.

They have two big problems at the Church: we don't know our vision and mission, and because of that, we aren't planning accordingly. Second, the needs of working hands. Our Church is full of kids, but nobody wants to work with them.

We are a church that says the kids are essential, but the kids are the ones who come last because everybody focuses on their department, and the focus is mainly on the adults. If I don't care for the kids, rarely does anyone else.

In September, I had an evaluation with my department; 3 people filled out the questionnaire out of 13, and 4 people attended the reunion. It has been clear to me since the beginning that I need to work with those who want to work, because those are the people I can count on. I was stressed the whole year because I have a problem, and they( the Church) expect me to fix it. At least that is how I was feeling until I understood that this is the Church of God, and it is not my job to correct the problem. I was making a problem that can only be fixed by God, my problem.

So, at the reunion, we discussed the lack of a goal for the kids' department. The idea was to set a goal and focus on it all year. In my process of letting go of seeing my department's problem as my problem and giving it back to God, I am trusting that he will guide me to make the most of the tasks he has given me. Not because I believe I can do it on my own, but because I think that He saw in me what I don't see in myself, and that only with His guidance can I do what He wants me to do.

Since October, I have been praying about what I need to prepare for the kids, and God gave me the idea of "Who am I for God"? The idea is to choose a person in the Bible and use their story to show the kids that the Lord can use you, too, if you are willing.

The importance of studying the Bible

I brainstormed with God and came up with 11 names (not all from the beginning; I had seven). From the eleven names, we will have six kids ' church sessions a year, where we will discuss them. It was challenging to choose the six names for myself, so I remembered casting a lot. I wrote them all on a piece of paper and had a friend choose six.

Here is where the confusion comes: 5 of the people were among the 6 I wanted to choose, but one was not. I was happy because I was sure the Lord was guiding my steps. While writing the plan, I was touched by one of the stories, and I told my friend about it. We discussed it, but we were both confused about this person. It's Mary Magdalene!

We both thought that Mary was a prostitute and that she was the one who washed the feet of Jesus with the alabaster jar. But it is not, in my previous search, I already understood that Mary had passed by seven demons. But I thought that she came crying at the feet of Jesus because she was grateful for her liberation. The truth is that she was not the same woman. The woman who cried at the feet of Jesus was a sinner, but it doesn't specify if she was even a prostitute.

Going back and forth to understand who this woman was, I stumbled upon my worst fear: teaching the kids something biblically unsound. So, my job is to study it for myself too. Not depending on my memory of the stories. And giving away to the teachers the importance of studying this for themselves as well. To see for ourselves that we are on the same page before teaching the kids the wrong stuff.

Moral of the story

Never is it too late to realize that you might have had a wrong understanding, but when God corrected you, learn from it. I've learned that I need to study my Bible for myself throughout this process and depend entirely on the Lord, because, after all, it is His Church, and he wants to guide those who are willing to hear his guidance.

Be blessed, and study for yourself.