According to tradition, the Native Americans showed the early pilgrims how to farm and survive the first winter in the New World. That makes it a celebration of redemption and salvation.
As Christians, we should really support everything about redemption and salvation.
“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
We are thankful because a debt we could never pay was satisfied on the cross. It’s really a wonderful story.
But right on the other side of Thanksgiving comes Black Friday. And suddenly, it’s a scramble to snap up all the great deals that are offered. (I did some shopping and got a great deal on an online teaching platform – but you’ll hear more about that later.)
Often Black Friday means accessing accounts that have been dormant for a long time. And if you’re like me, that means dredging up some old passwords to get logged in.
Here’s a great trick for setting passwords in a way that draw attention back to the gospel.
I use Bible references as passwords.
Too often I’m in search of “strong” passwords. Upper case, lower case, numerals and special characters. If you look at a Scripture reference, it has all of that. Just strip out the spaces, and you’ve got a great string of characters that involve all of the character types.
If I were to use the verse on giving thanks, it would be: 1Thessalonians5:18
When was the last time you came up with an 18 character password that you could actually remember? Never mind one that would involve all the character types? (probably never!)
Not only is this a good way to come up with a password but every time you use it, you’ll be reminded of the verse itself.
- How might your work day change if you thought of a Bible verse first thing as you logged onto your computer?
- How could your email account bear witness to your new heart if you had to type a Scripture reference whenever you accessed it?
Scripture passwords are practical. But they also draw our attention back to the things that really matter. We need to remind ourselves of that all the time, or the cares of the world will press eternal concerns out of our mind.
This is one small trick to bring our mind and heart back to God throughout the day.
It’s a great way to use the activities of every day life to draw our attention back to the gospel. It’s not a “life hack”. It’s a “Gospel Hack”.
I invite you to give it a try. Anything that reminds you of Jesus and your salvation is a good thing in my book.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Dennis
