Thursday, August 6, 2009

Help for the Inconsistent Bible Reader

This is an encouragement for those who are inconsistency in the daily reading of the Bible. There can be various reasons why a person is inconsistent or negligent. If that happens to be you, then what I share here is for you.

What makes some Christians inconsistent in Scripture reading?

Generally speaking, inconsistent people are simply too busy and do not take time to get alone, be still, and have an uninterrupted time in the Word. In such a case, the only solution is to take some self-inventory, ask the Lord for grace to change this, and then make some real choices.

If a person can come to the place of sincerely saying, "Whatever my schedule is, whatever my responsibilities are, I desire to have a quality time in the Word of God every day, regardless of what I am doing; it may mean being up an hour earlier; it may mean taking lunch alone every day rather than eating with others; it may mean stopping on the way home from work for a quiet time and place to read and meditate--I don't care what it takes, I must have regular and quality time in the Word of God for daily nourishment of my soul and daily renewal of my mind and heart; I am going to do this, by God's grace, no matter what because I know this is God's will for me."

I believe in our day that this is the primary problem. It simply is not the priority it ought to be. And some haven't won the battle yet. So they suffer in their walk and will continue to do so until this change takes place. It can happen if they desire it enough and are serious enough.

For such a person, I can give them a regular reading plan that is simple and user-friendly; I did not say easy--disciplined reading time is a discipline that can be built into your life. I will then offer suggestions about how to do your reading that can maximize your benefit and enjoyment. I will not share that here, but am simply making this reading plan available to anyone who needs a plan and will ask for it.

I could not begin to express the life change that comes from reading every day without interruption. I'm not talking about reading ten or fifteen minutes, but at least an hour daily. What happens is this:

- The more you become consistent, the more of a habit it becomes.
- The more you read, the more your mind becomes renewed to truth.
- The more your mind gets renewed, the more enjoyment, truth, enlightenment, strength, hope, freedom, joy, and a God-centered perspective comes to you.

The more this happens, the richer and more enjoyable Bible reading becomes; it then is not a drudgery, but an exciting experience, where you actually look forward to the time with anticipation and enjoyment.

So, if you are a person who is inconsistent because you don't have a plan and method, I welcome you to ask.

- Mack Tomlinson

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