Building Better Bible Habits - A Devotional on Bible Reading & Your Relationship With God

"The very practice of reading [the Bible] will have a purifying effect upon your mind and heart. Let nothing take place of this daily

exercise."

Billy Graham

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2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, "All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." Daily bible reading is a constant struggle for the average believer in Jesus Christ. We all have hopes of being consistent with our bible reading. In which, grows us closer to God. These are the three main reasons I am inconsistent in reading the Bible:

1. Laziness

2. Distractions

3. Busyness

Let's talk further about these inconsistencies.

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Laziness

What does the bible say about laziness?

• "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for it is sin" [James 4:17]

• "Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord" [Romans 12:11]

Simply put it laziness is a lack of motivation. The question is how do we gain that motivation again to read the bible?

What comes to mind as a lack of motivation to read the bible is the word "lukewarmness". A lack of motivation can lead to Spiritual laziness, in which [if nothing is done about it] can result in lukewarmness. God said some alarming things about lukewarmness:

• "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth" [ Revelation 3:15-16]

• "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" [Matthew 7:21-23]

Let us dig deeper into Revelation 3:15-16, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth". At first glance, this verse sounds scary. We must read with context and with the Holy Spirit to receive a full understanding. Pray and read the verse again.

Revelation 3:15-16 is about the Christians in Laodicea. The Christians in Laodicea drink lukewarm water every day, which is quite unsatisfying. Lukewarmness is a symbol of compromising your faith for the world. Your faith can not be hot and cold, thus the term "lukewarmness''. As grandma always says, "You can not have one foot in the world, and the other in the kingdom of God". Attempting to perform both will have you in spiritual turmoil. As Jesus puts it, "So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth. A lukewarm Christian is attractive to the enemy. A lukewarm Christian will be easily deceived by the world and her pleasures. A lukewarm Christian is someone who is in the faith enough to "know of" Jesus, but not enough to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and reap the benefit of eternal life.

Let us dig deeper into Matthew 7:21-23, " Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord', did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive our demons and, in your name, perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you', Away from me, you evildoers". Just like the earlier verse, this one is a sobering reality as well. Just like we did before, we must read with context and with the Holy Spirit to receive a full understanding. Pray and read the verse again.

Matthew 7:21-23 is a part of the Sermon of the Mount, in the book of Matthew. This verse applies to those who are religiously Christian but doesn't walk in an active relationship with Jesus Christ. Those who are religiously Christian go to church every Sunday, fulfill some type of religious task every day, etc. Religious Christians do these activities but there is not an active relationship with Jesus Christ, and repentance of sin, to give these activities the proper meaning, and spiritual fulfillment. There is only one fulfillment you have to make for salvation, and it isn't just only a simple prayer of salvation.

It is, For By Grace (God's Favor and compassion through Christ) You Have Been Saved (we are saved from the punishment of our sin, given eternal life through Christ) Through Faith (as Hebrews 11:1-3 states, Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God's command so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible". Faith isn't only an agreement in your mind attached to a feeling, it is the belief that drives our actions, values, and decisions) And This Is Not Of Your Own Doing ( we are not saved by our own efforts, reading the bible and praying [don't get me wrong that is a good habit to have] but does not grant you eternal life) It Is A Gift Of God ( your salvation and eternal life are totally depended on, and sustained by Jesus Christ) [Ephesians 2:8-9].

I am not implying that laziness is going to send you directly to hell. Laziness is a stepping stone on the path of lukewarmness. Laziness can lead to quenching of the Holy Spirit [1 Thessalonians 5:19-22], which can lead to neglecting your salvation [Hebrews 2:3], and so forth.

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Distractions

The Consequences Of Distractions

Everything is at your disposal with a simple tap on a screen [ if you have time, I recommend that you watch a documentary called "The Social Dilemma"]. This can be a good and bad thing. It is a bad thing in terms of your bible reading, and your relationship with Jesus Christ. Our bible reading is a part of our personal time with God. That is the time when we meditate on his word and listen for his instruction. It is hard to do with notifications popping up on your phone, and a new tv show to check out each week. Just like any relationship, no matter if it is romantic or platonic it takes time to build, and get to know the person over time. You get to know their dislikes/likes, values, beliefs, etc. We must do the same thing with God. If you are anything like me, my relationship with God tends to be one-sided at times. To combat that one-sidedness, I ask myself this question: "What is taking my attention away from him?". What is so important on this earth that is distracting me from the person that molded me in my mother's womb [Psalm 139:13]?

"The more you focus on yourself, the more distracted you will be from the proper path. The more you know Him and commune with Him, the more the Spirit will make you like Him. The more you are like him, the better you will understand His utter sufficiency for all of life's difficulties. And that is only way to know real satisfaction"

John MacArthur

Let us look at the example of Mary and Martha.

"Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she has a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me". But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." [ Luke 10:38-42]

Sometimes we can be Martha, let's strive to be Mary. We need to be at Jesus's feet in worship. A real relationship with Jesus Christ can never be taken away from you. You have to do your part though. Get to know Him, worship Him, read His word, pray, spread the gospel, and fellowship with other believers in Church.

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Busyness

Aren't We All ?

We are busy with work, school, friends, and so on. We can make a list of excuses.

Let's look at what the Bible says about busyness:

• "Look carefully then how you walk, not unwise but as wise, making the best use of time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is" [Ephesians 5: 5:15-17]

• "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" [Colossians 3:23]

• "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" [1 Corinthians 10:31]

For this one, we will only dig deep into Colossians 3:23, which states, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men". Whatever task you are given on earth (school, work, family, etc), everything should be done for the glory of Christ. We are His ambassadors [2 Corinthians 5:20]. We carry the aroma of Christ [2 Corinthians 2:15], we have to move accordingly. These titles, jobs, awards, etc, will not matter on the day of judgment. There is not going to be a degree requirement to get into heaven's gates. My reasoning for saying this is to shift the direction of your intentions. Are you getting a degree to bring glory to your name, or bring glory to the kingdom of God? Are you trying to gain more followers for his glory or yours? Are you working hard on your career for your name to be gold-plated, or to bring glory to his name? What drives you? Is your success only for earthly gain? Are you living for you or for Him?

Let your busyness be rooted in Christ!

Application

How Do I Start Building This Habit of Reading The Bible & Grow With God?

1. Take a good look at your life. Take inventory of what could possibly affect your Bible reading habit. I can promise nine times out of ten the inconsistency starts with you.

2. Identify those inconsistencies and take them to God in prayer.

3. Make the proper changes!

Our habits shape who we are, and how we use them to become who we want to be. My question for you is - Who Do You Want To Be?