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Sometimes You Just Gotta Read It

May 4th, 2007 Leave a comment Go to comments

I’ve been keeping myself very busy. I wake up at 7am and walk for at least an hour and a half. Sometimes as much as 3 hours. After finishing my walk, eating breakfast and getting showered I immediately head in to work, where I give it everything I’ve got until 7 or 8pm. By then I’m emotionally burnt. Most of the time I’ll relax an hour or two before going to bed, only to start the cycle again in the morning.

I pray a lot while on my morning walks, but I’ve been neglecting my Bible. It just doesn’t seem too appealing to read it sometimes, does it? This morning I forced myself to pick it up. It opened to James chapter 4. I got a lot out of the scriptures themselves and even more out of the commentary, this sentence in particular:

We can be released from our self-centered desires by humbling ourselves before God, realizing that all we really need is His approval.

I have a habit of seeking the approval of others. It’s a habit I’m trying to break. I needed that reminder.

In other news: I’m loving life in my little studio apartment. It fits me perfectly.

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  • Jeff

    Hey, some help on the reading Bible front, if you’d like it…
    Get a notebook. Start with a book. I chose Romans, but choose whatever you want. Read till something hits you, where God explains something. Then, write the passage on the top of a fresh piece of the notebook. Under that, write “What it says” and write down what that passage said, the actual statement he made. Save your impressions, because that’s what you write down in the next section, “What it means to me.” That’s where you write down how what you read can impact your life. Finally, write down the section, “What I need.” That’s the portion where you assess what you need in order to do what you just read. It’s also where you write down anything you could use help with or anything you need. For me, by writing it down here, it saved me from wasting so much time praying for what I need and I’m able to set aside my wants and needs and focus on others through the day.
    Doing this revolutionized reading the Bible for me. Sometimes, I’d read two verses and I’d be struck by something. Sometimes it’d take me a whole chapter. But putting it into writing motivated me because now there was a focus and the Bible didn’t seem so overwhelming.

  • Jeff

    Hey, some help on the reading Bible front, if you’d like it…
    Get a notebook. Start with a book. I chose Romans, but choose whatever you want. Read till something hits you, where God explains something. Then, write the passage on the top of a fresh piece of the notebook. Under that, write “What it says” and write down what that passage said, the actual statement he made. Save your impressions, because that’s what you write down in the next section, “What it means to me.” That’s where you write down how what you read can impact your life. Finally, write down the section, “What I need.” That’s the portion where you assess what you need in order to do what you just read. It’s also where you write down anything you could use help with or anything you need. For me, by writing it down here, it saved me from wasting so much time praying for what I need and I’m able to set aside my wants and needs and focus on others through the day.
    Doing this revolutionized reading the Bible for me. Sometimes, I’d read two verses and I’d be struck by something. Sometimes it’d take me a whole chapter. But putting it into writing motivated me because now there was a focus and the Bible didn’t seem so overwhelming.

  • http://www.fotop.net/solem solem

    Reading the Bible is hard work.

    A good verse to remember about Bible reading is: 1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

    The Holy Spirit reveals to us, and opens our understanding. We cannot figure out the spiritual truth of God’s words by means of our own cleverness.

  • http://www.fotop.net/solem solem

    Reading the Bible is hard work.

    A good verse to remember about Bible reading is: 1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

    The Holy Spirit reveals to us, and opens our understanding. We cannot figure out the spiritual truth of God’s words by means of our own cleverness.

  • http://cordof4strands.blogspot.com/ Jered

    Thanks for sharing your struggles. I take comfort in knowing I’m not alone. While seeking the approval of others can be a trap, there is also safety in a multitude of counselors (Prov 11:14).

  • http://cordof4strands.blogspot.com Jered

    Thanks for sharing your struggles. I take comfort in knowing I’m not alone. While seeking the approval of others can be a trap, there is also safety in a multitude of counselors (Prov 11:14).

  • nancy

    It is hard not to seek the approval of others. It is hard to get over thinking that we are the central character in a story and everything else revolves around us, (like Donald Miller said in Blue Like Jazz, which I just finished reading.) Excellent book!
    I don’t read the Bible as much as I probably should either and then I feel bad, because I think of all the people who worked so hard to translate it into our language and many others, and how awesome it is that we have it right at our fingertips to read whenever we want.
    I read it in small doses or large gulps. But every time I read it I am struck by the power behind the words!
    The mornings have been beautiful. I’ve been riding my bike to work.

  • nancy

    It is hard not to seek the approval of others. It is hard to get over thinking that we are the central character in a story and everything else revolves around us, (like Donald Miller said in Blue Like Jazz, which I just finished reading.) Excellent book!
    I don’t read the Bible as much as I probably should either and then I feel bad, because I think of all the people who worked so hard to translate it into our language and many others, and how awesome it is that we have it right at our fingertips to read whenever we want.
    I read it in small doses or large gulps. But every time I read it I am struck by the power behind the words!
    The mornings have been beautiful. I’ve been riding my bike to work.

  • maxgrace

    Hey Donny,
    Miss seeing you. For me, Bible reading only works with a cup of coffee and a very sharp pencil. I underline stuff. I connect words. I write notes in the margin.
    I use pencil instead of pen. That way I can change my mind later.
    Fasolini’s any time soon?
    Bill

  • maxgrace

    Hey Donny,
    Miss seeing you. For me, Bible reading only works with a cup of coffee and a very sharp pencil. I underline stuff. I connect words. I write notes in the margin.
    I use pencil instead of pen. That way I can change my mind later.
    Fasolini’s any time soon?
    Bill

  • http://www.the-confessions-of-a-porn-addict.blogspot.com/ Michael

    Hey Donny. I totally understand the difficulty and discipline it takes to consistantly stay connected to God through the Word.

    Praise God you’re honest about it and Praise the Lord He led you to something profoundly appropriate.

    God be with you.

    Michael
    The Confessions of a Porn Addict

  • http://www.the-confessions-of-a-porn-addict.blogspot.com Michael

    Hey Donny. I totally understand the difficulty and discipline it takes to consistantly stay connected to God through the Word.

    Praise God you’re honest about it and Praise the Lord He led you to something profoundly appropriate.

    God be with you.

    Michael
    The Confessions of a Porn Addict