Getting things done is one of the hardest things for me to do. It sounds simple right? Just do what you are supposed to do first, get the hard work done and then play later. Instead what I’ve found is that I rarely end up doing what I have to do until I have exhausted all the things I want to do. I know from talking to and observing other people that I am not the only one that struggles with this. The pat answer is to just do it anyway, but this is easier said than done. I think the trick is learning how to want to do the less enjoyable things in life.
Pro 18:1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.
I think the Bible backs up this philosophy. Seeking wisdom is primarily the goal of reading the Bible which is the source of all wisdom. So many people (myself included) struggle to read their Bible, but here we are told that it takes a desire or a thirst to make us do it. You can get by a few days forcing yourself to do something, but it will not last long. You have to want to read your Bible!
How do you do that? The same way you get people to lose weight or get out of debt. Start slow and use a method that will give you fast results. People need to see fruit for their labor early. Here are three tips that I’ve learned that will help you do this:
- Take notes and write down at least one blessing that you received. Looking back on these later is very rewarding
- Don’t force yourself to read a certain amount each day. Ten chapters is ok, but so is three verses!
- Have a plan! Nothing kills morning devotions like not knowing what to read!
At the bare minimum I try to read a chapter in Proverbs a day, and I think this is a good place to start if you’re looking for a Bible reading plan. Most days I also read the Psalm of the day as well. A good method to get through Psalms is to read the chapter corresponding to the date and then add 30 the chapter and keep reading until you reach the end. (i.e. today is the 18th so I’ll read Psalms 18, 48, 78, 108, and 138). If you do this you’ll read Psalms and Proverbs once every month. But don’t lock yourself into it. It’s better to read one Psalm and not meet the goal than to skip your devotions because you don’t have time to do it all like you planned.
I hope that helps you!
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June 30th, 2010
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