2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Jeremiah 23-24 GW; Hebrews 5 GW; Psalms 110 GW
Become mature.
Zig Ziglar was a motivational speaker in the 1990s. A man of God, his books and speeches still impact people’s lives years after his death. Listening to his presentation on his book, “Over the Top,” he made an interesting point:
“In the 1770s, 3 million Americans produced Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and James Monroe, among others. In 1997, 266 million Americans produced? You fill in the blank. I can’t think of one equal to any of our Founding Fathers.”
Zig’s reasoning for this reality is because of how we learn. During the 1700s, children learned to read and write from the Bible. In other words, the textbook was the scriptures. Slowly, over time, that changed. Zig’s research to back up his point saddened me:
“According to the Thomas Jefferson Research Institute, in the 1770s, over 90 percent of our educational thrust was of an ethical, moral, religious nature. By 1926, the percentage was down to 6 percent, and by 1951, the percentage was so low it could not be measured.”
Growth requires discipline.
Years ago, the statistic for people who read scripture daily was 11%. When I was looking for a Pew Research study to find a more current statistic, I couldn’t find one. Instead, I found statistics for weekly. Jehovah’s Witnesses were top of the list, 88% according to the poll, they believe Jesus is God’s son, but not God and the Holy Spirit isn’t a person. Protestant’s, people professing to follow Jesus, were at 63%. In other words, people who don’t believe in Jesus are reading the stories about Him more regularly than the people who do.
Growth can’t come without intention. Reading the stories written by 40 authors over 1400 years has to happen more than once a week. If you want to experience life change, discipline yourself to read the scriptures daily. Give up ten minutes of your morning to read what God’s people have to say.
Develop discipline, read the scriptures daily. Become mature one day at a time.
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Lord, thank You for the authors who penned the books of the Bible. Forgive us for forgetting the collection of books has individual writers who dedicated their lives to You. Help us become more mature by developing a daily discipline. Let us leave the milk behind and start eating solid food. IJNIP. Amen
Question for reflection
How can you develop discipline today?
