Taking an assessment of different individualistic opinions on the art of reading:
1) Reading is as hard as a strenuous exercise.
2) Reading is a hobby. A time to relax and pass time off tedious activities.
More aptly, reading is interfacing with knowledge to bridge a gap of ignorance and come up to life that is void of folly. So in a demand to live as the wise, one of the ways you learn to walk circumspectly is by interfacing with knowledge.
Having known the benefits that come with reading, how do I develop this discipline?
Learning is progressive and systematic and it should be approached as such. You must learn how to approach every area of your life systematically just so you can keep a track record of your growth.
This is what I mean;
Coming for services, listening to sermons, reading your Bible are different ways we interface with the knowledge of God. However, how much of this knowledge have you been able to apply to your life. You must understand that you must learn to take individualistic steps towards your growth.
As much as God relates and teaches us corporately, in terms of the things we learn as a church, you should never define your life from the lens of the things God is doing in a congregation.
What is God saying to you personally? What does God want you to work on? What is God’s emphasis for your life at this time? How much do you pay attention to dealings? You have issues with building your prayer life and the only time you can pray is when you’re in fellowship. You always need someone to motivate you to build your faith in God. You’re actively serving God in fellowship yet you are subtly dealing with pride.
Your fellowship with God is not to the end that you mark the task of reading your Bible off your to-do list. Allow the scriptures be your mirror to seeing your weaknesses. Then take appropriate steps to working on those weaknesses.
This is where reading books comes in. One thing that helps you stay consistent and disciplined with reading books is reading things that address a particular need in your life in a particular season. As much as you want to show that you care, giving candy to a child who is sick with a headache will only show that you do not understand the demands of that child and you may not be helping that child, even if your actions were sponsored from a place of love. Learn to approach your life by understanding the demands of a season and aligning yourself to addressing such demands.
In the stages of growth of a child, there’s a time when all that the child needs is milk. Progressively, the child begins to take in other foods. A proof that you really care for that child is that you understand the demands of the child and you can appropriately satisfy that demand. In the same light, you should devise a systematic plan that helps you focus equally on every area of your life. This is what it means to be a balanced Christian. Ensure that each day, you’re learning something that helps you deal with your weaknesses and take you one step closer to the life God wants for you.
Everything you don’t know and everything you’re suffering from demands a knowledge you must find.
MARANATHA!