The other day, I was following a bible themed conversation on Instagram and the comments I read from fellow Christians had me thinking.
What wasn’t there to think about?
Was it the comments that were in defiance to God’s ownership?
Was it the comments that misappropriated biblical truths?
What about the comments that attempted to throw in the garbage the need for discipleship?
It was a lot and it had me wondering .
Days later, I felt the need to put all the delinquencies into writing so that as many who reads it would be helped by God to choose better.
What then are the issues?
You might want to see this Contemplations: Flaws In Contemporary Christianity.
1)Christians don’t read the scriptures
It’s a growing decadence, More than 50 % of affirming Christians do not read their Bibles.
This I know following the figures I stumbled on online(Only 45 % read the Bible) and social media engagements.
This I also know because I was in the follow-up team in medical school and 70 percent of the people confess to this fact the first time I meet with them.
There’s poverty of personal Bible reading.
We know the lyrics to the latest gospel songs but the word of God we have refused to hide in our hearts.
Hymns we know, but the guide to know Him we have refused.
We can pray but we can’t read the Bible.
We can listen to messages but to read the Bible seems a herculean task.
It’s always difficult getting at things that are profitable and this is why you’d know that there’s so much stored in the Bible that the enemy is shielding you from.
The word isn’t just going to jump on you, there are no two ways about it.
Romans 10:17 KJV
Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
How do we want to overcome temptations if not by the word?
How do we want to learn the culture of the Kingdom, if not by the word?
How do you want to silence the voice of the accuser if not by the word?
How do we want to be reproved if not by the word?
If you’d decide to take up the discipline never to let a day pass by without the word, you’d begin to palpate the beauty thereof.
Download it on your phone.
Make it your screensaver.
Create sticky notes in your bathroom, by your dressing mirror.
Memorize the word.
Rehearse the word.
2) We’ve not made the scriptures the final say over our lives.
We’re still allowing our personal preferences, our culture, and the nuances of the Western world take the front seat instead of biblical standards.
We’re always sieving the part we want and discarding whatever speaks against us slapping whosoever reminds us about God’s word with “don’t judge, don’t judge”.
How do we want to be conformed to the image of God this way?
Salvation isn’t just a means to safety but is sustained by submission.
Awolehin Gloria
Even when the word crosses and crushes our feelings, we must embrace grace to help in that time of need.
3)We don’t enjoy the Scriptures.
It looks boring and we’d rather prefer to listen to messages.
I’ve been there before and I absolutely get it.
What can you do moving forward?
Read other versions.
The Message and Amplified version is one I have been introducing to some others and that has changed the dynamics of their relationship with God.
Another is the African stereotyped culture that has made us to see God differently from what He intended.
What do you know of God?
What do you think of God?
What do you see of God?
If the perspective you hold of God is that of a tyrant or a dictator, that inevitably would impede on the dynamics of your relationship with him.
If you begin to understand God’s love, that would invariably affect the communication dynamics such that boredom changes to delight.
4). We read the Bible occasionally.
Some only read the Bible on their birthdays, others when they’ve had a terrible dream.
Some read their Bible usually to counter another person, others only when they are pumped to.
The Bible isn’t a cake for special days.
You don’t breathe in only when you’re in an enclosed space, why should reading the Bible be when you’re going through difficulties.
Before salvation, the new testament was boring and I would usually read the old testament with all the stories but when I got saved, the new testament especially the apologetics became my favorite.
This is only what the Holy Spirit can do, allow him.
Always remember to tell the Holy Spirit to make the word alive to you and sooner than before the scriptures would begin to make sense.
You might want to see this ALL I FIND
5)The Bible is dynamic
This is one reason why the Bible is unparalleled.
No book reveals the mind of God like it does.
No book is versatile with equipping with personal development resources like it does
No book judges your intention like it does.
God really is intentional about the human race and it’s so unfortunate to see many losing out of all of His goodness.
Talk about navigating parenting, relationships, finance, contemporary issues, all you’d find in there .
I am now convinced beyond doubt much more than ever that one of the strategies the devil is using to incapacitate Christians is choosing other faith-based alternatives over reading and meditating on the scriptures.
We must see this for what it is and begin to place premium priority to reading the scriptures.
May we be helped.
