Hi
,
I'm going to start this new year by putting to you a rather pointed question, one that you can only answer for yourself:
How many days per week do you spend
some time reading your Bible?
One? (perhaps in church on Sunday?) Two? Three? Four, or more? There's a specific reason I wonder about this, and one I had never known.
Recently, we heard an amazing statistic related to our involvement with the scriptures. A study was done by the Center for Bible Engagement over the course of many years and covering many tens of thousands of Christians. A major discovery from this research was that the life of someone who engages in the scriptures four or more times per week becomes profoundly different from the life of
someone who doesn't. Amazingly, the research showed that the lives of Christians who do not engage in the scriptures most days of a week look almost the same as non-believers!
To quote from the research...
"Key findings include:
* If a person engages the Bible four or more times a week, their odds of giving in to temptations such as drinking to excess, viewing pornography, lashing out in anger, gossiping, and lying significantly decrease.
* Receiving, reflecting on, and responding to God’s Word four or more times a week decreases a person’s odds of struggling with issues such as feeling bitter, thinking destructively about self or others, having difficulty forgiving others, and feeling discouraged.
* Engaging scripture produces a more proactive faith among Christians. Controlling for age, gender, church attendance, and prayer practices, the individual engaged in the Bible has significantly higher odds of giving financially, memorizing scripture, and sharing their faith with others.
* People’s perceptions of their own spiritual growth are also impacted by how often they hear from God through the Bible. Those who engage scripture most days of the week are less likely to feel spiritually stagnant and to feel that they can’t please God."
One of the most serious problems in Christendom today is biblical illiteracy. Biblical illiteracy! Why would that be?! The Bible is God's manual for living. It provides everything God intended for us to know. As Christians, it really should be a daily priority to spend some time in God's Word. To see more of this amazing study, click on the links below:
