“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”(Romans 15:4 NASB)
There have been times that I have heard people say that they don’t read the meditations that I send out and they give the excuse that they do not like to read. Whether you call it by any of the words above, the “aversion,” “avoidance,” or “an act of turning away,” one’s antipathy or opposition to reading is typically selective. It is like the contemporary, present day commercial where the child takes a stand and declares she will sleep in her kitchen chair all night before she eats broccoli. But as soon as melted cheese is added, something that she likes, she changes her mind and eats the once rejected vegetable with a revived sense of pleasure. One’s refusal to read is selective. When I was in high school, everybody read the weekly gossip column, “Teen Talk,” in the Indianapolis Recorder, a black owned and operated newspaper that still exists today. Yet the same people who could not wait until Friday to read “Teen Talk” never read the news sections. The same people, now seniors, selectively read the obituaries on a daily basis, skipping all the local and national news and other articles because they say, “I don’t like reading.” And ask yourself this question, “Are the books in my “library” just for decoration or do I devote time to learning the content in them?” You can read a paperback novel in one or two settings! So, why is it so difficult to read excerpts from the Scriptures or a meditation that contains the same number of words found on one or perhaps one and a half pages of a hardback book? Is it really true that you have an aversion to reading or do you simply avoid reading certain types of publications? Is it an act of turning away simply because of a fear that you may read something that calls for a change in your behavior; an altering of your ways? Are you turning away from reading because once you read it, you are held responsible, held accountable by heaven for responding in a righteous way?
Let me challenge you to read my friend, particularly the Scriptures, on a daily basis. I hope that you read these meditations or you make perusing the word of God a read first choice over reading Facebook entries, text messages, and the tons of emails that showed up overnight. For you see, I am more interested in motivating you to read materials that are intended to keep you God conscious, build up your dependence on God, strengthen your faith, and prompt you to stay committed to the climb that you started on your journey with Christ Jesus. Keep reading your Bible and other Christian literature and publications that will embolden your witness and steady your walk as a follower of Christ. Yes, I’m hoping you read this particular meditation today and it moves you to cancel your aversion, avoidance, or an act of turning away when it comes to reading! Have a great Thursday my friend! Be blessed!
“Your words are a flashlight to light the path ahead of me and keep me from stumbling. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again and again: I will obey these wonderful laws of yours.” (Psalm 119:105-106 The Living Bible)
Still committed to the climb, Mark L. King