Desire has nothing to do with discipline if there is no will to follow through.
I go through busy seasons where it feels like I don’t have a moment in the day to breathe or think, let alone have an hour to read the Bible. While God undoubtedly extends us grace, neglecting to read the Word is failing to feed our spirit while indulging in our flesh. I want to be better than this. If you want to be better, too, follow me as I walk through several Proverbs that will inform and encourage our hearts to understand the necessity of discipline in the Word.
The Simple: A Youth Who Had No Sense
The book of Proverbs often tells the story of three characters: The Wise, The Fool, and The Simple. The Wise accepted wisdom’s invitation to be saved from death and despair and sought intimacy with Christ by pursuing righteousness and valuing correction. The fool preferred convenience, pleasure, and complacency, refusing wisdom and correction. The simple didn’t seek sin or destruction, but because he was not actively seeking the Lord, he found sin and was ultimately led to a grave.
Know this: An active enemy is pursuing you that will catch up to you if you aren’t in an active pursuit of Christ. Even when we are faithful and fervent in our pursuit, life in a broken world requires us to face inevitable heartache. If we play the character of the wise, however, we’ll have a sense of joy and rest even in our struggles.
To Know the Voice of Victory
If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man according to his work?1
Imagine someone living a life knowing Jesus and knowing his heart but failing to know him by his voice. Imagine how sad it’ll be for them to struggle without the hope of Christ because they didn’t tend to their faith when it mattered. They’ll cry out for him, questioning where he is, not knowing he’s present with them. Because they don’t know his voice, they’ll feel alone (Proverbs 24:10-12). They didn’t sow into their relationship with him, so they can’t share in the harvest of unconditional peace. Surely, if they seek him, he’s there to be found, but because they did not prepare their faith for a season like this, they encounter difficulty maintaining the joy of the Lord. The Wise, however, has access to peace, rest, and victory that fuels hope. Our faith should be prepared and shaped before we face hardship so that when we encounter it, we recognize the only voice that rescues, refreshes, and restores us.
Get Wisdom at All Costs
Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.2
Discipline in reading the Bible will require sacrifice, especially in busy seasons. We’re told to aggressively search for wisdom and understanding, though it costs all we have. Meditating on that line, I had to search my heart to find what it cost me. Is it a sacrifice of less sleep, less entertainment time, saying no to going out, or giving up social media? Consider asking yourself these questions, too.
Practically, how can we do better?
So, how can we do better? Accountability, not following your heart, and prayer.
Accountability in godly community is part of Jesus’ best for us. Accountability looks like asking your community to challenge your consistency. You might follow the same Bible reading plan as a friend or share what you are reading and learning in your devotional time each day with someone. Choose to be honest and forthcoming about where you are at spiritually.
Not following your heart means committing to be consistent in your devotional time, even when you have a mental list of other things to do. Time after time of readjusting priorities, you’ll inform your heart that whatever is on your list is more important. Your heart’s capacity swells with the information it receives. If you aren’t careful, you might wake and realize you’ve become the simple. You didn’t necessarily seek out sin, but in a complacent pursuit of the Lord, destruction sought out and found you. Not following your heart is choosing discipline even when you have that to-do list. In doing this, you inform your heart to choose your relationship with Christ, even if it costs all you have. A habit of this creates intimacy, sensitivity to, and alignment with the voice and heart of God.
Lastly, pray and ask for discipline. Ask for a love of the Word of God, a strong will to follow through, and the discipline to spend time in the Word every day. The Lord is kind and faithful to hear and provide for you even at your weakest. As you pursue understanding and wisdom, the Sovereign God is rooting for you, walking with you, and pursuing you too.
