Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Friday August 3, 2007

Yesterday’s program generated a boatload of responses, 2 that I am going to share with you today.

Long time friend, Dr. George Monday wrote:

"Good one Doc. In the past year I have somehow convinced 4 or 5 people to start reading regularly. All of these have shown phenomenal spiritual growth patterns over the past few months and all recognize a turn in their lives toward the change they had been professing to seek and want. Just yesterday I had the opportunity in a conversation with three of them to point out when the turn began to take place and challenged them to join in the campaign to encourage others to become readers as well. Almost without exception, people who don't read don't grow and people, who do read, grow."

Janis L. Christy, (she and Don have worked extensively in prisons for many years) wrote:

"Right on, Larry! This is such an important message. The most important thing I've learned while studying at IU is that even while studying something with which I totally disagree, I am gaining valuable information and understanding. As we minister to others, it is vitally important to understand to some degree how other people think and why they think as they do. That's why I believe one of the Apostle Paul's crucial messages to us is in Romans 12:2. When he tells me to be "transformed by the renewing of [my] mind," he's telling me I must change the way I think, and that requires frustrating, knuckle-scraping, shin-bruising work. Renewing here means to renovate or to make new. For many years Don and I have been renovating the Queen Anne farmhouse his great-grandparents built over 110 years ago. Some elements of the old house are so lovely and solid and we would never consider replacing them with something new. But in many cases, much that is broken and unstable must be torn out completely so something new and structurally sound can be constructed in its place. That's the only way the entire house can once again become what it was originally designed to be. Over the years I have had to change many things about the way I think about the Lord and the Word and the sacrifice He made for me. But that's one of the most exciting parts of being a Christian--there is so much to be learned. Every time we confirm an old discovery or make a new discovery, every time the Truth shines a bit brighter than it ever has before, there comes with that Truth the promise of countless new discoveries yet to be made. I find, however, that when my discovering seems less frequent than I would like, it is usually because I've hung on too long to what "I" think and haven't left room in my little mind for God to pour anything else in. Dumb! Dumb! Dumb!"

George and Janis are both people of achievement and moved upward beyond their initial formal education, though George is one of the most well rounded preachers I know. And Janis? Janis is Executive Secretary to the Vice President at IU and through her studies at IU learned the Hebrew and Greek languages, while remaining true to her biblical roots. Talk about courage!!

All people who are at or near the top and comfortable with this position will highly tout the beneficial part good reading/study habits played and continue to play in their success. Good readers know that while speed is important, comprehension is more so, therefore take the time to use a dictionary when you come across a word you're not sure about. In Bible study this is not optional for the failure to comprehend meaning in sacred words can lead to a life of misery. Phillip's question to the Ethiopian eunuch should not be lost on us as it must be answered; "Undertandest thou what thou readest?" The Ethiopian was wise in admitting his need for help in comprehension.

Would your life be better if you got serious about reading and asking?

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2007 Use with Credit

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