I recently received this request: “Help me find understanding in the [weekly Christian Science Bible Lesson], as when I read it, I feel confused. People will say to me, ‘Oh, wasn’t that a wonderful Lesson on happiness?’ or something, and I can barely remember what it was about. If I read it four times, I still don’t get it.… I feel stupid.”
My response: No, you aren’t stupid. Like anything, Bible study takes practice, and tools can help. When I first attempted a regular study routine, I didn’t think I got much out of what I read, either. But actually, good stuff was getting in (and coming out in my life) without my realizing it. The discipline of sticking with it, even when it was difficult, helped me become more familiar with the layout of the Bible. And although I, too, often couldn’t pinpoint an overarching theme from the Lesson, certain passages did tend to stick with me or pop back into thought when I needed them.
But to begin to really enjoy the study, I tried different things that helped me find more substantial meaning. I learned right off the bat that it’s not important what the Lesson may mean to others. It’s important that it mean something to me. If your Bible study is in a rut or if you’re having difficulty staying focused, you might try one or more of these ideas which helped me to perk up my study life.
