Does God Know if I Read the Bible?
What If I Don't Want to Read the Bible?
Engaging Scripture With Both Bailiwick and Desire
How I long for your precepts! In your righteousness preserve my life. May your unfailing love come up to me, LORD, your salvation, according to your promise… (Psalm 119:40-41 NIV)
Psalm 119:twoscore-41
In other blog posts, we considered how to improve read the Bible with our whole selves. Only many of us wrestle with a more than bones problem: what if nosotros don't want to read the Bible in the start place?
This can exist tough to even admit for some of u.s.. For many Christians, Bible reading––specially as part of a daily devotional schedule––is i of the big "shoulds" of faith. In fact, that's likely part of the effect. Many of the states take been told that we should read the Bible, but we've hardly ever been told how to stick with it or why we should want to in the showtime place.
Just in that location's nothing incorrect with simple honesty. Given enough years of growing religion, nosotros merely will meet times when the Bible feels "apathetic." (Yes––that's the technical theological term.) Such times are a chance to learn, shake things upwardly, and move toward the reason we're passionate most living Bible-rich lives in the first place––finding our place in the story that points to Jesus. With that in heed, I'd like to offer four things that whatever of us can do when (non if) we don't desire to read the Bible.
ane. Enquire an Honest "Why?"
We often live "the unexamined life," so bringing idea and intention to the why beneath our feelings or choices tin can be powerful. At first many of usa may exist tempted to stick a quick shame message hither, like: "I know my center is wicked. I don't even want to read the Bible anymore. Human, I am a terrible Christian… ."
Wait. We wouldn't even care nearly caring if this was the case, right? The very fact that we are bothered when we don't shows how much we care that we exercise. That is a profound place to brainstorm. Yep, our very lack of desire might reveal how deep our existent want is.
And when nosotros ask the honest "why," we'll often gain rich insight into our spiritual experience. Possibly what lies under the why is the fact that nosotros're exhausted from overwork, extra childcare duties, a barbarous school schedule, or the stress of unemployment. Perhaps what lies under the why is grief, or a need to get outdoors and motility, or a longing to socialize. In any instance, probing below the surface often yields real insight. This helps united states of america first with grace for ourselves and affirmation of our deep desire to be a person whose life is securely connected to the Bible.
two. Trust Your Spiritual Instincts
Just like you tin can (in general) trust the signals of your torso for hunger, thirst, sleep, and practice, you can (in general) trust your spiritual instincts too. This doesn't mean that we should follow our feelings without disquisitional reflection, but sometimes when we don't want to read, there'south some pause or practice other than Scripture reading that could be valuable to engage in.
For me, it was encouragement from a mentor to turn my daily commute (which was and then six miles by bike across prairie trail in Illinois) into time spent freely with God. Information technology was a post-seminary season where I was positively stuffed with the Bible in three different languages, and reading it felt impossible, exhausting, and discouraging. It was so freeing to consecrate those rides, and I frequently plant that phrases and passages of Scripture would come to listen as I prayed and pedaled. In hindsight, I needed to trust my spiritual instincts, which were saying, "Enough reading! You need some time to process this!"
You lot might be surprised at what comes up when you give yourself permission to trust your gut while still pursuing the wisdom of God. And when you're prepare for more classic reading once more, you lot'll appreciate it that much more.
three. Switch Things Upwards
Along these lines is the ability to proactively introduce a positive change. After all, the human mind is wired to keep itself sharp by seeking multifariousness. "A change is equally good as a remainder," the old saying goes, and it is right. A few ideas:
Try a new translation or a new layout If you read the Bible, endeavor listening to it (free audio versions grow) If you mind to the Bible, try reading information technology (try 1 of the many artfully designed versions available today) If you've hung out in the aforementioned passages for while, switch to something you've never read or take rarely read Try reading a familiar book of the Bible from the last chapter to the first (certain information technology's weird, just seriously––you'll be surprised by the details yous notice in reverse order) Choose an important theme or epitome and follow it carefully through a book or section ("love" in Deuteronomy is an quondam favorite, as is "silence" in the book of Mark Select a passage and use it as a prompt for painting, writing, prayer, or some other creative response. (There's a reason the Bible has inspired centuries of art and idea!) Sentinel one of BibleProject's videos before your reading (browse the full listing of videos here
The basic principle is simple: try something new, something that feels natural and engages you, and take fun with it.
iv. Know It's Non Forever
This is equally true no affair how you feel almost the Bible at this moment in your life. Like the seasons of the twelvemonth, each of which has important work, our times of varying response to the Bible take their purpose. But in any case, they won't last forever. Feelings come up and go, even as the roots of our want deepen.
In a balanced life, engaging with the Bible should be both a subject and a want. My promise is that we tin go better about encouraging each other to cultivate a rich want to be frequently and deeply in Scripture. Too, I hope that we can help ane another find applied strategies to better understand and enjoy the Bible's rich (only complex) literature.
What's important is to do your best to let this flavor do its work, remembering that engaging the Bible is meant to be washed long term, over the course of a lifetime, not in the span of a few months or a yr. When nosotros truly cover that, nosotros'll exist able to make some peace when the times come-––as they will––when we simply don't feel like reading the Bible.
This piece is from the Becoming Better Readers series, focusing on bridging rich ideas from the Bible with the realities of spirituality today.
Source: https://bibleproject.com/blog/what-if-i-dont-want-to-read-my-bible/
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