Chill Pill Bible Reading

 

I decided to make an odd attempt at flexibility.  I am not following a bible reading schedule this year.  Gasp...yeah, I know...it staggers the mind.  Seriously though, I realized that due to my work with certain ministries and my rather intense Type A personality, Bible reading was becoming a duty...something to be checked off...something I could get behind in...and something that I was failing.  Until I'd give up all together.  I'd read only to complete the work I needed to get done each week.  Work...no joy.

Now, let's not get crazy...I'm still me.  I still love organization and fun paper sorting ideas.  I like to make lists and record what I'm doing.  I am that person that writes it down so they can cross it off.  Hee hee.  So, I found a simple Bible Reading Chart that just has a slot for a start and end date....with the books listed out with little circles for the chapters.  It's cute and modern art-ish.

And, it's working.  I'm reading and delighting...to each day say...what would I like to read today.  The whole book of John?  Ok!  It's been liberating...and given me new joy in God's Word.  I find I read more and flip from book to book via my nifty margins, something fierce.

I suppose life and the process of progressive sancitification will mean that I always need to be conscious of what is duty and needs to be turned to delight.  I'll always need to be checking that my heart is right and my eyes are fixed on the eternal.  Always...until someday...when I'll be there with the WORD.

I think I'll probably read the Bible in order again next...I see the benefits of placing things together that you get when reading front to back.  Hmmm...there's an idea...reading back to front.  The possibilities are endless...and there's no wrong...as long as I'm reading and applying it.  As my Grandma said recently,"if you're not going to apply it to your life...you might as well just read poetry."  

So, here's my permission to take a chill pill and read your Bible.  Really.  It's okay.