A Journey to Enthusiasm

Having been a Christian for 44 years, I consider myself somewhat of a seasoned believer. Over these decades, I have encountered and observed a wide range of successes and failures in spiritual endeavors. One prevalent shortcoming I have noticed is the lack of a disciplined, regular, and thorough commitment to reading the Bible. It is a common understanding that we should engage in this practice or improve upon it. Striving for greater consistency is essential, as inconsistency often leads to a creeping sense of guilt.

Observing individuals struggling to engage in daily Bible reading is disheartening, as the solution is quite straightforward and readily available. Our connection to this practice usually falls somewhere on a scale ranging from obligation to enthusiasm. The goal of the "Guilt Free Bible Reading Plan" is to contribute to the enthusiasm ratio of this vital spiritual discipline.

To embark on the journey towards enthusiasm, the initial step is to disconnect your Bible reading from the constraints of the calendar. Tethering the spiritual practice of reading the Bible to a specific schedule is not only unnatural from a spiritual perspective, but it also inherently leads to frustration. Individuals who bind themselves to a "read-the-Bible-in-a-year" or similar regimen are assuming that their lives will be more predictable than the weather. What occurs when unexpected events arise, causing you to miss a day or more? If and when you resume the program, you are faced with a decision: either rush through the missed sections or skip them entirely. In both scenarios, the result is clear - you have not gained any benefit from those omitted sections.

What if, while reading your daily portion of the Bible, the Holy Spirit prompts you to delve deeper into a particular section? Will you ignore His calling in order to stick to your reading schedule? If so, you are defeating the original purpose of reading the Bible.