Recently I’ve been bored of my Bible. Now I am not saying that the Bible is boring, not in any respect, but rather that I have allowed myself to become bored in my reading, and as awful as that is, I would be lying if I told you otherwise. I would also be lying if I claimed this to be the first time I’ve experienced spiritual drought in my reading.
So what is the solution? How do we bring ourselves back to being able to truly enjoy God’s word and not just see it as a mundane activity or even a chore? Frankly, living in an imperfect world I can’t believe there to be any complete solution to this, however I do think there are things we can do to ensure that we don’t leave ourselves stuck in a rut of boredom. For me the biggest help is change. And so today, for any of you who struggle with this along with me, I wanted to share some short thoughts I have on this.
1. Change your routine
Routine is fantastic, it gives us discipline, keeps us grounded and above all it is Biblical. In Daniel we read that he prayed three times a day every day (6:10) and we know it is good to have routinely time with God. I also have a friend that constantly likes to remind me of a quote from The Greatest Showman “structure breeds freedom” and it is certainly wise words. However, what happens when structure in our quiet times isn’t freeing? Well then, I think change brings freedom.
Join with me and use this New Year to change your routine in reading the Bible. I’m going to try and get more active, bringing my quiet times outdoors to dwell in God’s word while dwelling in his creation. I’m also going to try to get into a better routine with a friend, who I meet with monthly to study the Bible together. I want to meet her more regularly and prioritise it in my calendar as I know sharing in the Bible with someone else always helps rekindle my passion.
2. Change your perspective
Having listened to a fantastic podcast yesterday (which I will link below) I’m also determined to change my perspective when reading. A big part of my issue is that I feel like I know every story in the Bible and given that I haven’t read it cover to cover I most certainly don’t. However, having grown up going to Sunday School and then studied theology. I definitely know how most of the major stories end. Sometimes this leads us to lose our awe at the God in them and the miracle that so many of them are. What if we were to read the book through the lens of the character in them? To imagine being Moses and not knowing if the Red Sea would part, or to be Abraham and to not know if God would ever give you a son. Or what if we were to read the book through its original listeners to truly soak in the Gospel of John as those who first heard it did, not knowing who Jesus was at the start and now know how it would end.
Making such a tiny shift in perspective can really revive the way that we connect with these ancient stories that have so much to tell us today.
You may have many a New Years Resolution written for 2019, or maybe you don’t. Either way I sincerely hope that if you like me, are feeling staid in your reading, please consider adding a little bit of change in your approach to your quiet times so that you can truly connect with your father with this beautiful book every single day.
From all of us here at Hills and Valleys we wish you a very happy new year.
By: Kate Peden
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