Why I Stopped Reading My Bible

Afternoon!
I hope this post finds you well and in some awesome spirits today :)
I'm sharing some pretty personal stuff today, so bear with me...

For as long as I can remember, my mother woke early every morning to read her Bible. She also participated in Bible studies at her school and worked after school at a Christian book store. As a mother myself, I took to reading my Bible every morning well. Then, a funny thing happened....one day I just stopped reading my Bible.

Now, that may cause some Bible reading enthusiasts to gasp, but stay with me here. For at least 15 years of my adult life I read my Bible on NEARLY a daily basis. I cannot tell you how many times I have read through the Bible and honey, the book of Psalms and I are pretty tight. So why would a woman suddenly stop reading her Bible? Because I started studying it....

I am no Bible scholar, which means I have to dig pretty deep to understand things at times. The biggest turn around in my entire Christian life came when I stopped going through the motions of reading, and started studying. My whole inner being and outer shell were flipped upside down and life became a crazy ride that I was BLESSED to be a part of, and no longer a curse to bear.

You know the reading drill: you have set verses and you flip them open and check out the passage. On particularly spiritual days, you may even jot down a note or 2. For those who were like me, perhaps you enjoy playing Bible roulette. You know the game right? You close your eyes and lay your Bible in your lap, then stick your finger in it and read whatever verse opened. If the verse gives us hope, we think it's from God. If it challenges us, we spin again.... Yes, this was my Bible reading life.

So what can change a Bible reader into a Bible studier? PASSION. You read that right, passion. A passion to change was ignited in the deepest parts of my being and I couldn't quench it no matter how hard I tried. I scoured Bible book stores until I found a Bible that resonated with how my mind organically works (for me, it's the Amplified Bible. I like words) and that allowed more doors for study to be opened up. The more I studied, the more I wanted to know. The more I wanted to know, the less my focus zeroed in on me and my circumstances. The more broadened my focus became, the more I could hear the Holy Spirit at work in me. The more He worked, the more intently I focused and listened. Instead of trying to chase down my purpose and wrestle it into submission (side note: if you have to wrestle it, it isn't yours) I listened for His voice to reveal it to me. And He always does.

You needn't buy a fancy Bible or invest in study software (though I cannot say I love it enough!) to become a studier of the Bible. Call on your passion! And if you don't feel your passion, pray it on! Ask God to reignite the passion in you to fulfill your Holy ordained purpose. Study for a reason much bigger than yourself. Be willing to do the work, because it is so worth it.

Are you willing to take the first step towards greater change? Be the difference you so want to see.