So, I decided to try listening to the Bible. I enjoyed listening to audio books, but I spent so much time in the car, I blew through each one in no time at all. I had a 60 mile round trip commute each day, and found the drive to be rather tedious. There are numerous battles, good kings, bad kings… it’s hard to keep it all straight! Although I was proud to have read through the entire Bible, I was not in a hurry to do it again.Ībout seven years later I was working at a job that was far from my house. There are lists of names, and lists of numbers, and extremely detailed descriptions of laws, sacrifices, and buildings There are really strange and confusing prophecies, visions, and parables. Many times, I was simply reading the words on the page while my mind drifted from one thought to another, not even really focusing at all. What I did discover that first time is how hard it is to read. It has taken me many years of maturing in my faith (and several more times through the Bible) to get that far. Now, I didn’t get all of that out of the first time reading through the Bible. We live in a broken world and we are broken people.” Then it introduces Jesus, the Savior of the World, who will make everything right. It lays everything out and says, “This is the reality that we live in. The Bible doesn’t pretend that terrible things don’t happen. The Bible is a story about real people living real lives.
![christian never read the bible christian never read the bible](https://jesuswithoutreligion.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/bible-reading-guy-7829071.jpg)
And yes, it does talk about all of the things I read about in that article. I don’t think I knew anyone else who had read the whole thing.Īlthough my motives weren’t exactly pure, I am pleased to say that I did read through the Bible that year. The Bible would be the longest book I had ever read. I have to admit that not only was I interested in seeing if the article was right, I wanted bragging rights. Was it true that all of those things were really in such a Holy Book? There was only one way to find out… read it! I found a pamphlet that broke the readings down for me so that I could finish the Bible in one year. I considered myself a Christian and had been attending church on and off for a few years, but I had never read the Bible before. The article said that the Bible talked about rape, incest, adultery, murder, deceit, mass killings… I’m sure the list went on.
![christian never read the bible christian never read the bible](https://media.beliefnet.com/~/media/photos-with-attribution/faith/readingbiblebookcreditshutterstockcom.jpg)
Over the last several years I have discovered a method that helps me to stay focused as I read through the Bible, which not only helps me to get more out of what I read, but also gives me a purpose beyond just reading.Ībout fifteen years ago I read an article about the Bible and some of the shocking things that are in it. But, I have discovered that for me, dedication and persistence when reading the Bible aren’t really enough. Like most resolutions, it takes dedication and persistence. As the new year approaches, I am filled with anticipation and excitement as I think about reading through the Bible.