Many Christians find regular Bible reading difficult and the idea of study quite intimidating.
Alongside prayer and evangelism, Bible reading is one of those areas of our Christian lives which we think we ought to be ‘better at’ than we are and so we tend to feel guilty for our failures. It is a sure–fire winner for the preacher to launch those guilt-inducing rhetorical questions from the pulpit: ‘Are your reading your Bible (or praying, or witnessing) enough?’ To which the answer can only be, ‘No, probably not’, accompanied by a quietly despairing sigh. It’s another load I can’t shoulder very well.
But it really doesn’t have to be like that. If you receive a letter or a newsy email, from a loved one or a close friend who is currently away, it isn’t a chore to read it. It’s all to do with appetite. You want to find out how they are, what they are doing and thinking, because your relationship with them matters so much to you both. It’s a delight to refresh it, especially if you can’t make verbal contact.
