90-Day Challenge: Why do it?

Oops, I guess this is the kind of thing I should have written at the beginning of the challenge, not in the middle. But I've been thinking about it as I have gotten behind in my reading and worked to catch up. Why do it? Why keep it up? Why encourage others to join me?

First off, let me be very clear: I am NOT doing this as some kind of religious exercise. Nor am I encouraging others to do it as a religious exercise. I am not looking to give myself or anyone else a pat on the back at the end of it all and say, "Look what I did! Aren't I great?" Ugh. I hate that tendency in me and am desperately trying to move away from that. That's not the point of this whole thing, and that's not what keeps me going.

If I was going to give myself a pat on the back, I would have already done so, because if the truth be told, I've already read through the Bible in 90 days. That's how I know that it is possible. So if I've already done it, why do it again? One of the reasons is because I believe it's an important principle in leadership. It isn't right to ask someone else to do something that you're not willing to do yourself. So if I'm challenging others to read the Bible in 90 days, I'd better be doing it right along with them. And I am. Are you finding it difficult to keep up? Me, too. You have questions about what you just read? Me, too. If you've read through parts of the Bible before, are you wondering how you missed certain instructions or stories? Yep, me, too.

I must confess: I am absolutely fascinated with the Bible. That wasn't always the case for me. Actually, I became more fascinated with it as I grew in my relationship with its Author. Every time I read it, He speaks to me and shows me things I never noticed before. I've read lots of books multiple times, but the Bible is alive in a way those other books are not. Maybe you're reading this and thinking I'm crazy, or you're questioning my statement about the author part. That's okay--if that's the case, then please leave a comment or contact me with your questions. I am not out to argue or beat anyone over the head with what I believe. I am ever in pursuit of truth and am simply happy to share what I've discovered in my journey.

So why did I choose the 90 days for this reading adventure? One, that is how long it took me the first time I purposed to read the entire Bible cover to cover. Also, cramming a large project into a small deadline was something that I learned to appreciate when I participated in the National Novel Writing Month a few years ago. Writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days doesn't leave you any time to obsess about the details. I figure the same is true with reading through the Bible in a short amount of time--it helps to move things along and to see more of the bigger picture. Now don't get me wrong; I believe it is very important to study the details of the Bible, especially if you claim to be a Christian. But we have this tendency to pull out verses without seeing them in the larger context of the entire Bible. When you read through the entire book, you can start to see the themes and connections between all its various parts.

So there you have it. If you're thinking that it's too late to participate, I say, "No way! Come join me!" You can always go back and read what you've missed. I don't think it's ever too late to read the Bible.