In the most unexpected way, my life changed forever; I read the Bible. I never knew a book could impact me so greatly until I found myself reading the Bible. Much, if not all, of the Bible has captured my attention. Last year, which only ended a few weeks ago, I was convicted of something absolutely important. Constantly, I had been reminded that I had never read the Bible in its entirety before. Now to some, this may not seem so important, but for me it is. I have lived on this earth for 16 years and openly confess to be a servant of Christ–a Christian.
It was last year, 2019, that I chose to pick up and read the Bible for the first time. And I am more than thankful that I did. Before I go on, I must add a few things. In the past, I had attempted to read the Bible a few times, but I always gave up my fruitless attempts. I never had a passion for Christianity nor a desire to read the Bible in the past until recently. This is not to say that a desire and a passion cannot develop as you read the Bible, but for me, I needed a desire to push me forward a little. Christianity has begun to consume my world. I used to care very little for Christianity, but experience and logic has led me on a path I never could have imagined. And it is all thanks to the Bible that my love for Christ has grown immensely.
I will not beat around the bush, the Bible has changed me entirely. As a professing Christian, I claimed to know a few things about Christianity. However, I did not know I knew as little as I did until I began my journey through the Bible. Every book, every chapter, and every passage had me in absolute awe and wonder. I can’t begin to number the amount of questions it inspired either. Reading the Bible has led me to some fairly interesting realizations about my preconceived notions as well. I discovered that things I once thought to be true weren’t and things I thought to be wrong were true. I noticed new ideas springing forth from the Bible that I had never thought of before. After reading, I found my own thoughts delved into deeper topics such as “What is the true purpose of the Bible?” and “How can the church be brought back into the light of the Kingdom of Heaven in today’s age?”
My life has truly been impacted by this book. I have read many interesting books in my short life, but none have come close to the excitement, the wonder, and the challenges this book has brought. Yet I must also confess one thing: I’ve only read the New Testament. I know, shame on me, but do not be alarmed (or be alarmed at the idea that I’ve read the Bible at all). I have full intentions of reading the entire Bible, cover to cover. However, I will be reading the Bible in a fashion that may seem foreign to many. As one great mind who I look up to has led me to do, I will be reading the New Testament twice before touching the Old Testament. Allow me to explain, the New Testament is a great place to begin for anyone seeking to read the Bible, but reading it two or three times will help a person to begin his/her quest tackling the Old Testament. The Old Testament is harder to read in so many senses but the New Testament will give a person a proper understanding of the Old Testament when they read it. And so I started reading the New Testament first and I am currently on my second round.
I must say, many things have changed about me since reading the Bible. My prayers feel as if I am truly speaking to God now. I ask him things I truly seek and praise him everyday for His goodness and faithfulness. I find my nature has changed from doom and gloom to very joyous. Of course, when it comes to who I am, there is a much longer journey ahead of me, so much maturity is to take place in the years to come. But the one thing that has completely changed since reading the New Testament is how I see our God. I’m beginning to see who He truly is and not what I thought He was. He is omniscient, omnipotent, faithful, merciful, just, loving, patient, slow to anger, compassionate, loving, and personal. He is all that is good and loving. I seek to serve Him and only Him now.
The Bible has changed my life. Where I am now I can’t go back. And to go back would be foolish. I’ll say it again, I’ve only read the New Testament thus far. If the New Testament has shaken my world to its core, I can only imagine what the Old Testament will do, and I’m excited to find out. Yet, one thought has been circling my mind. If the Bible has impacted me so greatly, how has it impacted the rest of the world? How has the Bible impacted history? And what would the world look like if everyone was impacted by the Bible after reading it? These are all questions I am determined to answer in the future. May God be with us all.
Eliya Brannan – 11th Grade
