Ecclesiastes 7:3,“Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
Shifting Towards Change
I’ve been a Christian for over 15 years, and somehow I’ve never read the Bible cover to cover. For the longest time, that felt like a failure on my part. I always felt like I should be farther along. I’ve started multiple year-long Bible reading plans, and every time I didn’t finish, it reinforced this old narrative: “You never finish what you start.”
But the older I get, the more I realize how important it is to read the entire story of Scripture—not just favorite chapters, not just the New Testament, not even just the books I love. The Bible is 66 books, written by 40 authors, over 1,500 years. It’s a unified story, but you only see the fullness of that story when you read it as a whole.
So at the end of October, I decided to start again. This time, I created my own plan—with ChatGPT, of course—but ultimately, I made it myself. And something about that made it click for me. I don’t know if it’s just how my mind works, but because I made it, I felt more committed to it. It felt personal. It felt like something I could stick with.
I told ChatGPT, I wanted to read four chapters a day: two from Psalms and two from the New Testament beginning with John.
When I looked at the full plan, it would take 298 days—a bit over nine months. I was surprised because I could read the whole Bible in less than a year! and even if I was behind some days I had room to read it. And for the first time, despite the quicker timeline that felt doable. It felt natural. I’ve been following it for nearly a month now, and while I’ve absolutely fallen behind on some days, something new is forming in me:
Consistency.
Learning to Sit in the Discomfort
One reason I’ve struggled to read the Bible as a whole is because reading multiple chapters can feel rushed. I value Scripture deeply. I’m the kind of person who wants to dig into context, map out timelines, and research historical background. Reading four chapters a day sometimes feels like skimming the surface. It can also feel like regulating my time reading the Bible to a checklist rather than to spend time in God’s word to know him!
But I also know—rationally—that reading the broader story matters. Big chunks help you see connections.
So I’ve had to push past the discomfort:
- the part of me that wants to go slow
- the part that feels guilty for not studying every verse
- the part that thinks I should already be better at this
And in pushing past that discomfort, something surprising happened: Scripture started sticking. In a way it hasn’t before. While studying Ephesians with my Bible study, I remembered details—like how Paul stayed in Ephesians for nearly two years. It made me ask questions like “
Did Paul write this while in prison? Context started forming in my mind. Verses I memorized years ago suddenly had new depth because I understood what came before and what came after.
It’s like reading the Bible in this new way is rewiring my brain.
Consistency Is a Choice
This journey is teaching me that I’m not “naturally” consistent. But I’m learning that consistency isn’t a personality trait—it’s a choice.
And honestly? Consistency feels uncomfortable at first.
Not because it’s wrong—but because it’s unfamiliar. Reading so much of the Bible felt wrong. I wanted to slow down. but for the first time I realized the only reason my body felt odd about reading this much scripture in a day was because I wasn’t used to it. it was uncharted water sand felt strange because it was new.
Your brain doesn’t recognize it as normal yet.
Reading my four chapters a day has taught me this:
Consistency is choosing the same thing every day—even when it still feels unnatural.
Little by little, the unfamiliar becomes the new normal.
The Role of Tools, Discipline, and Grace
To stay on track, I write down one verse from each chapter I read. It helps me reflect and shows me I followed through.
I’m also learning to use tools—like voice-to-text, like AI—to help me be consistent in my life. This entire blog started as a messy voice note in my Notes app. That’s new for me, but I’m learning that consistency sometimes requires:
- new tools
- new rhythms
- new creative solutions
- new grace for yourself
But also… accountability.
Even if the only person you’re accountable to is yourself.
Why Change Feels Like Grief
One thing that surprised me is how much grief comes with change.
A pastor friend of mine once said, “Every change equals loss, and every loss is grief.”
And it’s true.
Even good change—healthy change—creates a sense of loss:
- loss of old patterns
- loss of familiar habits
- loss of comfort
- loss of who you used to be
Your body can interpret that loss as something “wrong,” when really… it’s just new.
You’re stepping into unfamiliar territory.
Ecclesiastes 7:3 says, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad face makes the heart glad.”
It’s an unusual verse, but it speaks to this idea: discomfort and sadness sometimes refine us. so that the grief from losing old patterns allow us to be glad in the long term as we make room for the new us.They can be part of the transformation process.
If I can learn to sit with that discomfort—if I can let myself feel it rather than run from it—then I can actually move toward the version of myself I’m becoming.
Walking Into a New Normal
This journey isn’t just about reading the Bible consistently.
It’s about keeping my word to myself.
It’s about shifting into a new season where I don’t stop at discomfort.
It’s about becoming.
Because on the other side of that uncomfortable feeling—on the other side of the habit you keep choosing even when it feels unnatural—there is something beautiful. Something that stretches you, grows you, and changes you in real ways.
So if you’re shifting toward change—toward consistency—don’t be afraid of the uncomfortable parts. Don’t retreat because it feels new or odd. That’s just your brain adjusting to transformation.
Keep going.
Keep reading.
Keep choosing the small things.
Let the discomfort be a sign that you are walking into new territory.
Push through the grief.
Push through the unfamiliar.
And trust that on the other side of this consistency is a strengthened, steadier version of you.
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