If I had a nickel for every time I said, “I don’t have enough time to do that,” I would be rich. For me, and I suspect most people, not enough time is an automatic excuse for things I have not thought through or prioritized. The bottom line is this: we make time for things that are important to us.
One constant we see each year at American Bible Society in our annual State of the Bible report is that more than half of Americans (56% in 2019) say they desire to read the Bible more often. However, when we ask them what their top frustration is when it comes to reading the Bible, the most common response is “not enough time.”
Fifteen years ago I was in that majority of Americans who wanted to read the Bible more, but with young children at home and a demanding job, I could not possibly imagine how to fit one more thing into my hectic schedule. Then, I learned some principles that helped me build a habit of Bible reading and I have read through the Bible every year since. It has become a necessary part of my day.
What made me want to read God’s Word more? My spiritual journey felt stale and I wanted to grow deeper in my relationship with God. Additionally, I had been asked to lead a ministry and I knew that in order to lead with diligence, as we’re exhorted in Romans 12:8, I needed to be aligned with God’s will, able to recognize his voice, and be filled with his Word. Those things could only happen if I consistently invested time to read and reflect on Scripture.
If you aspire to read the Bible more, the new year is the perfect time to get started. Why not make 2021 the year you reach your Scripture engagement goals! Here are a few practices that helped me succeed in building a lifelong habit.
Evaluate and plan.
Many times, we fall short of our goals because we try to make too many major changes at once. We decide to start exercising and immediately begin going to the gym seven days a week. Then, when we are unable to sustain such a demanding pace, we become discouraged and quit altogether. Starting small is one key to forming a new habit. Along with that, evaluating our situations and creating a plan is a must. Ask yourself these questions: Why do I want to do this? What is my goal? How much time can I realistically spend each day? What time of day will work best? What is the best tool for me? Then, create a plan that fits your goals, schedule, and preference. Start small and be consistent.
My goal was to read through the Bible in a year, and after evaluating my schedule, I decided I could set aside at least 20 to 30 minutes each morning to read and reflect on a portion of Scripture. That meant waking up earlier, which wasn’t easy, but I made it a priority and now it has become a daily habit like brushing my teeth. My tool of choice was the One Year Bible in the New Living Translation because it fit both my goal and my schedule.
