One of the biggest goals I hear in church circles or in small groups with each new year is, “I’m going to read the entire Bible this year.”
While I love this goal, and I myself have said this goal (and some years even accomplished this goal) it is also one that makes me cringe.
Because if we are honest, goals don’t become realities if we haven’t already disciplined our lives and been people of faithfulness.
Reading the Bible is necessary. I’m not saying you shouldn’t read Scripture this year, I’m just saying that I have seen people intend to read the Bible in a year, they start strong, love the book of Genesis, make it through a few weeks in January, stay strong into the book of Exodus, get to the Ten Commandments and then a few weeks into the reading plan they stumble into chapter after chapter of tabernacle building and priestly laws and sacrifice ordinances and they teeter off in their reading plan.
Frustrated and overwhelmed with how all those ancient things matter to their everyday lives, they close up their Bible, stick it on a shelf and then open up a devotional book, study guide or self help book, because it feels more relevant or achievable.
There’s no judgment here. I’ve been this girl. Time and time again.
So this year, I want to release you from the expectation that a good Christian should read through the entire Bible every year. There’s nothing in Scripture that tells us we should.
The other challenge with reading through the entire Bible in a year is that we are reading such large sections of Scripture that we don’t take the time to savor the Word. (Now, there is a place and time for studying the entire Scriptures from cover to cover, but if you’re new to reading God’s Word don’t feel stressed to do it all at once!)
This is what Scripture does tell us, and what I find is much better for us as believers to do.
1: Scripture calls us to meditate on God’s Word
This year, take 10 minutes a day, whether in the shower, on a commute to work, when you’re walking the dog in the morning or evening, or some other little space of time and consider God’s Word. Write out one verse a week, or read the same passage of Scripture everyday for a week, and allow it to soak into your soul.
2: Scripture calls us to draw near to God.
When we rush through reading God’s Word so we can check it off a list or accomplish a goal, we can very easily fail to sit at the feet of the Father. God desires a relationship with us, and we learn about Him through His Word, His works, and His world. When we read Scripture the invitation is to sit and know God. To learn His heart, to grow in understanding His character.
While this can happen when we read through the entire Bible in a year, it must not be a task list item we check off our list.
This year, rather than rushing through the Bible, let’s take a smaller section of Scripture and study it, not just read it. Let’s learn who God is through His Word by taking our time with it.
3: Scripture calls us to a life of faithfulness.
God is faithful, and we are called to live faithfully. What can often happen with large goals like reading the entire Bible in a year is we get frustrated and quit, and we never faithfully study and savor God’s Word. This year, let’s take manageable amounts of time and reasonable expectations of ourselves and faithfully follow through.
Let’s focus on faithfulness over fulfilling goals and watch how God grows us in faithfulness.
If you’re new to studying God’s Word and want a place to start without feeling overwhelmed, head over to the resources page and check out the free downloads. Or download the Bible Study Basics resource by clicking here.
