Have you considered reading your Bible as a New Year’s resolution? Many people do. Whether they plan on reading the entire Bible or just want more time in the Word, many people pursue this resolution. Like most resolutions though some will succeed, but most will fail. Following are six of the most common reasons people fail to read the Bible.
1. No designated reading time.
Set a time to read. Many people like to read first thing in the morning. I am a night owl and read before bed. The only ‘right’ time to do your reading, is when it will work for you consistently. If you do not set a time it will most likely get pushed to the side or forgotten.
2. No daily reading plan.
Know ahead of time what you are going to read. You can pick from several excellent plans on The Practical Disciple Resource Page or find many others online. I will be posting a ‘Through the Bible in a Year’ plan in just a couple of days.
3. Start by reading cover to cover.
When you read the Bible you are actually reading a library of books. Starting with the first book on the shelf may not be the best way to begin. Why? There are some stretches of the Old Testament that frankly are tough to get through if you don’t have a well established reading pattern. I tried to start at the front cover a number of times only to find myself undone by Leviticus and Numbers. I have talked to other people and found this isn’t an uncommon experience. I highly recommend that beginning Bible readers start with a plan that takes passages from both the Old and New Testaments each day or one that begins with a focus on the New Testament and moves to the Old after you establish a healthy pattern of reading.
4. Using a Bible or translation that is awkward to read.
Some Bibles are physically awkward to read. They have small print, poor paper quality or poor formatting. Get a Bible that is easy on the eyes. Likewise, be sure that you are reading a translation that you can understand. If you didn’t grow up reading a King James Version, then it will likely be difficult or incomprehensible at points to follow. To learn more about selecting a Bible, read my posts, Choosing a Bible When You Are A Beginner, and Which Bible Translation is Best?
5. Getting behind and getting stuck by thinking you must catch up.
If you have a plan and miss a few days, don’t stress over catching up. Start reading again immediately, either where you left off or where you should be. Many people get behind a day or two and keep putting off reading because they don’t have time to now do two or three readings at once. Then the problem only grows until the person abandons trying.
6. Failure to persevere.
This is the biggest problem. The bottom line of reading your Bible is commitment. Commitment means doing whatever it takes to make your reading a priority. Reading isn’t always fun, convenient or easy. Sometimes it means getting up earlier or staying up later. Sometimes getting your reading done means not doing something else. Sometimes it means isolating yourself to get it done. Stick with it and do whatever it takes.
I hope these tips are helpful. I would love to hear your struggles with reading the Word . If you haven’t considered a Bible reading plan for 2011, do so. It might be the most important investment of time you make this next year.