Have you fallen behind in your Bible reading goals?
Well, many of us start the year with enthusiasm and a renewed focus on consistent Bible reading, but watch it fall apart somewhere along the way. Maybe you missed a few days, then a few weeks, and eventually stopped altogether.
And now, as the year is winding down, and you are discouraged, wondering whether there’s any point in restarting the Bible reading habit this late in the year.
Instead of wallowing in guilt, regretting what you missed or what could have been, why not use the remaining months to read the chapters that are still ahead of you?
That sounds like a better proposition for me.
You don’t need to wait until January to have a Bible-reading reset; regardless of how far you have drifted, you could get back into Bible reading and end your year on a high note.
Here’s how to get back on track with Bible reading.
Shake off that guilt
Guilt is a big obstacle to consistent Bible reading. If you are to start reading the Bible again, you need to deal with the guilt that is eating you up deep within.
Falling behind in your Bible reading does not mean you are a failure. Neither does it mean you are not a true Christian.
Many Christians, even those you think are strong in the faith, who you look up to, go through seasons where they struggle with Bible reading. It’s just not written on anyone’s face.
You are not the only one struggling; be easy on yourself.
So, acknowledge that bad feeling. Denying it will just prolong the dry spell. Accept that you have not done as well as you wanted to in your Bible reading and forgive yourself. Then open your heart to the possibility of change.
Facing the guilt is how you shake it off.
As you forgive yourself, you also need to appreciate that God is not mad at you. In our legalistic mindsets, when we lag in our devotions, we often assume that God is so angry with us and is just waiting for the right moment to strike with punishment.
Not so God. Hear what God says through the prophet Isaiah to a fickle and faltering people: A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. (Isaiah 42:3)
The loving Father God seeks to strengthen the weak, not to punish and finish them. Appreciating God’s loving and gracious nature should further assuage the guilt.
With guilt out of the way, you are ready for the real Bible-reading reset.
Do a self-audit
A good reset starts with an audit. It’s nothing complicated, just take a moment to understand why you fell behind in your Bible reading.
Granted, it will feel uncomfortable, but unless you ask and answer those difficult questions, you are bound to repeat the mistakes and remain in that frustrating loop.
Is the why now the why you had when you decided to read the Bible more?
Was your original plan unrealistic? Did you assign too many Scriptures than your allotted time could comfortably handle?
Did you schedule Bible reading times or leave it to chance?
Was the formula or plan you chose effective and meet the desired need?
Did you have accountability structures, or did you entirely rely on self-motivation?
And so on. These are but pointers; examples of things that can go wrong are many.
Sometimes, what made you falter in daily Bible reading had nothing to do with the plan or the approach itself but the circumstances of life.
Maybe you got a new job that was too demanding, so the assigned time could not work. Or you or a family member fell sick, and all time and attention were directed to caregiving and the pursuit of wellness.
Whatever it is, identify the potential pitfalls and work out adjustments and solutions that will maintain a consistent Bible-reading culture.
Do a structured restart
After the audit, let’s now talk about how to start again. And dont just dive in, restart in a structured way lest you fall behind in your Bible reading, again. Here are some nuggets:
i. Begin where you are at
The biggest trap people fall into while restarting their Bible reading routine is trying to catch up on everything missed. Suppose you are three months behind. Someone might decide to read five chapters every day until they are up to date.
Sounds strategic, right? Maybe not.
As good as it may sound, that’s a guilt project disguised as discipline, a sure way to burn out perhaps faster than the first time.
Don’t turn your Bible-reading reset into another burden. The goal is to re-establish a sustainable relationship with God’s Word, not to erase the past (which you can’t anyway).
Therefore, the wise thing to do is to start from today’s date on the plan. Or better yet, pick up from where you left off last time.
This approach will take a huge load off your shoulders.
ii. Start (very) small
Perhaps one of the reasons you fell behind in your Bible reading is that you were overambitious. As you restart, set a realistic Bible reading target/ goal.
Go small — embarrassingly small if you need to. If you think you can realistically read two chapters for 30 minutes a day, half it. Go with one chapter a day, for fifteen minutes.
Start small, build momentum, and then increase with time as consistency grows.
A small habit of reading a small portion of the Bible every day beats an unrealistic Bible-reading target which you cannot sustain for a week.
iii. Revert quickly
A perfect streak does not exist. This may not feature in many Bible-reading tips, but the question is not if but what happens when you miss a day. Or two.
See, despite the renewed focus and the best of intentions, as sure as the sun will rise in the east, you will end up missing some days. Life will just happen, and some days you will not be able to read the Bible. At least not as you had planned to.
So, when that happens, don’t wallow in guilt and self-condemnation. Revert quickly.
Missed a day? Return tomorrow and continue.
If you missed a week or two, return today. Don’t wait until tomorrow or until things are perfect. The more you wait, the more you will lose momentum and the harder it will be to return to Bible-reading ways.
Simply, shorten the cycle between falling behind in your Bible reading and restoration. Don’t aim for perfection, which does not exist. Consistency is good enough.
iv. Abandon the all-or-nothing mindset
One of the biggest obstacles I have observed in my Bible reading journey is the all-or-nothing mindset. That is, if the day is somewhat busy and I cannot read the Bible in my designated time or have the full planned time, I end up not reading the Bible at all.
It took repeated failure cycles to catch myself in that error. Learn from my mistake, especially if you are a perfectionist.
If you cannot read the Bible in your designated time, could you secure another time in your day for devotion? If you get some time, use it and read your Bible.
Is the day busy, and you cannot have your designated one-hour time slot, but you can spare some fifteen minutes?
Instead of skipping your reading that day, use those 15 minutes and do something. It might be short, but it still contributes significantly to your daily Bible reading habit, hence spiritual growth.
Just because you cannot do it all does not mean you should do nothing. Not every day will unfold in the same way. This calls for flexibility.
If your designated consistent Bible-reading time does not work for a given day, use other time pockets that come your way and continue building consistency.
v. Return to church
Sometimes, the problem starts way before and is deeper than you think.
Lifeway Research and other studies have shown a positive correlation between church attendance and Bible reading. Believers who attend church frequently tend to read the Bible more.
Could it be that you are struggling with your Bible reading because you slowed down in your church attendance?
Introspect.
If you slowed down or stopped going to church, take this as your cue to reconnect with your church. If you don’t feel settled in your current church, explore other churches, but be sure to be part of a church.
Church can greatly help rekindle your love for God and His Word. There is something about being around people who are actively pursuing God that can help awaken something up in you again.
Yes, and restore your appetite for God’s Word.
Saint, Christianity was never designed to be lived entirely in isolation. Find your mates, in church.
Finish the year on a high note
Just because you fell behind in your Bible reading in the first part of the year does not condemn you to stay away from the Bible for the rest of the year. You can shake off that guilt, audit the plan, and restart consistent Bible reading in a structured way and finish the year on a high note.
All you get to do is open that Bible and pick up from where you left it.
You can also read: