Already Behind in Your Bible Reading?

What you are about to read is directed at a very specific group of people: those who tried…and failed…again.

It’s only eight days into January, and already the number of unread chapters in your Bible are piling up on you. You had every intention of starting off well, of keeping on track. “This year,” you said, “I’m going to stay on top of my Bible reading and get through The Book.” And yet once again you’ve fallen behind, and the year has only just begun. I understand. I’ve been there.

Let me offer three thoughts that might help. They are by no means earth shattering, nor are they original to me. But they might help keep you from getting too discouraged and throwing in the towel.

1. Move from Guilt to Gratitude

Guilt is a powerful motivator and can move us to do a number of things. But as Christians, it should primarily move us to seek forgiveness and a clear conscience in Christ. Don’t let your guilt of falling behind either keep you from picking the Bible back up or be the driving force in your efforts to “do better.” Rather, realize that there is much mercy in Christ, even for those who can’t put two good days of Bible reading together. Turn to the Bible to point you to our Savior’s love, and then out of gratitude for his love turn to the Bible.

2. Move from the Pentateuch to the Prophets

Here’s a short quiz. 1) How many times have you read Genesis now? 2) How many times have you read Haggai? 3) What does God do to the Egyptians in Exodus? 4) What does God promise to do for his people in Zephaniah?

If you’re answers to 1 and 3 and are looking better than your answers to 2 and 4, it may be time to start with a new book. Many of us who putter out have done so while reading Genesis or Matthew for the gazillionth time (as most Bible reading plans start here). If you were committed to reading the entire Chronicles of Narnia series each year, but each year only got through the first book, don’t you think at some point in time you might go ahead and move on to another book in the series that was less familiar?

It may help to just start in another place with a book that is not so familiar. The newness of it may go a long way in keeping your attention while helping you build some momentum as you read through the Scriptures.

3. Move from Plan to Pleasure

I am all for plans and schedules and checklists that help to keep us on track. For most of us they are wonderful tools that keep us going and accountable. But if your daily Bible reading chart has become a collection of mostly empty boxes that does little more than say to you, “What’s the point of trying to keep up?” (and it’s been that way for years), then it may be time to lose the plan and focus mainly on reading for pleasure.

Let’s face it. How many of us sit down with a book we want to read, divide it into a strict number of pages per day, make checkboxes, and diligently check them off as we go? Some of us (seminarians?), perhaps. But for most people, probably not.

Again, the point is not to do away with goals or plans. But when you feel that you’ve become a slave of the checklist, and reading your Bible is more about just getting it done than communion with God, it might do you some good to put away the chart and just focus on reading for the pleasure of knowing God. And who knows, you may be surprised to find that you actually accomplish more this way.