The first time I set out to read the Bible in its entirety, I was in junior high and had recently received a Teen Study Bible. There were many features that come in study bibles with topics of interest for teens. In the back of the Bible there were maps, a small glossary, concordance, and a Bible reading plan. The suggestion given about reading the Bible was that if you read 3 chapters a day, and 5 chapters on Sunday, you could read the Bible in a year. In this Bible reading guide, there were small boxes for every chapter of every book of the Bible that you could check when you completed that chapter.
So, in January I began my journey and commitment to read the Bible in a year. Reading 3 chapters a day is maybe a 15-minute commitment, so I started off doing well. But somewhere along the line (in the middle of Leviticus or Numbers), I stopped reading consistently. After a couple of weeks, I wanted to get back on track so that I could still complete the goal of reading the Bible in that year. I was ready to get back on track and realized that to catch up, I was going to have to read 50 chapters or more – and in the part of the Bible I was in, it was not the easiest or most interesting. So, I was overwhelmed, gave up, and stopped reading anything.
I think we often give up on commitments because it’s so overwhelming. But do you know how much you’re able to accomplish when you give up? Well, you don’t do anything! But when we enter back into the commitment and decide that we want to do something, then we do something! My Bible reading journey didn’t include needing to read over 50 chapters in one day, I could just start again by reading 3 chapters or even just 1 chapter a day. I had to realize that my commitment was about spending time in God’s word, and not checking all the boxes. When I figured that out, I was able to begin reading again because it was about reading the Bible to grow in my faith.
Sometimes, we have to reset our process along the way, but the most important thing is to not give up entirely. To begin my commitment to reading the Bible again, I just had to start again with that day. I adjusted my perspective on what the goal was really about – which was to learn more and go deeper by spending time in God’s word. If I got off track, I didn’t even have to only start again where I left off. So, I didn’t worry about reading the books of the Bible in order. I read the New Testament, and then to books of poetry and history in the Old Testament. At the end of that year, that Bible reading guide didn’t have all the boxes checked in the back. But I read so much more of the Bible by the end of the year because I was willing to restart and focus on the goal that the end product wasn’t as important as the process along the way.
A Year in the Bible is that – spending time this year in the Bible. Maybe you’ll read the entire Bible – which is an amazing goal and accomplishment! But what you will learn along the way – each day that you do read the scriptures – will help you to know more about God and to grow in your faith. If you already feel like you’ve gotten off track, don’t worry about checking off all the boxes and don’t give up. Remember the reason for the Bible reading journey and reset today.
– Amy Givens, Director of Youth Ministry & Discipleship
