Bible Reading Habits
I’m currently following a Bible reading plan that gets me through the whole Bible in two years. At least it would if I managed to read my Bible each day. I opened up to continue my reading in Job and 1 Corinthians yesterday and found I was 5 days behind. FIVE DAYS! How on earth did that happen?
I looked back over the last week. I had coffee within 30 minutes of waking up every day. I had a shower every day. I told Nicky I love her every day. I did all the things I would usually do - except read my Bible. How did that happen?
In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear makes this point about us humans - “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Now I’m not one to make gurus out of self-help book authors but to me, this rings true.
He goes on to say, “Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results. If you’re having trouble changing or keeping your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.”
To be sure, my system is to read my Bible early in the day. Sometimes at home, sometimes at work, sometimes while walking to work. Weirdly, in the last week, I just abandoned my system. I replied to urgent emails about GGs in the morning. I got stuck into conversations and meetings at work. I made phone calls on my walk to work. And I did not even realise it.
All this made me remember: you can have excellent goals, but unless you have a system, a process, a plan for how you are going to meet your goals (and stick to it) you are going to struggle to meet your goal.
So how’s your Bible reading going for 2024? Do you have a goal but not a system? Are you ignoring your system like me?
Again, James Clear has a 4-pronged approach to creating a system that helps you keep good habits.
Make it obvious.
Make it attractive.
Make it easy.
Make it satisfying.
Translating this to a system for reigniting your daily Bible reading:
Leave your Bible where you can see it or put notifications on for your Bible app.
Start with a book of the Bible you love rather than Leviticus or Zechariah (unless you love those books!)
Choose a time of day you can commit to each day (or several times a week)
Don’t start with a chapter a day, start with small chunks that you can read, digest, pray over and think about during the day. And remember when you are reading the Bible you are listening to God! That’s pretty satisfying!
Trying to go from little or no Bible reading to 4 chapters a day will be hard (probably impossible!). But a little each day will change your life as the Spirit of God works through the Word of God allowing the God of the world to speak to you. Incredible.
So, (this will sound counterintuitive) if you need to improve your Bible reading habits, don’t just start. Come up with a system, a plan, a process in line with the 4 pronged approach above and then start. Chances are you will keep it and God will transform you through his Word in a way you might never have imagined.
