I think you should make getting more Bible in your life one of your New Years Resolutions. I love that.
But I think you’ve got a problem.
I’m not sure how many Bible reading plans I’ve started, but I’m pretty sure I’ve finished less than half of them. Some of them I dropped for good reasons (like going more slowly through one book), but more than I want to admit I dropped for bad reasons (like losing motivation).
Here a few common places I’ve been tripped up and where I bet you might be too.
Not planning a time and place to read // Maybe you found a great Bible plan. Wonderful! But if you don’t plan a specific time and place to read you likely won’t get far. Without a specific time and place Bible reading will fall into the “If I have time” category, and you probably won’t have time. So pick a time.
Being overly ambitious // I love the ambition of reading through the Bible in a year, but if you haven’t read the Bible much at all in the last year consider a more achievable target. That’s a little like trying to run a half-marathon when you’re not consistently running 5k or 10ks.
Reading Alone // I think you should read alone, but not stay alone. What I mean is that you should bring others into your reading — talk to a spouse or close friend about your plan. Ask them for encouragement and to check-in with you. Or better yet, use the same reading plan as someone else and connect about it.
Reading For Your Mind But Not Heart // Sometimes reading can be a knowledge exercise alone. But the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength. So that mind work is also heart work and soul work. That reading should engage your heart. Honestly, I’m so helped sometimes by listening to worship music as I read, allowing the truth to engage my emotions even as I engage my mind.
Being Surprised By Hard Work // If you expect every morning to feel like your pastor’s best sermon, you’ll be discouraged and give up. Bible reading is more like digging for treasure. The shovel often goes into the ground without visible progress—but without that consistency you’ll never reach what is precious and beautiful.
I hope you will read the Bible in 2023. Just don’t set yourself up to fail before you get out of the gate.
Pick a time and place
Take your current reading and push yourself a bit further
Find someone to read with
Engage your heart intentionally
Expect hard work
If you do this I trust you’ll experience the good of what the Psalmist says about God’s Word:
Psalm 19:7–8
[7] The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
[8] the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes; (ESV)
P.S.: Looking for a good Bible reading plan? Justin Taylor has a great roundup here.