I mentioned in a previous post that consistently reading the Bible is a discipline that can be difficult to develop. Here are a few thoughts have been helpful to me to begin reading the Bible daily.
- Identify a time. – If you’re like me, then if you don’t schedule a time to read, you’ll come to the end of your day without having cracked open the Bible. So put it on your calendar. Make an appointment with God. And then keep it.
- Identify a place. – The place where you read is almost as important as the time. Having a place helps build a routine that will create its own momentum. Find a place that is conducive to reading and reflecting. For me that is at my desk with a cup of coffee. But find out what works for you.
- Read when when you want to. Read it when you don’t. – Habits are not hard to build when it is something you want to do. It’s when you stayed up too late and have the choice to either sleep in or wake up and read. The challenge of consistency is doing it when you would rather do something else.
- Get a daily reading plan – There are a ton of different reading plans for reading the Bible chronologically, topically, canonically, etc. Just pick one. It takes the work out of choosing what to read. You can still break away and read other things, but when you do not know what to read, a plan will choose for you. BibleGateway and ESV.org have several reading plans you can check out.
- Don’t beat yourself up. – Everyone misses a day. Sometimes they miss a few days. Don’t let that stop you from moving forward.
What do you do to develop the discipline of consistency?