Six Most Common Reasons People Fail to Read the Bible in One Year - By John C Arnold
Many people attempt to read the entire Bible in one year and fail. That was me. Over and over again I tried to read the bible and failed. I would begin inspired and devouring chapter after chapter. Then two or three weeks later I would start to choke on a bunch of "begats" and impossible to pronounce tribal names. Soon my enthusiasm would drop dead beneath a weight of confusion and boredom.
That all changed one winter after I read a book on how to read the Bible. I hit on a few simple strategies that have empowered me to read daily now without fail for over 25 years. During that 25 years I have observed several key differences between the people who excel at reading the bible in a year and those who fail. Here are my top six observations.
1. No designated time to read. If you want to be consistent, then you really need to specify a time for when you are going to read. A lot of people find it very helpful to read first thing in the morning before other things crowd it out. I personally am a night owl and read before I go to bed. Your reading time is really a matter of what fits your personality and schedule best. Try to pick a time when you won't be easily interrupted.
2. No daily reading plan. Having a clear plan for what you will read each day will super charge your chances of making it through. There are numerous online bible reading plans for you to choose from. A good study bible will often times offer reading plans in the back.
3. Start by reading cover to cover. The other day I mentioned to someone that I was writing an article on the top reasons people fail to read the bible. They blurted out, 'Leviticus.' Another person told me they did well until they hit Chronicles and then it just became too monotonous. I would encourage you to find a plan that mixes up reading the Old and New Testaments. Or, read the New Testament until you have a well-established daily bible reading discipline.
4. Using a bible or translation that is awkward to read. I find some bibles absolutely stink in terms of the formatting and font size. Get a bible that you love to read from. Similarly, make sure the translation is one that you understand. There are lots of great modern translations out there and there is no reason for you to struggle with the language in your bible. If thee's and thou's hurt your brain, then don't bother with them. Get a bible you can read.
5. Getting behind and stuck by thinking you must catch up. Give yourself permission right now to release the need to catch up. If you miss a few days. Big deal. So what. Just start reading again. In fact, you should make yourself a promise and say out loud right now, "I promise to forgive myself if I miss a day of reading and will immediately start reading again." That is the key. Don't worry about catching up. Just start reading again. As crazy simple as that my sound, it's the difference between the 'want to-be' readers and the 'I did it!' readers.
6. Failure to persevere. If you address all of the items above, then really the only thing left to do is to do the work. Some times reading is tough. Some times you are tired. Some times you don't get what you have read. Some times you have distractions. So what. Read anyways. You may have to get up earlier or stay up later. You may have to skip another commitment or not watch a television show. You may have to get away from everyone else. These are all incredibly small sacrifices compared to the eternal rewards waiting for you in God's word if you will just read it daily.
That all changed one winter after I read a book on how to read the Bible. I hit on a few simple strategies that have empowered me to read daily now without fail for over 25 years. During that 25 years I have observed several key differences between the people who excel at reading the bible in a year and those who fail. Here are my top six observations.
1. No designated time to read. If you want to be consistent, then you really need to specify a time for when you are going to read. A lot of people find it very helpful to read first thing in the morning before other things crowd it out. I personally am a night owl and read before I go to bed. Your reading time is really a matter of what fits your personality and schedule best. Try to pick a time when you won't be easily interrupted.
2. No daily reading plan. Having a clear plan for what you will read each day will super charge your chances of making it through. There are numerous online bible reading plans for you to choose from. A good study bible will often times offer reading plans in the back.
3. Start by reading cover to cover. The other day I mentioned to someone that I was writing an article on the top reasons people fail to read the bible. They blurted out, 'Leviticus.' Another person told me they did well until they hit Chronicles and then it just became too monotonous. I would encourage you to find a plan that mixes up reading the Old and New Testaments. Or, read the New Testament until you have a well-established daily bible reading discipline.
4. Using a bible or translation that is awkward to read. I find some bibles absolutely stink in terms of the formatting and font size. Get a bible that you love to read from. Similarly, make sure the translation is one that you understand. There are lots of great modern translations out there and there is no reason for you to struggle with the language in your bible. If thee's and thou's hurt your brain, then don't bother with them. Get a bible you can read.
5. Getting behind and stuck by thinking you must catch up. Give yourself permission right now to release the need to catch up. If you miss a few days. Big deal. So what. Just start reading again. In fact, you should make yourself a promise and say out loud right now, "I promise to forgive myself if I miss a day of reading and will immediately start reading again." That is the key. Don't worry about catching up. Just start reading again. As crazy simple as that my sound, it's the difference between the 'want to-be' readers and the 'I did it!' readers.
6. Failure to persevere. If you address all of the items above, then really the only thing left to do is to do the work. Some times reading is tough. Some times you are tired. Some times you don't get what you have read. Some times you have distractions. So what. Read anyways. You may have to get up earlier or stay up later. You may have to skip another commitment or not watch a television show. You may have to get away from everyone else. These are all incredibly small sacrifices compared to the eternal rewards waiting for you in God's word if you will just read it daily.
I hope these tips are helpful and pray that God blesses your efforts.John Arnold has created a custom daily bible reading plan designed to help you succeed at reading the bible in a year and it's free. He is also the author of The Practical Disciple, a blog loaded with tips, tool, and strategies to maximize your spiritual growth and relationship with God. Christian spiritual growth can be easy, exciting and fun if you just have the right tools. Come join the joy. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_C_Arnold Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5688634
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