I read the Bible in one year and this is what happened…
October 2, 2020 was the day I should have finished reading the entire Bible in a year. My final date-October 15th. Not too shabby, considering I am great at starting things but not so great at finishing. Can I get an Amen? I know I am not alone.
I have never really stuck with anything this long so I am SUPER proud of myself and the good habits I have built.
So many positives have come from this discipline!
- For starters, I wake up earlier and less tired. (usually) Many days I would nod off during reading, especially at the beginning, but the majority of the time I got right to it. I think it got easier because I started looking forward to it (a lot more than expected!)
- I am starting to understand the Bible a little better. It is not always an easy read, but the more you do it, the more comfortable you become. I followed a chronological plan that started January 1, but I started in October. I was on a different schedule, yet I still heard the messages I needed at the right time for me!
- My time commitment to this habit grew throughout the year. I started off spending 15-20 minutes and now spend about 30-40 minutes each morning. Each day I set my alarm a couple minutes earlier (baby steps)
- My overall mood is better…not perfect…but better. I am definitely more positive, but I attribute some of that to the gratitude journal I wrote about here. I don’t do it as often anymore, but I feel like the benefits of it have stuck with me.
- I am looking forward to my next trip through the Bible. I don’t want to get out of the habit, so I will be starting again right away and my family is joining me this time!! We pray together but have never read the Bible together so I am excited to see what this brings for us!
My process
Read the daily Bible reading and listen to the Bible ReCap. At the beginning I was also reading the First 5 app that corresponded, but eventually I just stuck with the recap.
I have a color coding highlighting process (what type A person doesn’t?!?!)
When I could turn my brain on quick enough, I would remember to read a few opening verses before I started the plan of the day:
Psalm 119:18 open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law
Luke 24:45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O Lord, and renew a steadfast spirit within me
I will admit I was kind of expecting this miraculous, complete transformation…like day 365 I would suddenly have a bucket of patience that never runs out, and never have a bad day ever again… But that is not reality.
My anxiety and worry are not 100% gone, but I have some better tools (verses) to manage these ugly feelings when they creep in. I still have bad days, but I know just because you are a Godly person doesn’t mean everything will be perfect in your life. It just means God will be with you through it all.
I am not sure what role the Bible plays in your life currently, but if you don’t read it all, or only once in a while, I highly suggest you start! Start small. A few minutes a day is better than nothing. See what it does for you!