How Do You Keep Reading the Bible, When You Don’t Want To?

How Do You Keep Reading the Bible, When You Don’t Want To?

How often have you told yourself, “I want to read the Bible, but I just don’t feel like it.” Or maybe you’ve said, “I wish I wanted to read the Bible more, but I just don’t have the motivation.” Today I want to share with you some truths about reading your Bible, even when you don’t want to. I recently read this article by Abigail Dodds. Her analogy was brilliant. Imagine being a desert. What do you want the most? Water, right? And what do you need the most? Water! So she says, “Reading God’s word is a duty the same way taking a drink of water in the desert is a duty.” It is a duty we can come to love and crave. She also says, “What if I forced my schedule to revolve around my reading of the word, rather than vice versa?”

Over the years, this has been a silent shift in my heart I didn’t realize I was already doing. I’ve given up household duties for the moment to read God’s word. I’ve held off on starting school in the mornings so I can read my Bible and pray. I ask for help so I can have some moments alone with the Father. 

There is a myth in the Christian world that says if you don’t love to read God’s word, there is something wrong with you. Or if you read God’s word without the desire you are being a hypocrite. Both are lies. God’s word doesn’t need us to feel anything to speak to us. The Bible is alive and rich and full. It does not need us, but we need it. We need it when we feel joyful and we need it when we feel discouraged. It is not a magic eight ball to tell us all of the answers, it is the answer to the questions. 

Over the past twenty years of reading my Bible, through seasons of consistency and through seasons of unfaithfulness, I’ve learned these four truths about God’s word that keep me opening up the pages and trusting the God who wrote it to meet me there. 

 Four Truths To Keep You in the Word

1. Feelings are fickle. Keep reading even when you don’t “feel” like it. Feelings will change – but God’s word is the same. So no matter how you feel, 

2. Faithfulness is fundamental. Keep going daily. It might be a season of hard, but keep being faithful to the reading of God’s word. Faithfulness is never wasted.

3. Fight for the facts. Don’t let the lies from the enemy get in your heard. How do you do this? Stay in the word. The truth of God’s word will light your path (Psalm 119:105) and keep truth in the forefront of your mind. 

4. Follow the Father. If you are struggling to understand or keep going because you don’t know what it means, look for God’s character. Follow the clues that are there that tell you about God. the Bible is about God, so you will find Him! 

Which of these truths do you need to rely upon today to keep reading your Bible? I know for sure that sometimes I need all four – but either way God will meet us if we are willing. Keep a willing heart, and open heart and keep going! If you are looking for some help with loving God’s word, I created this amazing resource for you. It is a simple reading plan for the chapter of Psalm 119.