“How is your Bible reading going?”

My question makes an assumption.  I assume what I believe to be true: that “your Bible reading” is actually a thing, a spiritual discipline every Christian should have, a natural part of the Christian life.  

The person I ask usually catches this assumption, and the defenses go up.  Attitudes and answers vary, but the basic problem is simply not reading our Bibles.  

God means for his daughters to be in His Word, seeking Him.  What is keeping us from it?  In talking with women of all ages, there are some myths we have embraced when it comes to a daily Bible ready habit.  Time for some myth-busting.    

Busting 2 Myths about Daily Bible Reading

Let’s expose those lies we’ve accepted and keep telling ourselves—remove those mental obstacles to developing a healthy daily Bible reading habit.  These are things we believe that keep us from going to our spot, at our chosen time, and opening the Bible to read.

The two obstacles we are removing today are myths we believe, consciously or subconsciously, that keep us from showing up to worship through Bible reading on a consistent basis.

BUSTING MYTH #1: “I have to read my Bible in the morning.”

There is a common myth that you have to do this in the morning.  I was taught growing up that this was best. But if that standard is actually keeping you from opening your Bible at all, it’s time to rethink.

Yes, there are benefits to reading first thing. You get it done and don’t have to forget to remember it later. It starts you off on the right foot mentally/spiritually. It’s “giving God the first fruits of my day.”

Okay. Let’s take a deep breath. There are some key questions to ask yourself when picking a time of day (or place in your routine) to build your Bible reading habit into.

~When will I be able to focus mentally? (We are reading, after all.)

~When can I be basically distraction free? (Even if you have to make it that way.)

~What can I realistically stick with in my routine?

We already know that every person’s answers are going to vary. The important thing is are you reading your Bible AT ALL?

You can build a habit of worship in the morning, or in the pickup line at school, or before you go to bed, or right after lunch.  In any of these situations, you are surrendering to what you were made for: to exalt God. There is no wrong time of day for that.

BUT WHAT IF I FORGET??

How long does it take to read a chapter of Scripture? Less than 5 minutes. Less than 2 minutes in some cases.  Obviously, it will be longer if you pray, mediate, journal, etc…

As long as it takes to check your Facebook, order a Starbucks and wait for it, wait at a stop light, or pop a bag of popcorn. I hope you see what I am getting at.

If you forget or miss your set time, there are pockets of time you can find to do this (even if you have to use your Bible app on your phone). 

There is no wrong time of day to worship.

Disclaimer:  I believe strongly in the benefits of opening God’s Word and putting His truth in your heart and mind at the beginning of the day.  Morning is when I personally aim for doing this.  BUT… if you read your Bible at another time of day, it is no less beneficial for your soul and honoring to God.  Girl, read your Bible.  Don’t let time of day be your obstacle.

BUSTING MYTH #2: “I have to read my Bible in a private place.”

This one may not be yours, but stick with me.

I have heard versions of this excuse from many women (or seen played out in their lives, even if they won’t admit it). This myths becomes an obstacle to opening God’s Word and reading it.  

I will admit it, this one is somewhat specific to moms at home with their kids. (This is where I live, as do many of the moms I mentor.)  I was even shocked to hear a prominent church leader say once, “We can’t do Bible study with children around.”

Do kids make it hard to focus? Yes.

Do these same kids need to hear God’s Word and see a lifestyle of worship modeled for them? YES!!

And this is the biggest bust to this myth.

I have talked to a lot of moms about their Bible reading discipline, and we somehow have gotten this idea in our heads that no one should be able to see us when we read our Bibles.

You probably don’t need me to tell you how NOT possible that is for most moms.

And I get the WHY. We want the prayer closet effect, where we are alone with God, unhindered in our expression of private worship. And this is actually biblical and an important part of our lifestyle of following Christ. (Even Christ escaped the crowds and got alone with the Father.)

But… WHAT IF we’re just talking about Bible reading here, aside from private prayer time? (Reading God’s Word, by the way, is discussed in Scripture itself largely as a corporate thing we do together as believers.)

And… WHAT IF you begin to see the big picture of a lifestyle of worship, affecting everything you do and think, every word you speak to your kids, every task on your to-do list, your family culture?

And… what kind of adults do you want your kids to grow up to be? How about the kind who view Bible reading as an important and natural part of every day life?

So don’t be afraid to read (even to pray!) with your kids watching. They need that.

Maybe you will spark some great spiritual discussions because they want to know what you’re reading.

Myths busted.  Girl, just read your Bible.  Do it today.  Your routine will not look like someone else’s (or what you think someone else’s looks like).  God is waiting for you to show up at your standing appointment to hear His truth.  Show up.  Worship and be fed.  Read your Bible.

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