Keep That Bible Reading Resolution This Year

So every year people make resolutions. The top resolution for Christians is probably reading the Bible. Well I came across an article by Lifehacker that listed steps for building better reading habits and comprehension. They are designed for reading in general but as I read them I realized they would work well for people who struggle with getting into bible reading. Check out some of these tips to help you out.

Photo from urweb.com

Step 1: Reconsider What Reading Really Means to You - Make sure this really is what you wanna do cause you want to do it not just cause you think you have to do it. Now that doesn't mean that you need to overwhelmingly feel like you want to do it, but if there is no part of you that wants to then one should reexamine the idea of reading (and probably ones faith).

Step 2: Stop, Refocus, and Build a Healthy Relationship with Reading - Set a schedule you can keep to. Do it where you can focus. Make sure you won't be interrupted or tempted to switch to something else. (If that means turning off your cell phone, then do it. It might also mean reading somewhere different such as the kitchen table.) Think about the best ways for you to read and understand.

Step 3: Choose the Things You Spend Your Time Reading Wisely, and Include Multiple Voices - Don't read a Bible that you don't understand, find a translation that is easy to understand (I recommend the NLT). Also find yourself some resources that will help you understand what you are reading. A good one is the New Bible Dictionary. A set of commentaries that you can read along side of the Bible is a good idea as well.

Step 4: Read Conscientiously, and Take Time to Absorb and Reflect on What You Read - Don't set a verse limit you are going to read or chapter by chapter. Set a time and then just read. When you come to something you have a hard time understanding, stop and think about it. Go back and reread it if that helps.  When we read just for the sake of reading it doesn't help us at all. It may take longer but I promise your reading will actually be worth it.

Step 5: Build a Flow Around Thoughtful Reading -. Think about a book before adding it to your reading alongside the Bible. Make sure its going to help you and not just hinder you. Make it easy on yourself to do your reading and you will find it easier to think about the things you read.

Extra Credit: Share Your Thoughts, Add Your Own Ideas - This is self explanatory as to what it means but it is helpful because often we thing about our ideas different when we verbalize or write them down. Also challenges from others can change the way we look at and idea or strengthen the idea we have.

Hopefully these steps will help you in your readings. I encourage you to read what they had to say about the steps as well. For the full article go here. (Remember I re-tasked these steps for Bible reading in particular). Also don't be afraid to look around and ask questions about books and bibles. There are a lot of resources out there. Learn to use them to help you.

Have Some Blessed and Happy Reading!