I have never been good at reading my Bible or praying. It constantly seems like something more appealing comes up. I often feel God speaking to me and asking me to spend time with Him. Most of the time, I choose to spend my time on things that are not inherently bad, but distract me from God. I come home after work and choose to sit on the couch and watch episode after episode of my favorite TV show, Parks and Recreation (Leslie is the BEST!). I choose to scroll through Facebook for way longer than I need to. I choose to watch YouTube. By the time it gets to be bedtime, I have basically wasted my whole night and was not growing any closer to God.
I was feeling pretty defeated by this difficulty in my life, so I started seeking advice and resources on how to turn this bad habit on its head. One of the things that I discovered through many discussions with close friends and the Lord was that I had an inaccurate idea of what it meant to “read the Bible.” I had it in my head that to read the Bible like I was “supposed” to meant that I should be reading at least three chapters a day and spending a substantial amount of time in prayer. This subconsciously overwhelmed me and I often chose other things because it was easier than it was to enter into something really deep that I didn’t feel ready for.
I have been listening to some older podcast episodes from some of my favorite authors, a married couple, Jefferson and Alyssa Bethke. In one of their episodes, they began talking about the difficulty of some seasons of life where you just have such a hard time reading the Bible. Jeff gave a wonderful analogy that resonated with me. He said that we are like sponges, and we want to soak up God’s word so that when we are squeezed by everyday life and stress, God’s word comes out, not bitterness or sin or hatred. He went on to say that the issue isn’t about getting your quiet time that day or reading five chapters; it really is about getting the Bible into your heart.
This helped me to realize that I need to be flexible with myself. I am not always going to have time to spend two hours reading the Bible and praying. But every day, I can take even just a few minutes to read. Maybe it isn’t even an entire chapter. Maybe I just read a verse that resonates with me and I think on that verse when I have small moments throughout the day. I am also a crafty person and I like to do calligraphy and hand-lettering. So, something I could do to soak up God’s word rather than just read it, would be to read a passage and take time to write it out creatively and meditate on it. These are all ways that I can meditate on God and what He wants to speak into my life, without feeling obligated to have an epiphany every time I read.
I have changed my goal and mindset surrounding reading and praying. My goal is not to read a specific number of chapters each week or make it through the whole Bible in a year. It isn’t to pray for a half hour every day. It isn’t to compare myself against others and how they read their Bible.
My goal is to put God’s word into my heart.
-Miranda Huyck, Children’s Ministry Director
