As you move into a new year, maybe you are interested in picking up Bible reading again. Can I encourage you to find an accountability partner? Find someone who can walk with you on this journey.
My 1990 baby blue Toyota Camry pulled into the dark driveway. It was Friday night, and I wasn’t invited to hang out with my friends. Instead, at the age of 17, I drove to a young mom’s house who had three little girls. Her husband worked nights. On Fridays we would meet together to just talk.
As I walked up the step, I knew the conversation would turn to the Bible. She always asked, “So, where are you reading in your Bible?” That night, I started her simple Bible reading plan and was excited to share with her some discoveries I had made about God and the truth of His Word.
She always had a Diet Coke for me and usually coconut cookies. After her girls went to bed, we would spend hours just talking. Mostly me. She was a great listener. She was my first accountability partner when it came to reading scripture.
As you move into a new year, maybe you are interested in picking up Bible reading again. Or, possibly, you want to start reading your Bible for the first time. Can I encourage you to find an accountability partner? Find someone who can walk with you on this journey.
Don’t Let the Enemy Win
The enemy wants nothing else than to steal this away from you. Jesus told His followers in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Jesus is the one who gives life, and we find that life in the Word of God. The thief is Satan. He would like nothing else to discourage, disappoint, and distract you from reading the Bible.
To fight that enemy, we need to work together. God has called us to be a community of believers who pray and study God’s word together. In Acts, at the very beginning of the church, Luke describes the believers in this way:
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42
The apostles’ teachings would eventually become the New Testament that we hold today! 1 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Do you want to do the good work God has called for you this coming year? If so, reading God’s Word will equip you!
Maybe you are wondering how you can find an accountability partner. Since that time, at the age of seventeen, I’ve had a lot of people I’ve read the Bible with. Some I’ve sought out, others have sought out me. Maybe these tips will help get you started.
Starting With One Person
Over ten years ago, I started a Bible study in my house. Maybe if you’ve never had an accountability partner, you don’t start there. Starting with one person might be best. You might be thinking, “Who?” Some people in your life you can ask are family members, friends from work, people you go to church with, or even your next-door neighbor. Any other Christian you might know will work. I suggest you find someone you already know you get along with. It can even be someone you already meet with regularly. Do you have a friend who you always get coffee with every so often? Ask that person. Just take the first step and see where it goes.
Gather a Group of People
Maybe you would like to host a group of Bible to read the Bible with in the coming year. That’s amazing! If you want to host a Bible study, I would suggest you get a study by one of these women and make a plan to meet once a month or twice a month. If you would like 10-15 people to come, make sure to ask around 30 people! Not everyone will come every time, but you will be surprised to see the same ones that show up week after week. For more tips about a community Bible study, click here.
Having a Plan
Whether you are meeting with just one person or more than one, have a plan. Decide together how often you will meet and where. It doesn’t have to be complicated. You can meet at a neutral location, like a coffee shop, but make sure it is private or quiet enough so you can chat. Or one of your houses. Also, make a plan as to what you will read. When I was 17, I began reading one chapter in the Old Testament, one chapter in the New Testament, and one chapter in the Psalms/Proverbs. It took me a little over three years, but I read through the Bible for the first time that way. If you would like other reading plans, check out these here.
When Plans Change
Plans will change, even if you have the best intentions. Don’t let that rob you of peace. Remember: Progress over perfection. It doesn’t have to be perfect and if you miss a few weeks, that’s ok. Together, you can do this. Just stay in communication, and even if you don’t meet together, you can still text, call, or email each other to help keep that consistently going. Even if your plans and your lives take a shift, you can still help keep each other accountable.
When Fear Holds You Back
I understand that stepping out in faith and asking someone to read the Bible with you can be hard. In fact, it might even cause a little bit of anxiety. Don’t worry, I was very nervous the first time I asked to read the Bible with someone. Think instead of what you will gain when you start reading your Bible more consistently. You will gain a deeper understanding of God, which leads to a closer relationship with Him. You might even learn things you can share with others in order to witness better. Not only that, but the person you have read the Bible with might even become a closer friend.
The friend I spoke about at the beginning of the article is still my friend today. She mentored me for several years, even as I went to college. Her wisdom and kindness fueled my young faith and laid a deep foundation for knowledge about God to grow in my heart. She showed me a love for God’s Word that is still on fire in my heart today.
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