You Already Failed Your Bible Reading Resolution. What Now?

Sometimes, the problem with achieving a goal isn’t us — it’s the goal. Perhaps it’s too vague. For example, “lose weight” might be what you ultimately want to do, but as a goal, it’s not concrete. How do you lose the weight? What are the specific steps you need to take? The same goes for reading the Bible. Without specific, measurable elements to the goal, it’s difficult to make it happen.

SMART is an acronym for goal-setting that helps people achieve what they desire. It stands for:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time-bound

Instead of “reading the Bible,” which is very generic, try “read the Bible every day for 15 minutes,” or “read the through the entire Bible in one year.” Then you need to make sure you have an action plan for accomplishing this.

If your sister recently moved near you and you want to establish a better relationship with her, here’s an example of how a SMART goal would work.

S - Specific: I want to have a better relationship with my sister and know what’s happening in her life.

M - Measurable: I’ll text her daily, call her three times a week, and get coffee with her every Saturday afternoon.

A - Attainable: My sister lives nearby and we both have Saturdays off work, and I am using a calendar to remind myself if I get busy or distracted.

R - Relevant: Family is important to me, and I want to be closer with my sister.

T - Time-bound: Today I will put it in my calendar to do this for the next month, then I will text her. At the end of the month I’ll assess my progress and build on my goal from there.

With your Bible-reading resolution, consider: What do I want? Why do I want this? What will this look like from a practical standpoint given my current daily schedule? What time of day will this occur, and how can it be a part of my regular routine? When can I start this, and when will I assess my progress?

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Starting small when it comes to goals is usually a good thing, especially when it’s a major life change. If you rarely read the Bible, consider scaling your goal to something manageable at first while you get used to it. This will help you get back on track if you falter or need to pause.

People striving for nutritional gains often find success with incremental changes. They might cut out sugary drinks at first, then sugar a few weeks later, then white flour a few weeks after that, all while adding more vegetables and fruits to their diet.

Consider your lifestyle. Do you actually have an hour or more a day to devote to your goal? Work with what you have and build on that. If you know you definitely have 15 minutes, start there. Determine that you will spend 15 minutes a day in the car reading the Bible before you go into the office. You might find yourself naturally extending this time. After a month, you can assess your progress and how this is working for you. You might decide reading the Bible on your lunch hour, or waking up a half hour early to read it, is a better fit.

3. Set Limits

I like to set rules for myself as a way of sticking to my Bible-reading goals. I’ve been reading the Bible daily for years, and I’ve learned that what works for me is doing it first thing, before I do anything else on my phone. Instead of checking the weather, social media, email, or any text messages, I make sure to open the Bible app on my phone and read the next chapter in the current book of the Bible I’m on.

Some books are arduous and, frankly, the genealogy lists can feel boring to me. Still, I’m “not allowed” to do anything else on my phone until I read my Bible chapter. It’s a self-imposed rule, obviously, but it’s important to me, so I stick to it. Some days, I read more than one chapter. Other days, I think I’ve gotten nothing out of what I’ve read, only to find myself thinking about it later that afternoon and realizing the significance.

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Some people find great success through other people who can hold them accountable. You might find a group of people in your workplace or church who also want to set the same Bible-reading goal. Then, every day or once a week, you check in with them and report on your progress.

Or perhaps you all take time to read the Bible together, whether aloud or silently, at your own pace. (This works well for people who live in the same house or work together.)

5. Understanding Will Come

I have a master’s degree in English and I love reading, but the Bible was difficult for me at first. At first, the language was different and sometimes, to me, boring. But I asked God to help me persist. There were days I didn’t comprehend what I was reading or why it was important, so I asked God to help me understand. He did, either by granting me supernatural insight or leading me to resources, like articles from scholars who expounded on the historical context, to help me understand.

6. Do What Works for You

The Bible is the Bible, whether you read it in hard copy, listen as an audiobook, or view it on your phone. Consider what works best for your particular learning or comprehension style, and do that.

Know there are also a number of translations available that are published by trusted and authentic sources. Some are in archaic language, others are common everyday English, and still others are paraphrased versions. If you are not a native English speaker, know that many Bibles are available in a variety of languages.

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In addition to Bible reading, you might find other tools help your comprehension or commitment. When I first started, I found it helpful to underline or highlight certain verses, then take artistic pictures of them to post on social media. Other people enjoy journaling about what they read, or sketching a symbol or a scene that particularly touched their heart. Some people meditate or pray after their Bible-reading time.

Consider what God is prompting you to do. Does he want you to share nuggets of your reading with others? Does he want to talk with you?

What other tools can help your Bible reading truly sink in?

8. Don’t Give Up

It takes time to build a habit and dedication to accomplish a goal. Getting off track is normal. If you were a youth in the 1800s and planned to walk to town for school, but you stumbled on a rock and fell, you wouldn’t give up and go home. You’d dust yourself off and keep going.

It’s the same with reading the Bible. There will be days when you’re sick, or you overslept, or you simply forgot. We are human beings, not robots, and things happen.

What’s important is persistence. If you skip a day or two, or you need to scale back your goal, do it. Remember why you wanted to read the Bible in the first place. It’s usually not for an award or prize but for a deeper meaning: growing closer to God and understanding his word for yourself.

For me, I decided I wanted to know God’s word in my heart and soul and not rely on other people — pastors or Bible teachers — to interpret it for me.  

Figure out your “why” and use that to keep you going when you stumble.

Remember: Reading the Bible isn’t a task or an item on your to-do list. It’s a joy and a privilege, a way of getting to know the Lord better.

Even if it’s difficult to understand, and even if you struggle with time management and discipline, God can help you with this. As the apostle Paul reminds us, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

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