The Bible is God speaking to us, so it’s an amazing privilege. However, mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, create barriers that can make it really hard to even pick the Bible up.
As you are reading this, I suspect you have a God-given desire to read the Bible – and/or guilt about not reading it. You are not alone in this. It is a sign that the Holy Spirit is guiding and supporting you to know God deeper. In this article, we will consider some tips that have helped me read the Bible, and may be useful to you too:
Get the Holy Spirit’s Help
You amazingly have the Holy Spirit in you, ready to guide you towards Christ. So pray and ask for His help.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7-8
Reframe our Thinking
The way we approach the idea of reading the Bible can affect our response to it. However, we can retrain our minds to come to the Bible with a more helpful mindset. For example:
You don’t have to read the Bible.
You get to read the Bible.
You have the Bible in your own language, in words you understand. So you can smile, thank God for this great gift, then pick up your Bible.
Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
Psalm 119:105
Remind Yourself of who God is
We have an awesome, astounding God. Focus on how great He is, and you are bound to grow in your desire to draw near to Him. Remember why you first chose to follow Christ. Play some Christian music and let the words sink in. Whatever helps you to re-engage with the first love you had for Jesus.
And he will be called
Isaiah 9:6b-7
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Determine What is Holding you Back
I don’t mean something vague, like ‘mental health’, but something more specific. What is stopping you from picking up your Bible? Or why is it so much harder to pick up your Bible than your mobile/book/remote control? Once you have an answer, it will be easier to navigate a way forward. Some potential issues are: tiredness, lack of time, lack of motivation, guilt and distractions. The next few points may help with some of these issues, but talking it through with someone can help too.
Organisation
Planning a specific place and time each day when you have the mental energy and attention span to focus on God’s Word can be helpful. Keep your Bible and any reading notes/journals in this place. It takes a while for a new routine to become a habit, so keep going!
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:2
Read with a friend
This is only my third blog post, yet I’ve already mentioned this, which shows you how valuable I think it s. God made us to depend on other people. If you arrange a regular Bible study and prayer slot with someone, you will encourage them as well as yourself and you can grow in faith together.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Use your church
As well as Sunday services, many churches have smaller mid-week groups where people study the Bible and pray together. Find out what is available at your church, and you might feel able to commit to something there. At one point, I attended the first 45 minutes of an evening group. Most weeks I would leave halfway through and go to bed. Everyone accepted I was ill and welcomed me while I was there. These groups are for mutual support and growth in faith, not judgement.
Remember Grace
When reading the bible with my children, I occasionally say, “sorry, it’s too late tonight”. I used to feel guilty about this, but now I see it as a great teaching moment. God did not save us because of how often we read the Bible, our church attendance record or whether we remembered to pray before we started to eat. God saved us from our sins because He is good and He loves us. When we don’t meet the standards in Bible reading that we set for ourselves, it’s an opportunity to remind ourselves that God is in charge of our lives and our salvation and God thankfully does not save through our actions (or lack of). He saves through grace.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
1Peter 3:18a
Watch out for next week’s blog, where we’ll be looking at ideas for what to do next – when we’re actually reading the Bible!
Ponder
Do you believe that Christians should be joyful?
What would it look like, if you were more joyful?
Pray
Lord God, thank you that we can be in your presence because of Jesus. Thank you that you have given us your Holy Spirit. Please help us to recognise your presence and to rejoice in You.
Amen
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