The Blog
When it comes to Bible study, a lot of us live with a hard-to-pinpoint sense of shame and guilt. Whether we just read five minutes of Scripture this morning or spent an hour in the Word last week, something in us seems to constantly nag at us—It’s not enough. Do more. Do better.
As humans, this relentless slavedriver barking at us to strive harder dwells inside us all. Yet although we hear its voice day in and day out, it doesn’t actually help us live up to its impossible standards. And so we give up often, we start again on Monday or January 1, and we settle for being perpetually plagued with the feeling of not measuring up.
In Scripture, we discover that this slavedriver is ancient, and even the earliest Christians dealt with its persistent voice. In Galatians 3:3 (ESV), Paul asks a congregation of believers a critical question:
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
His point is simple. As believers in Christ, we’ve been set free from a life of trying to achieve perfection by our own effort. We don’t have to strive anymore, endlessly hoping to attain God’s favor in our own strength. No, we have been declared righteous and perfect by Jesus’ saving blood, and we now live by the Spirit, who draws us with love and patience to the heart of the Father.
Thank God, we’re not doomed to live with feelings of guilt or shame when it comes to Bible study or any other part of the Christian life! Rather than being constrained by a rigid, impossible-to-follow set of rules, we’re invited to a restful relationship with Jesus that ebbs and flows with grace.
As we walk with Jesus day by day, we can create healthy Bible study habits that help us embrace an adventurous and thriving life in the Spirit.
Here are three rhythms to help you cultivate Bible study habits that are rooted in grace, not guilt, and lead you to a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with God.
1. Have a plan.
Jews in Jesus’ day typically followed a reading plan that took them through the books of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) over a period of about three years. Each weekly synagogue service included a reading from the Torah with a related reading from the Prophets, called a Haftarah. That means Jesus grew up with a regular rhythm of reading God’s Word, each and every week, every single year of His earthly life. And when we read the Gospels, we see just how much Scripture impacted Jesus’ days. Whether He was experiencing temptation, answering questions about the law, or confronting religious leaders, Jesus lived and breathed Scripture.
Some of us naturally crave routines like the one held by Jews, while others of us balk at any kind of schedule. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, the familiar axiom is true: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
If we want God’s Word to “dwell richly” within us (Colossians 3:16), a plan for how we will regularly incorporate it into our lives is vital.
2. Have grace.
While a plan is crucial for creating a Bible study habit that you can actually stick to, having grace with yourself when things don’t go to plan is equally as important!
We all know—more often than not, life often doesn’t go according to plan. Sometimes, a late start to your day might mean skipping Bible study and grabbing breakfast to-go. Usually, this cues the nagging slavedriver: You should have gotten up earlier. You should have made time for Bible study. You should have…
But in the myriad situations like this that we encounter, living by the Spirt instead of the slavedriver looks like speaking truth and grace to yourself and seeking Jesus’ help in prioritizing His Word however you can. Maybe you usually dig into Scripture in the morning using a Yarrow printed study, spending 15 to 20 minutes in the Word. But if a quick study on the Yarrow app during your lunch break is all you have time for today, don’t stress! Show grace to yourself, and remember Jesus’ invitation to cease striving and rest in Him in Matthew 11:28,
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
3. Have fun.
The key difference between a Bible study habit you wish for and one that actually becomes part of your life?
Joy.
When you love something, you crave it—and you keep coming back for more.
So brainstorming ways to make your Bible study time enjoyable will help you create a healthy Bible study rhythm that sticks. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Choose a time and place when you’re likely to be at ease, not rushed. Bonus points if you can make your space cozy and inviting (like a reading nook in your living room), or refreshing and inspiring (like a comfy chair in a sunroom or patio bench)!
- Find tools that help you stay organized, focused, and refreshed. Try sipping a warm beverage in our Yarrow diner mug or marking a Yarrow notebook with multi-colored pens to keep you engaged.
- Take a step in community! Shoot a text when you’re processing something challenging in Scripture or schedule a meet-up to pray through a psalm with a friend. Bible study is better with your people!
Friends, Bible study is not meant to be a burdensome task driven by guilt or perfectionism. Instead, it’s an invitation to a relationship with Jesus that is grounded in grace and love. By making a plan, showing ourselves grace when life doesn’t go as planned, and finding joy in our study, we can cultivate habits that bring us closer to God without the pressure to perform.
Remember, we’re not striving for perfection. We’re walking with Jesus, allowing His Spirit to lead us into deeper understanding and a more fulfilling connection with Him step by step. So, let’s release the guilt, embrace the grace, and practice Bible study habits that become life-giving rhythms of rest in our Savior Jesus.