4 Ways to Keep Reading the Bible When You’re Discouraged

According to a recent survey, Millennials (those of us born between 1984 and 2002) have experienced a greater decline in Bible reading over the last several years than other people groups. We read the Bible less today than we did a few years ago.

At the same time, over fifty percent of Millennials say they aren’t content with the time they spend reading the Bible. They want to invest more energy pouring over the scripture than they currently do.

With so many of us wanting to increase out time in the Word but experiencing the opposite, it’s easy to feel discouraged. Even without the stats, our own too frequent struggle to maintain consistency can temp us to quit altogether.

However, God’s Word is vital for our growth as Christians. Therefore we need to fight to keep reading, even when it feels like a losing battle. For the 55% of us who have a desire to invest more time in God’s word here are four practical ways to keep reading even when you feel like you’re failing.

First, reject condemnation. 

“Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” (Rom 8:34)

“There is therefor now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 8:1)

When we struggle to consistently read our Bible God doesn’t condemn us. Instead, He pleads for us.

Condemnation and guilt come from the enemy of our soul. He knows the power of God’s word to strengthen our relationship with Christ and therefor tries to keep us from it. Often he will use guilt as a way of separating us from the scripture.

Now we need to understand the difference between condemnation and conviction. We should feel conviction when, day after day, we choose to sleep in rather than spend time in scripture. God’s desire is that we would meditate on the Word day and night (see Psalm 1) and when we fail, the Spirit will convict. But the Spirit’s conviction always drives us back to Jesus Christ; gently nudging us to open our Bible and confess our unfaithfulness. Our Enemy’s condemnation makes us run from the Scripture and hide from our Savior.

So reject feelings of worthlessness. Recognize that Christ is pleading for you, not against you. He longs for you to come back to drink deeply from His Word.

Remember why you started reading the Bible.

Some people only read the Bible because it’s a “good book” and they want to check it off their reading list. But most of us set out to read God’s Word for higher reasons.

We want to know God. We want to grow as Christians. We want to understand the Bible.

If you exist among the later group, you have incredible hope and reason to keep plodding on!

“He who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:8-9)

“Blessed is the man … [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth it’s fruit in it’s season.” (Ps 1:2-3)

As we diligently open the Scripture it promises to produce fruit in our life. This is why we keep reading even when it’s hard, even when we miss a day and get discouraged.

When you fall get back up

“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.” (Proverbs 24:16)

Falling behind on our reading plan, going days or weeks without picking up the Bible isn’t failure. It’s an opportunity for God to strengthen us and help us grow.

My brother tried snowboarding once. He got on the board and made it down the hill quite impressively for a first-timer. But on the way, he fell (a lot) and was tempted to give up. Eventually he decided that snowboarding wasn’t his thing and he never made it to the olympics.

The men and women who make it to the international games have also fallen down, broke bones, lost competitions, been tempted to skip practice and give up. But our heroes are the ones who set their eyes on the prize and, though they trip and fall, they get back up stronger and more determined.

The test of a true disciple is perseverance in the midst of defeat. Though you miss seven weeks of Bible reading, pick it up and read again.

Ask God to give you a hunger for His word.

Ultimately you’re determination isn’t enough. You need God to give you an unsatisfiable appetite for the Scripture.

When we truly enjoy God’s Word, the struggle to wake up and read fades. Yes challenging days, even weeks, come. But just as a hungry person isn’t hard to feed, so a person hungry for scripture isn’t hard to get to open their Bible.

In the survey I mentioned earlier, they discovered the main reason people started reading the Bible more was because they discovered it was vital to their faith.

“When people go from feeling they should read the Bible more to needing to read the Bible, they find the time.” – Roxanne Stone, editor in chief of Barna Group

Scripture says it is honey to our lips, better than fine gold, joy, wisdom, bread of life, pure milk, comfort in our affliction, God’s very words. Believe this, chase after it in your personal experience. Ask the Lord to satisfy you with His word, to make it desirable to you, to cause you to enjoy reading it.

 

While the rest of our generation weans themselves off of the Word of God may our appetite only cry louder for the pure milk of scripture.

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Do find it difficult to maintain consistency in your Bible reading?

What is the biggest challenge or hinderance to you reading God’s word?