Are You Overlooking This Essential Part of Your Spiritual Health?
When you think about healthy routines, you might think mostly of physical health and exercise, or maybe your nutrition or medical history, or maybe even mental health and how your emotions and thoughts are affecting you. All of these things are important, and they actually work together to form your overall wellness. Good physical health can boost your mental health, and vice versa. (Isn’t that so cool?!)
But, there can be an often-overlooked area of our health… our spiritual wellbeing.
Whether you’ve been a Christian since you were five years old or you’ve only recently become a follower of Jesus, this area of your health can seem, well, confusing. What does it even mean to take care of your spiritual health? How do you do that? Where is the best place to start?
As a Christian, one of the best things you can prioritize for your spiritual health (and overall health, wellbeing, joy…) is reading and studying your Bible!
You might be thinking, “All right. That’s nice and all, but I don't really know how to do that… and maybe I don’t want to.” I get that.
Can I tell you something really important, though?
You can’t know God very well, and you can’t grow in your relationship with Him, if you don’t read and study the Bible.
Paul encourages us to read and study the Bible in 2 Timothy 3:15–17:
“and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the [woman] of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
The Bible is all about God. He’s the main character of the story. (If we’re honest, we often think it’s about us.) Think about the Bible sort of like God’s autobiography. It can function like a love letter to us, and it does sometimes offer directions for our lives, but it is first and foremost about God. It’s about who He is, what He has done, His plan for redemption, and how we as creation should respond to Him.
Maybe that’s the first time anyone has ever told you that the Bible is about God… and it isn’t about you. That’s pretty wild, isn’t it? One of my friends from church had never had a pastor say, “The Bible is about God,” until she was in her 60s.
Realizing the Bible is about God should hopefully shift our perspective when we read the Bible. But, we’ll probably still have days where we don’t want to read it or where we struggle to understand it.
I’ve been part of small groups and Bible study groups since I was 11. I’ve co-led women’s Bible studies since I was in high school, and I still have moments where I lose confidence in how to read the Bible well. I have days when it feels sluggish or like a chore, but there are also days when what I’m reading finally clicks. We at Stand Unshaken want those “ah-ha!” moments for you, too! But, they will require some moments of tension or confusion or boredom with what you’re reading. That’s ok.
Not every part of learning feels encouraging or monumental, and that can apply to reading and studying God’s Word too. However, we can’t reach the monumental discoveries without the small steps of consistency that get us there.
So, let’s take that first step toward consistency and studying the Bible together. Step one might shock you…
Read your Bible.
I know, I know. This is groundbreaking stuff. (You can roll your eyes at me. I won’t be offended… mainly because I can’t see you right now.)
This first step is so important. Actually read your Bible—not just some study book about your Bible. Read the Bible.
Now, I don’t mean you have to start in Genesis and go all the way through to Revelation. (You can totally do that, though!) Find a book of the Bible to read. John can be a great place to start.
Your second step is to keep reading the book. Repetitive reading can help you better understand, comprehend, and remember what you’re reading.
Create a reading schedule that works for you. If it’s a shorter book, like James, maybe you read through the entire text every day or every two days. If it’s longer, like John, perhaps you read one or two chapters a day. And then you start over when you reach the end. Keep reading the text.
Third, notice what you’re reading. Make note of repeated words, phrases, and themes. Mark any unfamiliar words, and then look up their meanings.
Jen Wilkin, an author and Bible teacher, recommends getting a copy of the text in addition to your Bible—whether it’s printing off the chapter or using a Scripture journal or a journaling Bible. You want to give yourself space to make notes, write definitions, and jot down questions.
Lastly—and perhaps this should have been first—pray! Start and end your time in the Bible with prayer. It can be as simple as saying, “God, thank you for your Word. Help me to read without distractions. Please guide my mind and my heart to better understand your Word and grow in love for you. Amen.”
Here’s a quick recap of what we just talked about:
The Bible is about God. We need to read and study it to get to know Him better.
Pick a book of the Bible and start reading. (John is a great place to start.)
Read repetitively. Read through the entire book at your own pace, and then start over again.
Observe what you’re reading and make notes.
Pray before, during and after you read!
I hope this has been encouraging to you as we look at this highly important part of a healthy Christian life. Do you have any questions about Bible reading? Maybe you want some more tips or some study source recommendations. Whatever it is, we’d love to help! Send your questions our way by leaving a comment below or by sending us an email.