Making time for God's word

Isn't it sad that we, who were given life by God, struggle to make time for his word in our day? Growing up I always knew I wanted to make time for my Bible, but I struggled so much and often felt guilty that I couldn't seem to get in a routine together.

I have forced myself into a habit now of giving the first part of my day to the Lord. It has not been easy, and I lose a little bit of sleep to maintain my schedule, but I have found it to be SO worth it!

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Here are a few guidelines which have helped me to be sure to spend time with my Bible every morning:

1) I wake up half an hour earlier than I did before. It was tough at first to force myself to get up earlier, but now it seems normal. That extra little bit of time in the morning with God is worth more than a half hour of sleep (yes, this is something I had to chant over and over to myself for the first week or so.)

2) This is not a race. You don't need to spend an hour a day meditating on God's word to be a "good Christian" (but oh how wonderful it would be to have time to do that!). I have found that reading 2 chapters every days is enough for me, because if I read more I think I don't meditate on it as well. I also read slowly, trying to understand every passage.

3) I keep the routine the same. I wake up, go get myself a cup of tea, climb back into bed and grab my Bible from the bedside table. It is always there, waiting for me, and the routine is the same every morning.

4) I keep a small pen and ruler in my Bible which I use to underline. This is something I learned in college when I was studying massive amounts of text at one time: just the act of looking for something key to underline helps me to focus more on what I'm reading. It also makes it easier for me to find key verses I love and be able to look back on them.

5) Before I put my Bible back on my nightstand, I reflect a little on what I've read and how I can apply it. I will often pray for God to help me apply what I've read, or help me to understand better what I've read.

6) Don't beat yourself up if you miss a day. Yes, it would be amazing to never miss a day and be able to get through the entire Bible in a month, but sometimes it is just not realistic. Just push yourself to keep hopping back on the train.

Go and enjoy God's word, and enjoy the amazing effect that just a few chapters a day can add to your life.