4 Reasons Not to Read the Bible in a Year
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Thinking about trying to read the entire Bible in just one year? Here’s a verse of advice: Don’t do it!
Surprised? Here are 4 reasons not to start a “one year Bible reading plan,” And a mind-blowing alternative.
When you hear about Bible engagement, it’s usually deep-dive Bible study, scripture memory, or some other intense Bible focus. And then there’s the ever-popular 365-day journey.
Yeah, that’s gonna be fun. For three - hundred - sixty - five - days. Why even start? You’re gonna hit the wall before Jericho.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Sharon McCutcheon
1. 365 Days Is Rough, but 60 Days Is Easy
Would you believe me if I told you that reading the Bible in one year is harder than reading it in two months? Crazy, I know. But it’s true.
The hard part about the 365-day plan is not reading a chapter or two a day. That’s easy for most people. The hard part is doing something really easy for a long, long time (a full year).
About the only thing I can do every day for a year is brush my teeth.
But people like challenging, compressed goals. In a day when people are embracing marathon running, Couch-to-5K programs, Cross-fit routines, and 30-day juice cleanse diets—reading the Bible in a compressed season makes sense because it taps into our desire for short-term challenge.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Gift Habeshaw
2. We Need to See the Big Picture
You know how a cartoon can be slowed to a frame-by-frame view? You see a still image, then another image, then another. And if you put twenty or thirty flickered images together, you get about two seconds of the cartoon.
Reading the Bible in 365 days is like watching an animation frame by frame—for twelve months. That’s why when you get into the book of Leviticus in February, you’re stuck in it for two weeks
Reading the Bible in 60 days helps you to get through tougher sections much quicker. (You’re in and out of Leviticus in two days. No offense, Leviticus.)
Photo credit: Unsplash/Aaron Burden
3. See the Full Story
Reading the Bible quickly helps you to see the full storyline.
Reading through the Old Testament helps make sense of the New Testament—when you zoom though both. Understanding the law helps make sense of the cross. Tracing the genealogy of Christ keeps you focused on the “Seed.” (The Bible is all about tracing the “Seed” from the first Adam to the second Adam, Jesus Christ). Why are such strange stories in the Bible? Often it’s simply to track the movement of the seed.
Reading the Bible at a hurry-up pace, helps to stay focused on the meta-narrative, and out of the weeds. You’ll be able to see beautiful themes you’ve missed!
Photo credit: Unsplash/Priscilla-du-preez
4. The Bible Gets Smaller
Does the Bible seem like a confusing collection of random stories and dusty sermons?
Power reading the Bible is not “cheating” just because you read it quickly, and even sacrifice some comprehension along the way. Just because you’re not meditating or pronouncing every word in your mind doesn’t make the experience unhelpful.
Your view of the Bible will actually be enhanced, and your confidence in scripture will increase. How do I know? I’ve led hundreds of readers from around the world in this 60-day challenge. It takes only about an hour per day!
Our next Power Read Challenge begins January 18th (after we’ve had a chance to break our other New Year’s resolutions…) and it’s free.
Click here to join us for your own 60-Day Power Read.
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