My New Year’s Resolution

On December 31 I posted on Facebook that my New Year’s resolution was to “read the Bible more consistently in my personal devotion time.” My typical routine is to pray in the morning and do devotions in the evening. The problem is I am so tired by the time I get home from work, get the chores done, and spend time with family that I feel like I have very little energy left to read—much less think—anymore! But I know it’s important to have this daily time in God’s Word because when I don’t I see it reflected in my sinful attitudes and actions during the day.

I’ve decided to try to do my devotions after I get my daughter in bed instead of waiting until I’m ready to go bed. Hopefully, I’ll be more alert and able to understand. I also want to make sure I am reading God’s Word and not just reading books about God’s Word. That is a trap I often find myself in. It’s not that the authors of the book aren’t writing valuable information about God’s Word, but it can never replace God’s inspired Word.

One person commented in reference to my post, “Thought you already had a ‘degree’ in the matter.” I wasn’t sure exactly what the person meant, but I assume he is thinking that since I work for a ministry, I think I know all there is to know about the Bible. I will never think that I know the Bible enough. There is no such thing! Every time I read it I learn something new, remember something old, or see an application to the current issues I’m dealing with in life.

My New Year’s resolution was further confirmed when I saw the new promotion on the AiG website for the month. It asks, “Why is reading the Bible so important?” I encourage you to read the article and watch the short clip by Ken. If we are going to faithfully defend God’s Word (whether it is on the issue of origins, the gospel, etc.) then we need to know what it says!

My favorite response to my Facebook post was this, “This year my life for Christ ceases to be a hobby.” I think all of us in our walk with Christ have felt more than once that our Christian life seems more like a hobby, something we do if we have the time but not something we do daily or really invest in. One of the best ways to keep Christ central in our lives throughout this New Year is to make time daily for Bible reading, prayer, and ministry. I will try to keep you posted on my progress, and I hope we’ll help hold each other accountable throughout the year.

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!