Faithful Working Mom

The struggle.

I struggled to read the Bible for years. Maybe you can relate. Growing up, I never read the Bible on my own, outside of a church setting. I seriously thought reading the Bible was for old people. At church, it was always the older people doing Bible studies, or it was my grandparents telling me about the Bible. I really thought Bible reading was for mature Christians. I assumed you just get to that point in your life “someday.” Like you’re supposed to do that stuff when you become an adult. Am I the only one who thought this?

Maybe I just wasn’t a serious Christian when I was younger. Maybe I didn’t understand how growth works – like you just “arrive” at maturity one day. Maybe I wasn’t all-in with my faith. Maybe I just didn’t know that there was work involved in this faith thing. I prayed the prayer, got baptized, and I’m good, right?

I didn’t know that getting saved or finding Jesus – whatever you call it – was the starting point and not the finish line.

So fast forward after about ten years of not going to church. It is shocking how that happens when your faith has no foundational truth (insert sarcasm). I was now divorced, alone, and had no friends or faith. I found myself wanting to read the Bible.

I craved something different. I craved authenticity. I craved the truth.

I had just started going back to church, and the Lord just let me know that I wasn’t fully committed to him before. So, I prayed, “God, if this faith thing is real, then you have to show me the real you. Show me a better way to live. I don’t know how to do that on my own.”

I didn’t want a shallow, do-whatever-pleases-me, then say a fake “I’m sorry” prayer, and then do it all over again-kind of false religion that was keeping me in a cycle of sin and shame. I didn’t want that surface-level faith I had grown up with.

The change and the need.

I wanted authentic faith, and I needed God to show me what that meant. I needed him to change my way of thinking. I needed to learn who God really was and is.

After I prayed that prayer of submission, I felt a strong need to read my Bible. Note that it was not a desire to read my Bible – yet. But I knew I needed to start with the basics – the foundation – of my faith. I needed to put in the work and keep up with my side of the relationship.

I don’t have all the answers – the Bible does. The Bible is God’s love story to the whole world. It’s our instruction manual for life. It is the foundation of our Christian faith. How could I say I love God, but ignore his Word? How could I not read the Bible?

A decade or so later now, and I can’t say that I’ve figured out the perfect formula for everyone. I’ve still struggled to read the Bible consistently in some seasons – especially the first couple of years after becoming a new mom. But I’ve found what works for me and might also help someone else.

Where do you even start to read the Bible?

I’ve been walking with Jesus now for over 15 years, and before recently, I had never read through the entire Bible. So that’s what I wanted to do. I committed to reading the Bible all the way through. I used my One-Year Chronological Bible. But, I wasn’t in a hurry. I wanted to read the whole story in the order that the events happened, so I could get the full picture of God’s love story for his people and deepen my understanding of the full narrative.

The timeline didn’t matter to me. I decided to ignore the one-year part for now. This way, it wouldn’t scare me off when I missed a day. It also helped when I could only get through half of a day’s reading another day. Showing myself grace took the pressure off so that I could focus on establishing a routine and getting that foundational knowledge of the Bible. I wanted to set myself up for the long game, but I’m happy to report that I finished! It took me two years, but with God’s help, I did it!

Here’s another secret – I started with the New Testament.

Starting with the New Testament eases you in, because you start with the life of Jesus. These are stories and parables that many people, even non-believers are familiar with. These stories – the gospels – are foundational to Christianity. Since the reading is familiar or easy (compared with the OT or Revelation, which most avoid), you can focus on one of the biggest reasons people fail in reading their Bible consistently, which is establishing the habit.

The habit.

The habit is the hardest part. What’s worked for me is doing my reading every single day. I sit in the same spot on our couch. I do this first thing in the morning with my cup of coffee. It’s not always easy, and some days you just have to push yourself to finish the reading. A lot of the time you get done reading and still have no idea what you just read, but trust me, the habit is what’s important in the beginning, and the understanding and the knowledge will come.

As the writer of Hebrews says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).” God’s word will never return void. You will soon begin to see the benefits of God’s word in your life.

The fruit.

Now, thanks to my established habit, I’m on my second journey through the entire Bible. I’m now reading through a chronological plan through The Bible Recap. Every day, I read the day’s reading and listen to the corresponding podcast for that day. The podcast is like having your best friend in your living room, speaking life over you every day!

I’ve learned so much from the host, Tara-Leigh Cobble, explaining what I just read. She guides me to even more great resources. She also points out how God showed up even in the hardest scripture to read. It’s truly been a blessing – and it’s helped me stay on track to finish in one year!

More than a habit that helps my days start off with God’s word and discipline, I can truly say that I now love God’s word. Yes, reading my Bible has helped me in so many aspects of my work, marriage, and motherhood. However, the way God has changed me has truly been the reward.

I now wake up excited to get to my reading spot with my cup of coffee and Bible. God has blessed me with the desire. Psalm 37:4 says, “take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” God will give us the desires of our heart when we follow him with our whole hearts – when we delight in him. When your heart starts to align with his, your desires will change. It’s amazing how reading the Bible changes you, and it gets better the more you read it. Psalm 1: 1-3 says:

¹ Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

I want to be like that firmly planted tree; bearing fruit, strong, life-giving, and deeply rooted.

If you’re struggling to love the Bible or even read it, start small. Give yourself grace. Pick a plan, pick a spot, and commit. Like anything good, it will take purposeful effort. Keep going. God will meet you there.

Run your race on purpose. Stay faithful. Finish well.