The One New Year’s Resolution Every Christian Should Make
It’s that time again: New Year’s resolutions! The top resolutions year after year focus on fitness, weight loss, and finances. And although these are all valuable goals, none of them follow you into eternity. As Christians, there is one resolution that should rise above all others: to know God better through His Word. Here are six things you can do to turn that resolution into a lasting habit.
1. Make the Goal Understanding, Not Just Finishing
What is the first thing many Christians do when they resolve to read the Bible more in the new year? They print out a Bible-in-a-year plan. That can be great—until you feel so much pressure to finish the day’s reading that you rush through it without really understanding because you have to get to work, the kids are about to wake up, or your lunch break is almost over.
It is better to read less and understand what you are reading than to finish the entire Bible in a year without truly taking it in. So take that pressure off yourself. Instead of setting a certain amount of chapters you have to finish each day, consider setting aside a realistic amount of time to read and study. That way, the goal becomes understanding God’s Word rather than simply keeping up with a schedule.
2. Choose a Specific Time and Place
A good intention is much easier to keep when you decide ahead of time when and where it will happen. Instead of saying, “I’m going to read my Bible today,” try something specific: “I’m going to read my Bible for 15 minutes after the kids go to bed,” or “I’m going to read my Bible while I drink my first cup of coffee in the morning.” The more realistic and repeatable your routine is, the more likely Bible reading will become a lasting habit instead of a January goal you leave behind by February.
3. Give Yourself Permission to Slow Down
Some days you may read several chapters, and other days one paragraph may be enough to sit with for a while. If something is confusing, interesting, or especially meaningful, stop and spend time on it instead of rushing ahead just to stay on schedule. Look up cross-references, write down questions, or reread the passage. Remember that your goal is to know God better through His Word, regardless of how long that takes.
4. Use Tools That Help You Understand
There is nothing wrong with getting help when a passage is difficult to understand. A good study Bible, Bible dictionary, commentary, timeline, map, or trusted teacher can give you the background you need to make sense of what you are reading.
It is important to remember, though, that the Bible—and the Bible alone—is the Word of God. Someone’s commentary, even if they are brilliant, is not the Word of God and is not necessarily true. It is simply a tool that can help you understand Scripture more clearly. The more clearly you understand what you are reading, the easier it becomes to stay engaged and keep going.
5. Connect What You Read to the Rest of Scripture
The Bible becomes easier to understand when you stop seeing each passage as something isolated. Pay attention to repeated themes, promises, people, and events, and look for how one part of Scripture connects to another. A cross-reference, timeline, or simple note in the margin can help you see those connections over time. The more you understand the Bible as one unified story, the more meaningful your daily reading becomes.
6. Let What You Learn Change How You Live
There are people who know Scripture very well and are skilled at debating theological issues, but their lives do not reflect what they know. They may be boastful, prideful, unloving, or unwilling to share the Gospel. Knowing what the Bible says is not the same as allowing it to shape your life.
As you read, ask yourself what the passage teaches you about God, what it reveals about your own heart, and whether there is anything in your life that needs to change. If your resolution is to know God better through His Word, then what you learn should gradually shape the way you think, speak, make decisions, and live.
Ready to Know God Better Through His Word?
If your resolution this year is to understand Scripture more deeply, Bible 101 can help you build the foundation you need. The course walks through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, helping you understand the major people, events, books, and themes so what you read makes more sense and fits together.
It is self-paced, so you can learn without the pressure of keeping up with a rigid schedule.