His Word Together

Tag: Consistency

  • Got Behind? Don’t Get Discouraged. Just Get Going

    Got Behind? Don’t Get Discouraged. Just Get Going

    If you’ve gotten behind, it’s not a big deal.

    It happens. A few missed days turns into a week before you even think about it. Then you realize how far back you are and start thinking about catching up.

    That’s usually where people go wrong.

    If you’re only a couple of days behind, catching up might be fine. But once it stretches into weeks, it stops being simple. Now you’re looking at a pile instead of a habit, and it starts to feel like work.

    And when it feels like work, it’s easy to avoid.

    That’s why there aren’t any catch-up days built into this plan. You’re not expected to go back and fix anything.

    You just pick up where we are.

    Read today’s Proverbs. Follow this week’s readings. Keep moving.

    The goal isn’t to complete everything perfectly. It’s to stay in it long enough that it becomes normal.

    This plan repeats every year anyway. Anything you miss now will come back around, and when it does, it won’t be new.

    So don’t turn this into something heavier than it needs to be.

    If you’ve been out for a while, just step back in and keep going.

    Start With This Week’s Readings

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  • There Is No Catch-Up

    There Is No Catch-Up

    If you’re behind, you’re not behind.

    There are no catch-up days built into this plan.
    That’s intentional.

    If you miss a week — or a month — you don’t go back and scramble to “fix it.”

    You rejoin the current week.

    That’s it.

    The goal isn’t perfect completion.
    The goal is long-term repetition.

    The plan resets every January.
    If you miss something this year, you’ll see it again.
    And again.
    And again.

    You are not graded.
    No one is tracking you.
    There are no streak counters.

    If you stopped reading yesterday, start again today.
    Just rejoin where we are.

    Keep reading.

    If you haven’t started yet, enter your email below and begin with this week.

    No need to wait for the beginning.

    Start With This Week’s Readings

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  • Spoiler Alert: The Last Word Is Amen

    Spoiler Alert: The Last Word Is Amen

    When I was in elementary school, we had to do book reports on books we checked out of the library.

    Yes, I’m old enough to remember when people read actual books.

    I remember one of my friends telling me that whenever he got a new book, he would read the last page first. That always struck me as odd, though I’ve since learned it’s more common than people admit.

    Kind of like reading the Bible.

    People who actually do it usually don’t make a big deal about it.
    And people who make a big deal about it often don’t do much reading.

    I thought about that this week because this Sunday marks the final readings of the year. We’ll finish Revelation. The last page.

    Amen.

    So if you haven’t signed up yet but have been thinking about it, this is actually a good moment to start. Read the ending, then start fresh in January.

    And if you’re not a “read the last page first” person, I’d still suggest not waiting until January to sign up. Life has a habit of getting in the way.

    Things you fully intend to do later have a way of slipping by.

    It doesn’t cost anything to join.

    So if you’re planning to start next year anyway, you might as well sign up now and remove the friction.

    Sign up here.

  • The best time to read the Bible

    The best time to read the Bible

    One thing people often wonder is whether there’s a “best” time of day to do the readings.

    In general, I don’t think the specific time matters much. What matters is that it actually gets done.

    That said, in practical terms, timing does seem to matter a little.

    Maybe not the same way for everyone, but my experience might be helpful.

    I’m one of those people who has to write a to-do list every day so things don’t slip through the cracks. Not everything on the list is priority one, and I don’t finish every item every day. I try to get the most pressing things done.

    Guess what almost never qualifies as “most pressing”?

    Reading the Bible.

    I can put it on the list. But once I’m in execute-the-list mode, there’s always more on there than there is time in the day. That’s partly by design. But it means anything I plan to “get around to” usually doesn’t.

    Because how often does a spare half hour just appear?

    Basically never.

    What works best for me is doing the readings right after I wake up. I’m usually up before everyone else, so it’s quiet. I haven’t opened my computer yet, so the real world hasn’t grabbed me. I pray first, then do the readings.

    If I’m reading on my phone, the only discipline required is not opening email or a browser before I’m done.

    You don’t have to do it first thing. Your mornings may look very different. The key, I think, is having a set time and sticking to it.

    As best you can.

    While writing this, I remembered that I read Proverbs this morning but got interrupted before finishing the other readings.

    It will slide by if you’re not intentional.

    If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can get the weekly readings by email.

    It’s free, painless, and takes less time than scrolling past another political argument.

    Sign up here.