Struggles with Bible Study
Dear Reader,
Have you ever struggled with Bible study? I know I have.
There may be several reasons why you have put off starting. You may not have the time or energy to do it; you don't know where to start; and if you have tried or are trying now, you are having difficulty understanding what you read. These are legitimate struggles that every believer faces when trying to do Bible Study, and they are ones that I have struggled with too. So, if you struggle with one or all of these, keep reading because I will be sharing how to overcome these struggles and have victory in this area of your life.
THE REASON
The reason this is a struggle for every believer is because Satan is fighting against you and your relationship with Jesus. He wants to do everything in his power to keep you from having victory and keep you discouraged. He knows that keeping you from reading God's Word will keep you from having victory in your life over sin. You won't have peace, and you won't have the strength that God wants to give you to face the challenges in life.
“We are extremely busy. We are jumping from one thing to another and constantly on the run.”
The first struggle is not having the time and energy to do your Bible study. Many times we are extremely busy. We are jumping from one thing to another and constantly on the run. This can be from work to going home, cooking for ourselves and our families, cleaning the house, occasionally hanging out with friends, church, school, kids, and, for some of us, ministry opportunities. We are pulled in so many directions, and when we finally get still at the end of the day we are exhausted and want to watch something so we can turn our minds off and then crash into bed only to start over the next day. All of the things I listed are good things and things that need to happen many times, but in the business of doing good things, we forget what the best and most important thing is.
“In the business of doing good things, we forget what the best and most important thing is. ”
I am really preaching to myself here. There are days and more than I'd like to admit that I struggle greatly with doing my Bible study. I am writing to share things I have struggled with and still struggle with occasionally. I have to remind myself of these things daily.
How to Overcome Our Stuggles with Bible Study
How can we overcome this struggle because, most likely, our calendar isn't just going to be magically clear so that we have time? I think COVID showed most of us that. When everything shut down and we had more time at home than usual, I would guess that most Christians did not use that time to spend longer in their Bible study. The answer is discipline. Set a time for yourself every day; know that that is the time set aside to spend time with God, and don't plan anything that will interfere with that. Something that may also be helpful is finding a fellow believer and/or friend to do this with and who will keep you accountable, and you do the same for them.
“Find a fellow believer and/or friend to do this with and who will keep you accountable”
The struggle is often that if we take the time to do this, something else won't get done. That might be true sometimes, but I have found from my own experience that when we take time to be with God, He will help us finish what we need to do.
In my own life, I've struggled to attend church on Sunday nights because I would have a deadline in school due at midnight on Sundays. Still, I found that if I took the time to honor God and go to church, He would help me, and there has never been a time when I did not get an assignment turned in late because I chose to go to church instead. God blessed my time and helped me finish my assignments.
“God blessed my time and helped me finish my assignments. ”
Martin Luther once wrote, "I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer." He knew that spending time with the Father was very important, and it was only through his time in prayer that he could accomplish the tasks set before him that day.
I also believe in asking God for help. Many times (myself included) we would rather sleep in than get up an extra twenty or thirty minutes earlier to spend time with God. Or maybe after a long day, we'd rather scroll on Facebook and Instagram or watch a show than spend time with God. If you struggle to be disciplined, pray and ask God to give you the help, strength, energy, or whatever you need.
However, don't just ask, and don't put any effort into it. If you want to spend time with Him and honor Him with your time, He will give you the help and strength you need.
Satan is a thief. He wants to rob you of what God has in store for you, and the most significant way that he wants to destroy you is by keeping you busy and away from spending time with God in His Word and prayer. So, I challenge you. Find a time and someone to hold you accountable and start spending time with God daily. Don't let Satan rob you of God's blessings and promises.
The next post will be part two of this, where we dive into the struggles of starting and then struggling to understand what you are reading.
