Good Habits: Bible Study Routine

The difference between an amateur and a professional is in their habits. An amateur has amateur habits. A professional has professional habits. We can never free ourselves from habit. But we can replace bad habits with good ones. – Steven Pressfield

I believed in studying just because I knew education was a privilege. It was the discipline of study, to get into the habit of doing something that you don’t want to do. – Wynton Marsalis

Unless we form the habit of going to the Bible in bright moments as well as in trouble, we cannot fully respond to its consolations because we lack equilibrium between light and darkness. – Helen Keller

Do you have a routine of studying your Bible or do you often wait to study until you feel like it?

I’ve noticed that studying my Bible is not the first thing I’m drawn to when I want to relax. I often don’t really FEEL like studying my Bible throughout the day. It takes willpower to do something I know is good for me. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it when I’m doing it. The challenge is to get started!

What’s the solution? How do we get a Bible Study Routine?
We have to make it a habit.

Here’s the “How to”:

First, we have to put our mind to it. We have to realize, that in the beginning, forming new good habits can be painful but we still choose to do what is good for us, even when we feel otherwise.
Don’t over-commit! Start small! Study 5-10 minutes everyday. You can always extend the time later.
Repeat it EVERY DAY. This works best if you do it AT THE SAME TIME. So you will take some time in your lunch break! Great! Don’t change it to breakfast the next day and then back to lunch. Decide on one time and stick with it.
Don’t stop! Do it every day at least for 30 days, maybe even 40 days. Don’t skip a day until you’re done with the 30-40 days. Give your brain time to adjust to the new normal. This takes a little bit
Record your progress. Download the app “streaks” that shows you visually how you have been tracking. You can do the same thing in your calendar or a piece of paper.

We can use decision-making to choose the habits we want to form, use willpower to get the habit started, then – and this is the best part- we can allow the extraordinary power of habit to take over. At that point, we’re free from the need to decide and the need to use willpower. – Gretchen Rubin