Three Ways to Get Into the Word Even When You Are Busy
Jessica had a busy day planned. She was up at 6 a.m. to get ready for school. After school she had basketball practice until 5 p.m. By the time she arrived home, ate dinner, did homework, and showered, it was 8 p.m. She spent some time with her family and got in bed around 9 p.m. She saw her Bible on her nightstand, pulled it out, and began reading.
After a few minutes, the words started running together. She was just too tired. Defeated, she put her Bible back on her nightstand and fell asleep.
Does Jessica's day sound like your day?
During some seasons of the year, it can be difficult to do traditional Bible study every day. But because we need God's Word so desperately, we must get creative in busy seasons rather than simply setting our Bibles to the side. Here are three ways to get into the Word even when you're busy.
1. Read Christian blogs.
This blog is a great place to start. If you don't follow LYWB on social media or subscribe to our email list, you should! (Just follow the link here.) We all manage to find the time to scroll through our social media feeds a few times a day. Why not use one of those times as an opportunity to read a Christian blog you like?
These blogs aim to help you in your spiritual walk, discuss tough life issues, and provide Scripture at your very fingertips. Many of the writers on this site have their own blogs as well. Just click on the authors page here to learn more about each of us and explore our blogs.
2. Subscribe to Christian channels on YouTube.
Let' face it, when we're exhausted sometimes we would rather watch a video than read. If this is the case with you, spend time scrolling through YouTube for Christian channels. Some of the authors of this blog have them, and there are many popular Christian vloggers whose entire ministry is on YouTube.
If you find a channel you like, YouTube will show you related ones as well. Pick two or three (or more!) channels that point you toward God's Word and subscribe. You will get an email every time vloggers release a new video and can watch or listen when you are in the car, at lunch, or in class if you happen to finish an assignment early (and if your teacher allows you use your phone).
While I think Christian vloggers can keep us pointed toward truth, please keep two things in mind:
- Vloggers are human. Their opinions aren't the inspired Word of God. Look for vloggers who consistently elevate God's Word as the authority in our lives rather than simply sharing their own opinions of who God is.
- No vlog is a substitute for God's Word. Great YouTube channels can equip, inspire, and energize us, but we still need to get to God's Word often.
3. Post Bible verses.
Chances are, you get ready in the same bathroom every morning. You also have the same locker at school, the same dashboard in the car, and stare at the same wall before you go to bed at night. Why not hang Bible verses in those places? In high school, I had verses posted in my locker and on my binder that I took to every class. It was a great way to keep God at the forefront of my mind.
It's also a helpful way to memorize Scripture. Once you've memorized the verses you have displayed, switch them out for new ones and memorize those. By the end of one year, you will be surprised how much you have memorized even though you have been busy.
Bring the Bible into Your Busy
Maybe you've heard the familiar saying, "If the devil can't make you bad, he'll make you busy." In other words, sometimes all it takes is a full schedule to distract us from seeking God with all of our hearts. Life has busy seasons for all of us, but that's not an excuse to stop reading God's Word. Hopefully these suggestions will help you keep the Word of God in your life on a consistent basis.
Taken from Sarah Garrett's blog post The Busy Girl's Guide to Staying in God's Word. Used with permission from www.LiesYoungWomenBelieve.com.
Sarah Garrett is a passionate educator and founder of the Transformed4More Ministries that she runs with her identical twin sister. It is her desire to reach struggling teenagers and tell them about the transformative power and love of God. Her book, "So, You Think You Are Ready to Date?" released in October 2017.
