A few years ago I had a conversation that I will never forget. It’s stuck in my brain and refuses to leave! Somehow an acquaintance and I got on the topic of God, the Bible, and personal devotions. He explained to me his idea of being obsessed with Jesus. He told me that he likes to stay on spiritual highs in order to keep up his excitement for God and the Bible. He said that he likes to attend as many conferences as possible, listen to upbeat Christian music, and do things that get his emotions charged. Although I believe his intentions were good, I think his plan was lacking. After that chat, I did some serious thinking. I disagreed with his logic, and I wanted to sort out my thoughts on why. Here’s what I came up with. We are so encouraged to live by our feelings: “Follow your heart.” “Do what feels right.” “Listen to your inner voice.” These are the messages our culture feeds us. They may sound good, but they are contrary to how God wants us to live. Nowhere in the Bible do we ever see God say, “If you feel like it.” For example, the Bible doesn’t say, “Honor your father and mother . . . if and when you are in the mood to.” It gives a command with no loopholes or opt-out buttons. That’s why I have such an issue with strictly feelings-based relationships with God. Feelings come and go, but Truth remains forever. Instead of being girls who base our relationship with God on feelings, living from spiritual high to spiritual high, let’s be girls who:
- Base our relationship with God on Truth.
- Get in the Word every day no matter how we feel.
- Study and grow in our understanding of Scripture even when our schedule is jam-packed.
- Choose to be obsessed with the Bible because we know that’s what is best for us.
I wanna be that kind of girl. Don’t you? If you nodded “yes,” here are four tips to help you become obsessed and stay obsessed with God’s Word, especially when you don’t feel like it.
1. Set personal goals.
Often we don’t make progress because we don’t have goals. I’m so amazed at how diligent I am when I have goals to aim toward. Instead of waiting until you feel like reading the Bible, set some goals and work toward them. Here are a few ideas:
- I want to spend fifteen minutes in the Word every day.
- I want to read through the New Testament this school year.
- I want to memorize Psalm 1.
2. Get accountability.
Don’t try to stay motivated on your own. Find someone to help you stay accountable to your goals. Having someone to ask about your spiritual life is huge.
3. Find a study group.
I personally have been so beyond blessed by my Bible study group. I am a part of BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), and I love it! I love the conversations, the accountability, the teaching, and the way I am forced to get into the Word and dig deep. I highly suggest finding a Bible study group that helps you study the Word. If you have a Bible Study Fellowship group in your area, I recommend it.
4. Let Truth lead.
Don’t base your relationship with God on feelings alone. I can guarantee you that there will be dozens of days ahead where you won’t feel like waking up and reading your Bible. If you live by feelings, your relationship with God will suffer. Choose to live by Truth! Choose to get up in the morning and seek God’s face despite how you feel. Here is a verse to preach to yourself when you don’t feel like being obsessed with the Bible:
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water (Ps. 63:1).
When you wake up in the morning and don’t feel like reading your Bible, recite this verse and make it your heart’s cry. What about you? What do you do when you don’t feel like reading the Bible? Do you follow your feelings or do you live by Truth? Which of the four tips do you need to implement into your life today?