I often say, “To change the way you act, you have to change the way you think; & to change the way you think, you have to change what you put in your mind.” As we approach the new year, many of us are thinking about changes we hope to make. But what if I told you that the single best thing you could do in 2026 (or any year) is to commit to reading the Bible every day?
Integrating the Bible into your daily routine will change your life in ways nothing else can. In a sense, we’re downloading a new operating system that reconfigures the mind. We think fewer human thoughts, & start thinking more God thoughts, & so our minds are renewed (Rom. 12:2). The Bible shows us how we can possess & enjoy a meaningful life — Jesus said, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). The Bible offers comfort, strength, hope, wisdom, joy, power, & purpose.
You’ll be inspired & learn from all the great heroes of faith, & desire not to repeat their jacked-up dysfunctions. Let Moses mentor you. Let David inspire you. Let Isaiah instruct you. Let Solomon wise you up. Let Jesus mess you up (in a good way). Let Paul rebuke & encourage you. Reading the Bible daily strengthens your relationship with God. To keep any relationship alive & healthy, you have to hang out & BE with them. So what happens if you don’t spend time with God? The relationship can falter.
Reading your Bible will start your day out on a positive note (Phil. 4:8). Hide God’s Word in your heart so when you’re tempted & need to make a choice, it’s there to remind you of what’s right & wrong (Ps. 119:11). When Jesus was being tempted by the devil, He quoted Scripture to defeat him (Matt. 4:4). To have power over Satan, we need to know the Bible (James 4:7). When it’s hidden in your heart, then when you’re discouraged & need a promise from God, or need a wise principle to guide you, it’s already there, ready to surface at the right time.
No time to read the Bible? The great evangelist, D. L. Moody, once told a man who had that excuse, “My friend, if you are too busy to read the Bible every day, you are busier than Almighty God ever intended any human being should be, & you had better let some things go & take time to read the Bible.” If we decide NOT to build upon our relationship with God each day by reading the Bible because we’re just too busy, we’re missing the best things in life.
The average person will spend 2 weeks over their lifetime waiting for the traffic light to change. Get a verse, write it on a Post-it note & stick it on your dashboard. When you’re stopped at the light, just read it. You could memorize lots of verses that way. Of course, in Downriver, we have many more “opportunities” with all the railroad crossings. While waiting for a train the other day, I memorized the entire book of Romans (just kidding).
Have you ever heard someone say that the reason they left a church is because: I’m not being fed? Sometimes it’s valid, sometimes it’s not. But let me ask parents this question: Didn’t your kids learn to feed themselves when they were toddlers? Of course! We all have to learn to feed ourselves. But I’m afraid we’ve unintentionally fostered a subtle form of spiritual codependency in our churches. It’s so easy to let others take responsibility for what should be our own responsibility when we let preachers & teachers study the Bible for us. A sermon is an awesome way to learn, but is no replacement for first-hand knowledge.
James says to accept the word planted in you (James 1:21). When we welcome God speaking into our lives, we’re blessed. When we welcome in the world’s godless wisdom & messed-up morality, we’re filling our minds with garbage. Those influences can lodge & block God’s Word from penetrating our hearts, resulting in darkened thinking & disastrous decisions. Garbage in, garbage out.
James also warns us not just to listen (or read) the Word—do what it says (James 1:22, 25). That’s how you’re blessed. It’s self-deception to think that a reading ritual is enough if we don’t let it change our attitudes & actions. The test of spiritual growth isn’t acquiring content, but building character. Is it changing the way you make decisions, talk, treat people, spend time & money, & do your work?
I challenge you to read your Bible every day in 2026. Why not make it a goal to read 1 to 3 chapters per day, & keep a log of it, so you’ll know when you’ve read through the whole thing. You don’t have to start at Genesis & end at Revelation. You can jump back & forth, or read the whole New Testament first, then go back to read the Old. I recommend an ESV Study Bible (available in our lobby), or download a Bible reading app (youversion, biblegateway, biblehub). There’s no substitute for spiritual growth & change.