How To Read Through The Bible (Even As A Busy Mom)

Have you ever thought about reading through the entire Bible, cover to cover? Maybe you have seen those “read the Bible in a year” plans that start rolling around toward the end of the year. Maybe some of you have successfully completed one of those plans. I bet there are some who started one of those plans with good intentions, then dropped off at some point. Does it feel like too big of a commitment? Do you feel like you don’t have the time or the margin in your day? Well, consider this a personal encouragement from me to step into one of those plans and to read the entire Bible next year. I am here to tell you, no matter who you are, you can totally do it. Here’s how I read through the Bible in a year, even as a busy mom.

Within the past couple of years, since I had my third child, I kept shoving down the thought that I needed to read through the Bible chronologically. My kids were getting older and were asking me tough questions. I needed better, in-depth answers for their spiritual curiosity.

What Motivated Me to Try To Read Through The Bible Even As A Busy Mom?

I grew up in church and am thankful I had such amazing teachers and parents who taught me biblical truths. But I wanted to experience God firsthand, through the ever-living Word, rather than secondhand. I had lots of time under my belt reading and studying the New Testament, but I craved more knowledge about the Old Testament. The Old Testament felt more daunting to read and study. I needed context. To put the Old Testament together with the New and see how they fit together (Spoiler Alert: they fit seamlessly and cohesively together). There was a desire in me to be able to more thoroughly explain cultural practices from the Old Testament to my kids.

I wanted to freshen my mind with Biblical back-up on those tough topics and on beliefs that I held. To leave no page unturned, no story that could be referenced that I wasn’t familiar with. I really love when I am in the Bible every day because I know how it changes my thoughts and my life. Most importantly, I wanted to know God better and His character more.

It Can Feel Impossible To Try To Read Through The Bible When You’re A Busy Mom Of 3

The topic of reading the whole Bible kept bubbling up to the surface in so many ways at the end of 2021. I didn’t want to wait another year to start the plan; however, I wasn’t sure I could make it happen. I had a feisty 1-year-old, an ornery 4-year-old, and a 6-year-old who had just started kindergarten. My husband works 12-hour shifts and rotates back and forth from days to midnights which means I am home alone quite a bit. I was working 2 to 3 days a week at my job, trying to keep my career afloat amidst COVID and so much illness among my children.

Every week we had at least one (if not more) kid who was sick or recovering from being sick. There were weeks of remote learning when I was working with my daughter on learning to read. On top of that, those daily tasks of laundry, cooking meals, feeding children, running them to activities, and cleaning a house took up every hour of every day. I had zero free time. It’s kind of hard to explain until you find yourself in that season – how you can be so busy, but not have much to show for it. There is no downtime when you’re a mama, and I know some of you can relate!

I Found A Plan That I Thought Would Work For Me In This Busy Season

Nevertheless, I knew I wanted to try to read through the Bible despite being a busy mom. When I heard about The Bible Recap, I decided to dive in. The Bible Recap is a free resource that gives you a chronological plan for reading the Bible in a year. Then, each day, there is on average an 8-minute podcast that helps explain what you read and gives some background and context. It was perfect; a short podcast would be easy to fit into my days. Worst-case scenario, it would take me longer than a year to finish, if I couldn’t keep up. And every minute in the Word is better than nothing.

Unexpected Health Challenges

Little did I know, this would be the toughest year yet, and my commitment would be put to the test. In January of 2022, our entire family contracted COVID for the first time. It was a tough week, but our symptoms were pretty mild, and we all made it through quarantine. Once we all totally recovered, I finally felt free. We were immune, we made it through, and we could finally get back to living our lives somewhat normally. We made tons of plans for the summer.

Fast forward to spring, right before we were supposed to go on our extended family beach vacation. I started getting some random neurological symptoms. My leg had felt tingly off and on for a few months, but I had completely ignored it because, again, moms of 3 kids do not have time for extra doctor appointments. Thinking I had tweaked my back while working out, I hoped it would go away with time. However, in May, I started to get the same symptoms in my left arm, and I knew something was off.

This was the start of many long, hard months of so many tests, MRIs, labs, and doctor’s appointments. It all came to a head when my neurologist ordered a spinal tap, and following that procedure, I developed a spinal headache for over a week. I had to be mostly in bed and couldn’t be up moving around, or caring for the kids. All of my tests kept coming back as normal, and post-COVID syndrome started to be brought up in discussions with my medical team. We had to cancel our family vacation due to all of my health issues.

More Family Challenges And Loss

Our family had some other challenges last summer as well. One afternoon, Zach (my husband) was bringing Zaden (our 5-year-old) home on the 4-wheeler. When they pulled into the driveway, it tipped over and flipped them both off. Zaden hit his head, and Zach was pretty bruised up. When Zaden started vomiting later that night, we rushed him to the ER. Thankfully, all his scans came back fine, and he made a full recovery. But, as you can imagine, it was a very scary night. My grandmother then passed away in August, and a few weeks later, Zach’s grandmother passed away as well.

In This Midst Of Health Issues And Loss, Did I Find A Way To Make It Work?

That is life, right? There are always unexpected challenges. So, was I able to stick with the reading plan, despite all the obstacles this year? I sure did! I’m 10 ½ months in. Were there days I was so sick that it was hard to do? Sure. Were there days I got behind? Yep. As I am writing this now, I have yesterday’s reading to catch up on. I hope this serves as a testimony and an encouragement that you can do it too. If you aren’t sure you have the time, I would challenge you to check your phone and see how many minutes out of the day you are on social media. For most people, it’s probably more than 15 minutes. That means there is definitely some time in your day to trade in order to open your Bible. It may be easier to read through the Bible as a busy mom than you think!

Practical Ways I Made Time To Read Through The Bible As A Busy Mom

What are some ways I snuck in some reading time? For me, there really isn’t a quiet time of the day, with the exception of late evenings after the kids go to bed. So, that ended up being when a lot of my reading took place. Other times that I read this year included early mornings (if I was lucky enough to be up before my kids), waiting in the pick-up line, waiting at doctor’s offices, and in ER rooms. Sometimes it was sitting outside while my kids played this summer. Other times, I used the audio Bible and listened while walking, while in the car on my way to and from work, or while getting ready for the day. On other days it was reading at the kitchen island while my kids ate their breakfast or while they watched TV. There wasn’t necessarily one consistent time that worked, and it wasn’t always “quiet.”

We live in such a unique time where we don’t have to carry a physical, hard copy of the Bible to read. It’s easy to just pull out your phone, open up the Bible app, and pick up where you left off. If you have a phone, you have access to the Bible. Some other ideas where you could sneak some reading in would be on lunch breaks at work or in your car before or after work. If you are a mom who has young children, nap times are a great opportunity to get a chapter or two in. Additionally, if you know you have a full day, you could skip the reading that day and tack it on to another day where you know you have more downtime. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be consistent.

More About My Bible Reading Plan

Have I convinced you yet that you can make it happen? The plan I used and recommend is called The Bible Recap by Tara Leigh Cobble. You can find it at www.thebiblerecap.com. It lays out the entire plan for you, and as I mentioned above, it’s free! You can read whichever Bible version you choose. Each day there is a short podcast that explains the reading and gives some context. It is great for all people and all different spiritual stages, including people who don’t have any experience with the Bible or those who grew up in the church and have a little more knowledge. I would say it’s great for all denominations as well. Tara Leigh will give different theories on topics that aren’t black and white. It is also published in multiple languages. She has a book, journal, and study guide available as well if you want to dive deeper. At the end of each podcast, Tara Leigh will give you her “God-shot,” or what she sees about God’s character in the reading. This blog is not sponsored; this is just the plan I used and am familiar with. I know there are other great ones out there.

My Encouragement For The Busy Mom Who Wants To Read Through Her Bible

There have been so many things I’ve learned and that have been brought to light since I began in January (even with about a month and a half to go!) I learned how the Old Testament and New Testament fit together so cohesively and I learned more about God’s character. There was so much I learned about historical facts and cultural practices as well. In all, I have a much deeper grasp of the hope and joy we have in Jesus. It was cool to see how all the prophecies from the Old Testament fit right in and are fulfilled in the New Testament. With all the craziness in the world right now (and always), it is calming to have those 15 to 20 minutes to study actual truth. Scripture is active and ever-living.

I encourage you to take the leap and try it out for yourself! Even if you’re a busy mom like me, you can read through the Bible, too! If it doesn’t work to start in January, you can start at any time; the podcasts are always available. You will learn so much, no matter your spiritual background. You might be surprised how it changes your thoughts and your mind. It doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges in life; I can testify to that. We live in a broken and fallen world, and there will always be hard times. But I can promise you, you can always find joy when rooted in the Truth.

About The Author

Erica is a mom of three (7-year-old Emma, 5-year-old Zaden, and 2-year-old Clay) and has been married to her husband Zach for 10 years. She works as a physical therapist part-time and lives in rural Southeastern Ohio.

Resources:

The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible

If you want the Bible Recap in more of a devotional form, check out this book you can snag to help keep you on track and organized as you read through the Bible this year!

3 Simple Bible Outlines Anyone Can Do

If you’re looking for a way to organize your Bible reading, check out this article with free printables!

6 Great Ways To Dive Deeper Into Bible Study

If you need to shake up your Bible reading routine and dive a bit deeper into your study, check out this free resource!

Practical Ways To Apply The Bible To Your Life

Reading without action won’t lead to life transformation. Check out these simple tips to bring some life change out of your Bible reading.