I want to start off by saying I’m no expert at this thing I'm writing about. In total honesty, it was my lack of time in the Word these past few weeks that inspired this article. Do not think of this as a to-do list or a foolproof mechanism written by a model Christian but instead as one broken, imperfect human writing to another.

1. Don't let it intimidate you.

I know it is daunting. Sitting on your bedside table, in your dresser drawer, on the floor of your closet. I know it’s bigger than any of those awful books your English teachers made you read. Pick it up anyways.

2. It doesn't matter how long it has been.

I literally cannot stress this enough. It doesn’t matter how much dust has collected. It doesn’t matter that you don’t know how you feel about God or about the bible. It doesn’t matter how angry or lost or depressed or terrified or broken you are. The bible doesn’t come with judgmental glances and snide comments. Just because it’s been days, months, years, or even if you’ve never picked up the bible before, does not mean you cannot try again or start.

I promise you that every single Christian has been there. I know that it’s easy to tell yourself it’s been too long, too little, too late. But if you don’t hear anything else I say, hear this: It does not matter how long it’s been. Just as you are never too far gone for God’s love and grace, it has never been too long or too late.

3. There is no "right" way to read the bible.

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, and hearing it again doesn’t make it any less true. One of the many beautiful things about the bible is its versatility. Every word on every page is directly from the mouth of the King and Creator himself, meaning that any place is the right place to start reading.

4. If you're completely lost, I encourage you to start at the beginning and keep reading until the end.

Yes, the statement above this point is still 100% true. However, if you are stuck and have no idea where to start, just read it like you would any book. To this day, some of the best advice I’ve ever received was to read the bible all the way through, from Creation to the end times, Genesis to Revelations. I know that maybe seems too obvious, or you’re thinking to yourself, “there’s NO way I can read all of that!”

But even the biggest skeptics of Christianity can and have benefited from reading the bible the whole way through. I myself started in Genesis a year and a half ago and even though I’m only just now finishing Proverbs, I have already seen and heard and taken in so much more of the bible than I ever have before. You would be shocked how much of Jesus and how many incredible examples of God’s love are present in overlooked books such as Numbers and 1 and 2 Chronicles.

I could honestly go on forever about how beneficial and rewarding and strengthening this has been for me, and of all the reasons why you should consider it too. But as I said before, there is no right way to read the bible, just as long as you read it.

5. Reading the bible does not have to be flawless calligraphy and watercolors.

I realize living in a day and age where bible journaling and doodling is the latest trend, this can seem contradictory. And don’t get me wrong, I love seeing art within the pages of God’s words. I think it’s beautiful, and I know for many that is a way for you to express your feelings about God and about the scripture you are reading, so please know this is not me criticizing what I know are personal and truly beautiful encounters with God. But I know for me at times and for many others, it can also be a bit intimidating.

A friend of mine recently told me that she gave away her journaling bible because she felt she was becoming more focused on the drawing and the note-taking and the ensuring that her bible is up to par that she was missing the point of it all. Today, she carries around a very small, very inconspicuous looking bible, pages filled with scribbled thoughts and prayers and keepsakes. I fear that too many fall into this trap, or even become so fearful of not "doing it right" that you don't at all.

Friends, do not let Instagram or Pinterest dictate what your bible reading experience has to be. Psalms 119:48 says: “I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.” It doesn’t matter if your bible is filled with beautiful artwork or illegible scribbles (mine being more of the latter) as long as your focus is simply to read and meditate on the typed words on the pages.

Still lost? Totally understandable. The truth of the matter is that no matter how many tips you see or how many people talk to you, it really just comes down to you, alone in your bedroom, mustering up the courage to pick it and read. I truly hope you do.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)