Growing up, no one taught me the Bible. My first exposure to the Bible that I can remember happened when I was about ten years old. My best friend’s mom had a devotional time with her kids. If I was there, I was invited to stay. I was amazed that kids my age and younger knew the names of Bible characters and stories. About all I knew was Adam, Eve, and Jesus (at least the names).
There were times I’d sit in that little Bible study feeling like the dumbest person in the room. I guess I was when it came to the Bible. I wanted to know more, but it felt like an impossible task. Today, I’m a Bible scholar with advanced degrees who studies Scripture in the original languages. I’m light years from where I started.
Trust me, it didn’t happen overnight. What I know now is the cumulative result of thousands of incremental sessions of studying Scripture and hundreds of resources related to it. It had to be that way, since I worked full time through fifteen years of graduate school, and most of my time in college before that.
One of the most helpful things I’ve ever heard was something a professor told us during freshman orientation at college. One of our orientation sessions was about time management. The professor looked out over the auditorium and then changed my life when she said five minutes is a long time. If you’ve ever had to wait five minutes for something (a favorite show, an appointment, the bathroom!) you know it’s true.
I took her advice to heart. If I had five minutes to read or review something, I took it. It’s amazing how much data can pile up in your brain in small bits. I got through college and graduate school and did well. I still can’t stand to be idle. I’m always trying to learn about something.
I understand what it means to be pressed for time. Making time for Bible study is a legitimate challenge, especially if you’re an adult with a job, kids, and a string of responsibilities. If you only have five minutes for careful Bible study, take it. It will add up. I’m living proof that it works.