Rhythms, Not Resolutions
I once watched a 100-pound woman choke out a guy who easily had 150 pounds on her.
It was at self-defense class, taught by a master in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. There were all kinds of people there—teenagers, moms, dads, guys built like refrigerators.
The instructor—this normal-looking dude—kept inviting guys to “roll” with him.
Every time, it looked the same: They’d square up. The bigger guy would charge in with all his strength. Thirty seconds later, he’d be on the mat… face red… tapping out.
Then the instructor brought out one of his students—a smaller woman. Same thing. These big dudes thought, I’ve got this. Thirty seconds later: tap, tap, tap.
It wasn’t that she was stronger. She just knew when to move. When not to. Where to put her leg. Where to apply pressure.
It always struck me how much it looked like a dance. There was a rhythm to it that I couldn’t feel.
But the master could. And she’d trained with him.
Train with the Master of Life
In John 10:10, Jesus says:
“I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
If I’m honest, that line can mess with me.
Because some days… my life doesn’t feel “abundant.”
It feels rushed. Distracted. Tired. Pulled in ten directions.
So either Jesus is overselling it… or I’m missing something.
But Jesus doesn’t just throw out a motivational quote and walk away, does He?
If the jiu-jitsu instructor is the master of how to move in a fight…
Jesus is the master of how to move in a life.
He knows the rhythm your soul was made for.
The problem isn’t that His promise is weak.
The problem is that most of us are getting in the ring of life without training with Him.
We want Jesus’ results while living on our rhythm.
We’re charging in with raw effort instead of learning His moves.
And that will get you tapped out… fast.
Rhythm in the Design
Open your Bible to Psalm 1 and you see it:
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers. (v. 1-3)
God is showing you what rhythm looks like:
Not walking / standing / sitting in the wrong voices
But delighting / meditating in His Word—day and night
That person becomes like:
A tree with deep roots
Constant access to water
Fruit in season
Leaves that don’t wither when conditions change
You can almost hear the beat in Psalm 1:
Day and night.
Word and life.
Roots and fruit.
This isn’t “have a random quiet time when you feel like it.”
It’s devotional rhythm—a steady, repeated turning toward God’s Word.
The Rhythm Problem
Most followers of Jesus I know actually want to spend time with Him.
We say things like:
“I know I should read my Bible more.”
“I feel better when I spend time with God.”
“I really want to be more consistent this year.”
So why don’t we?
Because we treat devotional life like a New Year’s crash diet:
- Go hard for two weeks in January
- Miss three days
- Decide we’re failures
- Quit till next year
The problem isn’t that you don’t care.
The problem is that your rhythm is random.
That jiu-jitsu woman didn’t become strong by trying really hard one Saturday.
She became strong by training regularly with a master.
It’s the same when it comes to faith.
Not one big emotional moment. But small, repeated decisions to show up with your Bible open—even when you don’t “feel it” yet.
Your Bible Plan Is a Tool, Not a Judge
This is where New Year’s Bible reading plans usually blow up.
We start with good intentions: “This is the year. Bible in a year. Let’s go.”
Genesis goes pretty well.
Exodus… manageable.
Leviticus… aaaand we’re done.
Then the self-talk kicks in:
“I’m behind.”
“I blew it.”
“I’ll just start over next January.”
Hear this clearly:
Your Bible reading plan is a training tool, not a spiritual report card.
It’s meant to give you structure, help you build rhythm, and keep you moving through the whole story.
What it’s not meant to do? Shame you, condemn you, and make you feel like you’re failing God on Day 17.
If you miss a day, or a week, or a month:
You did not void the warranty on your salvation.
You did not lose your spot in God’s family.
You didn’t even lose your spot in your reading plan—YouVersion knows right where you left off.
Just pick up today’s reading and keep going, because the point is not perfection.
The point is a life rooted in God’s Word.
Small Rhythms, Big Change
If you want to do anything worthwhile—get healthy, learn a new skill, be the parent you want to be, have a strong marriage—you can’t wing it.
We don’t drift towards what’s best.
Intentionality is the only way it happens.
Some simple shifts can make this year radically different:
- Think training, not trying.
You don’t “try harder” into black-belt level. You train into it.
Same with devotional life—show up, repeat, learn. - Be consistent on the big three.
A time—choose a time that works for you each day. There’s nothing magical about 6am.
A place—your car, the break room, your favorite chair, your bed (if you can stay awake)
A plan—a devotional, a specific number of chapters, through the Bible chronologically, a 30-day plan on YouVersion. Which plan isn’t as important as having a plan. - Lower the bar on time, raise the bar on honesty.
Ten honest minutes with God beats sixty guilt-driven, distracted minutes.
Slow down. Read less. Listen more. - Read with a question, not just a checkbox.
Try this each day: “What does this show me about God… and what needs to change in me because of it?” - Expect resistance—and read anyway.
Don’t read resistance as “this doesn’t matter.”
Read it as “this matters so much that it’s being fought.”
Pick a Plan That Fits
There are a million good options. The plan is not the point—the daily rhythm is. Here are a few ways to think about it:
1. Advent Momentum into the New Year
If you’ve been doing an Advent reading plan:
- Don’t slam on the brakes on December 26.
- Keep walking with Jesus into January.
- Stay in Luke or John. Re-read the Christmas passages in light of the cross and resurrection.
2. Through the Bible in a Year
I do a Bible-in-a-year plan on YouVersion every year. That starts January 1.
If you want structure, a clear path, and some accountability, you can jump in with me by clicking here.
- If you finish all 365 days—awesome.
- If you “only” make it 220 days—still hundreds of chapters you might never have read.
- If you fall off—re-enter. Training includes missed days.
3. If a Full-Year Plan Feels Like Too Much
You don’t have to match anyone else’s pace. You could:
- Read a chapter a day.
- One Gospel every two months.
- Spend this year in Psalms and Proverbs.
- Start with a 30-day plan and renew it each month (or whenever you finish it).
The right plan is the one you’ll actually walk with.
The invitation is open
If your devotional life has felt random, scattered, or dead this year, that doesn’t mean Jesus failed you.
It doesn’t mean you’ve failed Him.
It just means you’ve been stepping into the ring without training.
The invitation is still open:
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ESV)
One small decision—repeated—can become a rhythm.
And that rhythm can grow you into a tree planted by streams of water,
that doesn’t wither when life gets wild.