Organization can creep into any facet of your life and make it better. This includes studying your Bible. No matter how great your memory, there will be tidbits you learn, references you read, passages you find that will hover in the back of your mind but not completely sink in. That's where having it all filed and organized plays such a key role.
Let's say you remember doing a Bible study on Psalm 119 and you remember it talked a lot about testimonies and laws but you don't remember why they are important, what the Psalmist was driving at, etc. If you know where your notes are, one quick look and you can read through and rediscover God's Word again. And then there are the Bible study books, either ones you've bought for reference (dictionary, concordance, etc.) or to just read (think Elizabeth George, Jerry Bridges).
So, that's the 'why' or benefit of organizing your Bible studies. And as daunting as it might seem, I believe everyone can learn to do this! Even if you don't consider yourself an organized person, there are things you can do to make this part of your life a little easier to understand! Here we go.
Three Ring Binder
Binders are great, easy, space saving ways to keep track of things. You can get thin ones (1/2 inch) for individual studies or thick (3 inches) binders for everything. I have a three inch with dividers that I use to store all my notes. I try to use lined paper or notebooks for my studies so that it's easy to transfer them into a binder but I also use dividers with pockets to store any small slips of paper or handouts I get about that topic. My dividers are: Old Testament, New Testament, Character Studies, Topical Studies, Word Studies. You can get more detailed and divide it up by book but I haven't had to do that yet.
Accordion Folders
Same idea as the binders but you don't have to worry about hole punching. This works great if you are getting information from difference sources (church handouts, Bible studies) and it's not always on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. Once again, use the various pockets to divide the information in how it makes sense to you. Make it easy and clear and you'll use it more often.
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| This is Little Girl's folder for her crafts but I just wanted to show what I mean. :) |
**The great thing about organizing is that there isn't ONE 'right' way. There are principles to follow but you set it up how it's the most beneficial for you. Because you'll be the one using it. :)**
Books
I have several devotionals on my Kindle but I definitely prefer paper books over digital. I'm a highlighter and note taker and those things are just more convenient with actual paper pages in front of you. But it can get overwhelming to shelve and keep track of what you have. I try to keep all my devotional/Bible study books on one bookcase and I alphabetize them by author's last name. My husband organizes his office bookcases by putting books of the same topic on the same shelf. If he has a lot by a favorite author, those are all together. Commentaries are in biblical order, sets together on one (or more) shelf.
Now, I know we want visually appealing displays. I've read so many articles about displaying books to look nice, wrapping the covers with burlap or fabric. But at the end of the day, I prefer function over all the spines matching. If I'm going to be referencing and using these books often, I want to pull what I want off the shelf, not wonder what it is until I open the cover. You make the call. Maybe some larger books you don't use much can benefit from a facelift. I just prefer to keep them as is.
Electronic Sorting
In today's internet focused world, some of our studying and resources might be on the computer. If you aren't interested in printing out everything that you want to save, consider these options. If you have a Pinterest account, create a board where you can save links to helpful websites or references. I have a board called "Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman" and I have Bible verses, articles on being a mom and wife, and anything else dealing with biblical topics. You need to keep in mind, however, that some websites have trouble pinning the exact address. They might just pin the general website homepage rather than the actual article you found. This has happened to me a few times so I try to write the article title or subject in the pin's description.
If you don't want to mess with pinning, keep a Word document saved that has a copy of the various web addresses you like to reference. When you save it as a link, you'll be able to click on it from Word and it {should} take you to that page. Or you can always copy/paste the address into your web browser. This allows you to save all your resources to one document or break it into topics like you would in a binder. (For example, if you're studying the word 'love' and the word 'peace' you could have one document for each word and resources you find, or you could have one document for both and just divide it by columns.) Sometimes a website will allow you to download the map or study guide and you can easily create a folder on your desktop and save all downloads there.
I hope this gives you a jumping off point to start keeping track of your studies. When I found myself swimming in sermon notes that were just stuffed into a manila envelope, it spurred me to action. I thought, "What's the point of taking all these detailed notes if I just throw them out when I get home or lose them in a bottomless pit, never to be referenced again?" So I set about doing something about it! And I hope you find a system that works for you. Let me know, how do you organize your Bible study notes? What's been most helpful for you?
Bible Study: Realizing I Needed More
Resources: Don't Depend on Your Own Knowledge
Methods: Different Ways to Study God's Word
Organization: Keeping What You Learn for the Future
Personal: Studying the Bible for Yourself
Practical: How Do You Use What You Learn?
Encouragement: Surrounding Others with the Beauty of God's Word
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