Maybe you’ve just checked out a new journaling bible, or it just arrived in the mail.

And as you sit down with it, you flip through the pages, and you’re struck by how unwrinkled, clean and perfect the new pages are.

You were planning on taking notes, but as you look through the flawless pages, some worries start to creep into you.

“I can’t ruin this.”

“How do I make sure all my notes look like they belong?”

“How do I take perfect bible notes?”

I am here to help you through this process.

God is not concerned about your bible pages looking like a work of art.

When Jesus came to earth to die for you, He did not die for the best version of you, the version of you that has everything put together.

Romans 5:8 (New International Version)

⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

You see, Jesus died for the messy version of you.

The version of you that misspelled a letter.

The version of you that smudged some ink.

And also the version of you that wrote down something that was sinful.

The truth is, you don’t have to take perfect bible notes.

Do you want to know what I think are imperfect bible notes?

They are the ones you never take.

My friend, God is pleased with the little mistakes you make in your notes as you spend time in the Word with Him.

He’s not bothered by your bible page looking like a mess.

What He wants is for that messy page to clean up your heart.

Look at my bible:

That’s a really messy bible. The pages are damaged, torn, and pierced. There’s bleed through onto the other page, and creases everywhere.

Here’s another messy page:

I had to scribble out a word I misspelled, and when I drew a border, it cut into another word I had already written.

So messy and imperfect!

And that’s fine.

It’s okay to have imperfect notes.

My friend, the sooner you put down the desire to take perfect notes, the easier it will be for the Word to sink into your soul and refresh you.

Because you’ll be practising His grace that says “you don’t have to be perfect to come to Me.”

“Come to Me as you are.”

And Jesus will carry your burdens for you, including the nagging voice in the back of your mind that demands to measure you against a standard of perfection only God can attain.

Don’t be afraid to be who you are. Embrace yourself, make those mistakes in your journaling bible, and express your creativity freely!

The pursuit of perfection is only holding you back. Set yourself free, soak into His grace, and pick up your pen right now to make your first mistake in your bible!

May the Lord bless your journey with bible journaling, and give you the peace you seek for.