Every poll from Barna to Gallup indicates most Christians are illiterate when it comes to the Bible. I won’t bore you with the statistics. It has become common knowledge, but the answer to simple Bible questions has not. One would think people who base their lives on the Bible, might want to know what it says. Yet, obviously, Christians aren’t reading their Bibles.
Why is that? Perhaps…
- They feel they are too busy.
- They are lazy and would rather be fed by others rather than feed themselves.
- They think it really doesn’t matter as long as they are good people.
- Although important, it’s not as important as the football game or Desperate Housewives.
- Reading has become passé and almost a lost skill in our society.
- The Bible is a big book and it’s overwhelming to think about reading the whole thing.
- They feel intimidated because they don’t think they could understand it.
Whatever the reason I do feel the Christian community has exacerbated the problem instead of help solve it. Here’s how.
Reading It for the Wrong Reason Christian leaders want people to read the Bible all the way through. To them this is an important goal. However, although this would give one a lofty sense of accomplishment would it truly bring them closer to God?
Now don’t get me wrong. I think it’s great to read the Bible cover to cover and I’ve done so a few times. From a historical point of view it’s interesting to read who begat whom even if you can’t pronounce the names, but a more valuable reason to read the Bible is to know God and his son Jesus Christ. The stories in the Old Testament were recorded as examples for us and we can learn from them, but the real purpose of the Old Testament is to point to the coming of Christ and what that means for mankind. If one is to grow into a spiritually mature Christian the Bible should be read to know who Christ is and have a relationship with him.
Studying Instead of Reading 
There are myriads of translations and scores of Bible dictionaries, commentaries, concordances, and handbooks. No longer is merely reading the Word of God enough, we must dissect it like an autopsy, giving the impression that one can’t understand the Bible without a degree in theology. It’s a wonder any of our biblical forefathers came to know Christ without a study guide.
Now don’t get me wrong. I love an intense Bible study and especially finding a trivia tidbit to astonish others with my superior knowledge, but that doesn’t necessarily bring me closer to God. Believe it or not the Bible was not written for scholars. It was written for everyday people like you and me. We don’t need a diploma in theological studies for God’s Word to bring us closer to him.
Reading as a Chore
Some Christian leaders approach the concept of reading the Bible as a chore, something on a “to-do” list to mark off when we are done so we can feel better about ourselves. Once we get that job done we can go about doing the things we want to do with a clear conscience because we have done our duty. They even suggest if we aren’t reading the Bible daily we are not engaging with God.
Now don’t get me wrong. I do try to read from the Bible daily, but not because I feel God will curse me if I don’t. I actually enjoy reading it. There are benefits to daily Bible reading but I do not feel guilty on days that it’s not possible. Reading the Bible is not the only way to connect with God. We can commune with God through prayer and meditation, which can even be done while driving to work. There is honoring God through our actions, spending quiet time in reflection, and being in a spirit of worship.
Just Reading Is Not Enough
Here’s the deal – reading the Bible is important but just reading it should not be the main objective for the Christian. The main purpose of the Bible being written was not to give us moral lessons, but help us look to Jesus, so we can delight in him. Our motive should be to know God and his son Jesus Christ. The focus should be on building a relationship with Christ. It is not enough to merely remember scriptures; they should be internalized, written on our hearts, and lived.
Christians who approach Bible reading as some project to complete will probably never finish it. They’ll drop out the minute they hit all those genealogies. Those who do finish might feel a sense of pride in getting a job done but might not come to know the wonder of Christ.
People might be more eager to read their Bibles if they looked at it like a spiritual meal to savor and enjoy instead of a duty to perform. It’s just a thought!
