I grew up hearing the Word of God, even memorizing portions of it that I still remember to this day. And even after I fully surrendered my life to Christ at age eighteen, I struggled to make daily Bible reading a habit. Sure, I would get motivated and go a few days or even a few weeks reading almost daily, but my passion would quickly fizzle out. I realize now there were several lies I believed about reading the Bible that contributed to my lack of motivation.
Lie Number 1: The Bible is something I have to do as a good Christian to earn favor with God. If I want God to be pleased with me I need to read the Bible.
Truth: Reading the Bible is not something I have to do, but something I get to do. We don’t have to read the Bible to earn God’s favor or love. Once I took away the guilt associated with not having a Bible reading habit, I was able to view it as a way I could be closer to Jesus. Getting to know Him through His Word has been life changing. And if I miss a day or a few, I don’t allow guilt to nag me.
Lie Number 2: Listening to other people teach about God and the Bible are enough for me to know God. Here’s a question that will totally debunk this lie. Would you settle for knowing your spouse, child, sister, brother, or close friend through someone else’s knowledge? Absolutely not! So why would we settle for knowing God that way. Not only that, but when we take what another human says about God as truth, we may end up believing something that’s not true. Even the most educated and loving pastor will get it wrong from time to time.
Lie Number 3: Reading the Bible is about me. It is to help me become a better Christian, to help me understand how to live my life, to help me solve my problems, and to know what God thinks about me.
Truth: the Bible is a book about God. Its purpose is to reveal God’s glory from Genesis to Revelation. It is there so we can get to know our Creator fully and intimately. It does help us to be a better follower of Christ, and it gives us answers to our problems, but knowing God is the primary reason to read the Bible.
Lord, thank You for Your Word. Help me to see it as a way to know You more personally and intimately. I want to know You for myself, not through what others teach me about You. Give me the desire to be in Your Word and free me from any condemnation I’ve had for not maintaining a daily habit of reading. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.