“It’s just that my schedule is so busy that I don’t really have the time to read the Bible like I know I should.” I’ll admit that I’ve said these words to people before. Maybe it was in a small group setting as we were talking about the value of reading the Bible. Maybe it was in a one-on-one conversation with someone as we shared what we’ve been learning through reading God’s Word. And I have no problem admitting that I’ve said this, because I know that almost everyone reading these words right here has said nearly the same thing at some point. Haven’t you?
We know we should read the Bible. I mean, the church (for good reason) talks about it all the time. Respected Christ followers we know live and teach from it. We’ve read it before and found it to be cutting and yet healing. We’ve learned from its wisdom, been encouraged by its message, and know that it is one of the best ways to connect to God that we have readily available to us. We know we should read the Bible.
But many of us don’t read it like we know we should.
I’m not trying to beat anyone up here. Listen, I already came clean and admitted that I’ve been guilty of this too. And in fact, it’s a constant struggle many Christians have as they seek to grow closer to God. But do you know when I ask someone who has admitted to not reading the Bible as much as they know they should why they don’t what the number one excuse is that I get? Too busy.
Our lives are crazy. We have this obligation and that responsibility and this expectation from people in our lives. It’s a constant go go go for most of us. We wake up and hit the ground running and we don’t stop running till our head hits the pillow at night. I think that in our fast paced culture we definitely are doing more and keeping busier than some other people from other cultures or other times. I get that. I’ll concede.
But busyness is not the reason you don’t read your Bible.
Like I said, it’s one of the most given reasons I’ve gotten (and admittedly given) for not spending the quality time with God we know we should. But if busyness was the real problem. If it was busyness that really kept you from reading the Bible. If it was your full schedule that really distracted you from prayer. If it was really our fast-paced, non-stop lives, then wouldn’t our free time when it eventually came around be quickly spent on catching up on talking with God or hearing from Him? If it was really busyness that kept you from connecting with God then you would find yourself on that rare Saturday morning when you’ve got nothing really to do for a few hours just reading and praying like a maniac. But that’s not really how it works for you, is it?
You’re probably like me. You get that rare window of time on a Monday night where there’s no obligations you’ve got to meet and nothing really that needs to be done and so you pop in a movie (or two), sit back, and relax. Maybe you find yourself on Facebook for a couple hours. Maybe you end up just napping for a couple hours. Whatever it is that is your “go-to”, it’s not bad that you do it. It isn’t. It does seem to show us pretty clearly, if we’re willing to take an honest look, that we’re dealing with something other than just busyness here, though.
I think busyness is an easy scapegoat to blame for our lack of spiritual discipline (scary words possibly but it just means being intentionally focused on God). I think that it’s much easier to blame busyness than what other options may really be at the root of the issue.
For instance, we have to recognize that if there is such a thing as spiritual warfare where the devil and all his demons are looking to attack mankind whom they hate (which there is) and that the Bible is literally one of the greatest ways for us to hear from our Commander in Chief (which it is) then it is going to be a struggle sometimes to intentionally spend time with God and His Word (which it is). I don’t mind having people tell me that they feel the Bible is boring. I don’t mind people telling me that they’re just having a hard time reading through parts of their Bible. I get that! I think that there is no single text that is as weighty and valuable as the Bible and I think that means we’re going to read it differently than we do a magazine or even any other book. Don’t get discouraged when you feel like you’re too tired, not getting it, not really interested, not sure where to start, or anything else. Push through and make the effort to do it anyway and get the victory. Warfare is not easy, but those who desire ease in war soon become the victims of war. Be willing to fight to spend time with God!
I think another reason we don’t go to the Bible more quickly is because we don’t truly understand and appreciate its value. It’s much easier to ask the opinions of a close friend, who we both know might just agree with us to make us happy, than it is to read open the Bible and hear what God has to say about our situation. But begin to really understand that God made you, designed you, formatted you a certain way and has given you a way of moving through the good and bad of life in a way that is ultimately fulfilling and deeply satisfying and you will totally want it. How could you not?! When you read the story of Joseph then you understand the value of trusting God in spite of circumstances. When you read the wisdom of Solomon you realize the fleeting fun of sin and materialism and the eternal value of relation with God. The Bible is far more than a user-manual for mankind. It is the way we learn from and about the One who made us and loves us. That simply cannot be exaggerated.
Where do I start? A couple rules of thumb: Don’t start in Leviticus. And don’t use the excuse of not knowing where to start to not start. Psalms and Proverbs are good starting points. John and Romans are also good ways of us seeing in the New Testament what life in Christ is. Be mature enough to admit that not reading the Bible because you don’t know where to start is simply a cop-out rather than a real concern.
A few final free helpers: Journal. I have gotten on this train and am riding it till I go to heaven. I can’t tell you how much journaling has helped me interact with and get the most out of what I read in the Bible. Read something and then take a few minutes to write down what you got from it and what God is specifically saying to you through it. Talk with someone about it. When you read the Bible you’ll find it sinks in so much deeper and means so much more when you can actually talk about what you’ve read with someone. So find someone you respect and share with them what you read or even get on a reading schedule together. Pray. Simply put, pray before you read, while you read, and after you read. If the Bible is really God’s Word then ask Him to speak to you through it.
Imagine you’ve got a coffee date with a close friend you really care about. Something comes up and you have to cancel. You call them to explain and they’re very understanding. You decide you’ll reschedule sometime soon. A couple days later you’re supposed to meet them there but have been really tired and asked if it would be ok to reschedule. They were already sitting at the table and excited to talk with you but now they’re sitting sipping their coffee alone wishing you were ok. Time goes by, appointments are made, and then excuses are made. The fact is you’re just very busy. But you know and He knows that it’s not really the busyness. The value of relationship outweighs the burden of busyness. If you really cared you’d be there.
God is wanting to speak to you. He’s wanting to show you Himself. He’s wanting to comfort you. He’s wanting to challenge you. He’s wanting to do all kinds of things in your life. Do Him and yourself the favor of coming to grips with what is really trying to keep you from spending time together. And then work together with Him to overcome it.