A lover who is separated from the beloved doesn’t let a love letter just sit on the kitchen table unopened for days on end with the ever-growing pile of junk mail, but instead quickly and eagerly opens it upon its arrival, reading and rereading it until the ink is nearly worn off from use. Scripture is a love letter from our Divine Bridegroom … we too should eagerly and often read the Scriptures and hear there the voice of our Beloved speaking to us.
Tim Gray, “Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina.”
Bible Engagement Takes Time
Bible engagement isn’t something we master overnight. “Exposure to the contents of Scripture does not necessarily lead to a transforming encounter with God’s Word,” says professor of theology J. Todd Billings. The Bible reveals while it hides and hides while it reveals. Successfully engaging the Bible with our hearts, heads, and hands requires much more than reading the Scriptures, listening to sermons, or memorizing some verses.
Bible Engagement Can be Challenging
Engaging with the Bible can be challenging. For some Christians, the reality may look like this: Commit to reading the Bible daily. Do okay for a while. Fail. Try again. Do okay for a while. Fail again. Try again. Do okay for a while. Fail again. Give up.
Maybe one of the reasons some people fail in their efforts to read, reflect, remember, and respond to God’s Word is that they think it’s about them—about what they need to do to please God, how they can get Him in their lives, or how to be right with Him. That’s getting it back to front. Bible engagement isn’t about our prosperity, safety, or gratification.
For others, it may be that, when all is said and done, Bible engagement doesn’t really matter. In their hearts, some Christians secretly wonder if reading the Bible makes a difference. They look around and see nice people who aren’t Christians and Christians who aren’t nice people and say to themselves, “Why should I read the Bible?”
“I don’t have enough time to read the Bible”
When I took to the streets and asked people why they don’t engage with the Bible, most responded, “Because I don’t have enough time.” On the surface, this may be true. Our lives are often frenetic. On the other hand, we’re rarely too busy to surf the internet, watch television, or meet someone for a cup of tea or coffee. The truth is we think we have better things to do, and we prioritize our time accordingly.
The more fundamental reason why people fail to connect with the Bible is sin
The more fundamental reason why people fail to connect with the Bible is sin. Some people shy away from reading the Bible because they’re sustaining their lives in their own strength. Our independent spirits don’t want to confess the need to depend on God. Pride, lack of obedience, an unwillingness to submit, and a skewed view of God result in us not doing what we should do.
Bible engagement thrives when it’s about Jesus, not when it’s about us.
Here’s the bottom line: Bible engagement thrives when it’s about Jesus, not when it’s about us. “He must become greater; I must become less” John 3:30. To engage fruitfully with the Bible, we must look to Christ, not ourselves. Author and pastor Eugene Peterson says, “One of the most urgent tasks facing the Christian community today is to counter self-sovereignty by reasserting what it means to live these Holy Scriptures from the inside out, instead of using them for our sincere and devout but still self-sovereign purposes.”
So, Scripture is given to us to reveal Christ. Christ is the theme, purpose and interpretive key to Bible engagement. He is the motive, the means and the message. Yes, Bible engagement is challenging, but it isn’t complicated. Quite simply, if our relationship with Christ is healthy, our Bible engagement will be healthy.
Read the related articles to learn more.
Related Articles
Top Ten Bible Engagement Practices
Summary
Engaging with the Bible requires more than just reading—it involves a deep, transformative encounter with God’s Word, which takes time and effort. Many struggle with consistent Bible engagement, often failing because they view it as a task to please God or focus on personal gain rather than seeking Christ at the center. A fundamental barrier to Bible engagement is sin, as pride and self-reliance prevent a wholehearted submission to God’s guidance. Ultimately, fruitful Bible engagement centers on Jesus, with Scripture revealing Him as the key to understanding the Word and transforming our hearts.
© Scripture Union Canada
