Just Try It
Off the top of my head, I can think of eleven Bibles in my house for a family of 5. I’m not even including small New Testaments or digital versions. At one time, my son was obsessed with children’s Bibles. We had every version you could imagine and could fill an entire shelf or two on the bookcase with his collection.
Yet, I’m embarrassed to say that I have never read the Bible cover to cover. I’ve tried a few times and made a good effort, but I’ve never succeeded at completing the task. If I’m being completely honest, I was a bit too focused on completing a task that I could check off a list instead of looking to see what I could learn.
I would dare say that many of us don’t even open a Bible throughout the week. Bibles lay dusty on nightstands and coffee tables, or Bible app notifications go ignored throughout the day.
Maybe, you spend more time scrolling social media than you’d like to admit. Your life and your attitude are being influenced by outside sources, but you don’t think you have time for Bible reading.
Maybe, you have tried reading the Bible, and you felt like you just couldn’t make sense of it. So, you gave up.
Maybe, your life blew up, and you needed answers. You immediately reached for your Bible. You searched for answers throughout the pages and looked for verses to help sustain you through a time of uncertainty.
Maybe, you’re like me.
I’ve had seasons in my life where I was hungry for God’s word and had devotions daily.
I’ve also had seasons where my Bible lay untouched. I struggle with perfectionism, so when I feel as though I’ve failed at something, I have a hard time trying again or starting over. I somehow convince myself that I’m doing it wrong, and if I don’t figure it out, God is going to be so disappointed in me. So there have been times, I was convinced it was better not to read the Bible at all as opposed to “doing it wrong.”
Recently, my family started meeting weekly with another family. Together, we are studying the Bible. In truth, the parents involved weren’t sure how it would go. Our children range in age from 5th grade to a 1st year college student. Every week, we read a passage from the Bible. We delightedly picked a collection of Bible passages on Identity in Christ believing it would be simple for everyone to understand and learn from. Boy were we unprepared!
These passages have been intense to say the least, but we have tackled each one faithfully every week. We typically read the passage in 3 different versions. We then attempt to retell the passage in our own words. Lastly, we ask just a few simple questions.
What does this say about God?
What does this say about people?
What are we going to do about it?
These weeks together have been amazing! As parents, we’ve been honest about our opinions and our struggles, and we’ve sat back and listened to our children in absolute awe. Through these weekly gatherings, we are experiencing God through our children’s eyes and learning from their perspectives.
Through this simple process, we are reading our Bibles, learning from the passage, and applying it to our everyday lives.
I grew up in a Christian home, attended church faithfully (at least 3x’s a week), and graduated from Christian school.
In all my years, Bible study was never presented as being this simple.
If you’re reading this today, give it a try. Start on your own, with your immediate family, or with a friend.
Choose a book of the Bible and go through it section by section. Choose a collection of passages around a specific topic and work your way through them.
Ask yourself the questions above and see what you discover. You might be surprised or comforted or challenged.
Lastly, apply what you read. Find a way to implement it into your everyday life. Be encouraged. Live what you learn.
I can’t wait to hear about your experiences! If we can encourage you in any way, please let us know.
