What If? 

On the inside cover of this month’s Think magazine there is a picture of a cell phone and the question, “Wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?”  If we did we would always have one with us, if we left it at home we would turn back to get it.  We would read every “text message.”  We would make sure our kids had one when they were away from home.  We would flip it open several times a day.

Thinking alone the same line, I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like our TV?  It would be the focal point of our living rooms.  The whole family would gather around it for hours every week.  We would talk about its message everywhere we went.  It would be the last thing we looked at before going to bed and the first thing we consulted when we woke up.  Our children would plead for just a few more minutes to sit in front of it.

Sadly, many treat the Bible more like a vacuum cleaner.  They keep it somewhere out of sight, only taking it out when things are in a mess.  When it is needed it is taken out reluctantly and put away quickly.  Using it is considered a chore.  And nobody really wants to see what’s inside it. 

Is the Bible falling by the wayside?  Is it a merely a collection of men’s wisdom that has become outdated?  The answer is “No!”  The Bible is the inspired word of God.  It is His timeless message to humanity.  It is humanity that falls by the wayside when we feel we no longer have a use for God’s word.

Our number of “daily Bible readers” is only a small percentage of our membership.  This is a growing trend among churches.  Are we so busy we do not have time to read the word of God just a few minutes a day?  I can only answer for myself but I suspect none of us are that busy.  It takes effort but it can be done—by everyone.  It is not a matter of having enough time as much a matter of how we use our time.  Here are a few suggestions that will help us find the time:

• Set the alarm clock fifteen minutes earlier and read a chapter while enjoying that first cup of coffee.
• Keep a Bible at work and read a chapter (or two) during your lunch break.
• Turn the TV off a half hour earlier and read the Bible with your children or your spouse.
• Keep a pocket sized New Testament with you and read it while waiting in line.
• Keep God’s word beside your bed and read for fifteen minutes before turning out the lights.
• Invest in an audio Bible and listen to it during your drive to work and on the way home.

Love, 

Thomas Sneed 

Pond Church of Christ