Vietnam Evangelical Covenant Church – Today, news is summarized very briefly so readers and viewers can quickly grasp the main point. That is great for breaking news and sound bites, but it trains our minds to want all information to be short and convenient, including the Bible.
We are used to reading fast: headlines, status updates, short messages. That habit easily follows us into Bible reading, when we just pick one short verse and scroll on. This article invites us to read the Bible more slowly and deeply.
Why We Shouldn’t Read the Bible 140 Characters at a Time
When we read the Bible by picking a short verse and skimming, we easily misunderstand God’s meaning and miss the richness of His Word.
People today read tweets of just 140 characters, watch six-second videos and glance at someone’s photo online. One recent study found that the average human attention span is now only about eight seconds, shorter than a goldfish swimming around its bowl.
Our generation is always thinking about the next thing, so we are easily distracted from what we are doing now. Even the San Francisco 49ers have acknowledged this: young players are given “phone breaks” every half hour during practices and meetings, because research suggests millennials are so easily distracted that they otherwise retain little.
This way of thinking has slowly seeped into how we read the Bible. With our phones always in front of us, we can start viewing God’s Word like tweets or pretty pictures on Instagram. We have shifted from meditating on Scripture to reading short verses or other people’s thoughts.
For Christians today, replying to a tweet about a Bible verse so online friends can see it is easier than spending half an hour reading the Bible and becoming a faithful disciple of Jesus. That is the problem. Jesus Himself said in John 15:4: “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.”
We are called to remain in Jesus, and the way we remain in Him is through Scripture. That means reading a short online devotional each day is not enough. The Bible is not something to scroll through and double-tap our favorite parts. We must read, study, meditate continually and let God’s Word change our lives.
The Bible, our daily spiritual food, should come before we check our phones. But this habit is really hard to form. So what should we do?
First, make a Bible reading plan and set goals
When I first started reading the Bible, I opened it randomly, put my finger on whatever passage I landed on and started reading from there. I jumped from place to place with no order or reason. But then a friend and I decided to read through the whole New Testament. We both finished in about four months and were ready to set a new goal. Each of us needs to know what we are going to do. You can make a plan to read the Bible in one year. If that feels too much, change it to a two- or three-year plan.
Second, set a regular time and place to be alone with God
This may seem obvious, but when we plan our daily tasks, we often leave Bible reading out, hoping we will fit it in when we have time.
You need to make time for God intentionally. If you don’t schedule it, other things will crowd it out. We can even be creative with the time and place: an afternoon at a nearby café, or every morning at the kitchen table before the rest of the household wakes up.
Third, write down your thoughts, prayers and lessons
This helps you record what God is doing in your life and remember His faithfulness. You also come to understand yourself better as you bring these things before God. When we write down the passage we are reading, we naturally connect it to our own lives and how God’s Word is shaping the way we live.
Again, arrange your Bible reading in a way that fits your lifestyle. You can write in a journal, type on your computer, or if you are artistic, draw what God is teaching you. It is very helpful to write down three things: what God is saying in the passage, how I need to apply it, and a prayer asking God to change my life.
Fourth, find ways to keep God’s Word in your heart
As Don Whitney writes in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, meditating on Scripture enriches our thoughts about God, His ways, His kingdom and ourselves.
Whatever your plan and method of Bible reading, try to fill your mind with the things of God. What we read each morning shapes our lives, so don’t just read the news feed.
Slow Down Your Bible Reading to Be Transformed
Try reading a whole passage instead of one verse, read it two or three times and ask: who is speaking, to whom, and why? Reading the Bible this way helps us understand the context correctly and avoid misunderstanding God’s meaning.
You don’t need to read a lot each day. Fifteen minutes of slow Bible reading, with one written note and one prayer, is worth more than an hour of skimming. What matters is letting God’s Word stay in our hearts long enough to change us.
Try starting with a short book like Philippians or James. Read one chapter a day, and at the end of the week read the whole book again. You will be surprised by things you never noticed when reading individual verses.
You may also like: Daily Devotional Time in 5 Simple Steps and 5 Powerful Prayers From Scripture.
Prayer
Lord, forgive us for reading Your Word in a hurry. Help us slow down when we read the Bible, listen to Your voice and let Your Word transform our minds. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Article: Communications Ministry – Vietnam Evangelical Covenant Church
Adapted from: RelevantMagazine.com
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