2 Errors to Avoid as You Learn to Love the Bible

As we’re learning how to “eat our Bibles,” we want to be careful not to get indigestion! Therefore, I want to offer a word of caution. In learning to love God’s Word, there are two errors we ought to avoid:

First, don’t become prideful.

If you were to take every sin listed in the Bible and rank them according to God’s hatred of it, pride would be at the very top (see Prov. 6:16–17). God opposes pride at every twist and turn. He can’t stand it. So if you find yourself growing in your Bible knowledge and love for the Scriptures, guard yourself against pride. I always cringe a little when I see Christians posting pictures of their marked-up, highlighted, dilapidated Bibles on social media. Now, to be clear, there’s something beautiful about seeing the fruit of years of intimate Bible study. Charles Spurgeon famously said, “A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” There’s some wisdom to that. Read your Bible, study it, learn it, know it. Just don’t brag about it to everyone around you. Don’t go out of your way to show others how much you read, or how full the margins are with illegible chicken-scratch, or how many times you’ve had your Bible rebound. To put some mild spin on Jesus’ maxim in Matthew 6:3, when you read your Bible, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Avoid pride at all costs.

God desires for you to know and love His Word.

Second, don’t be ashamed.

There are many reasons why Christians don’t read their Bibles, but guilt and shame usually play a huge part in keeping them from growing in this area. Most Christians know they should be reading the Bible but struggle to have the desire or the practical know-how to do so effectively. As they grow more and more frustrated over this, their guilty conscience begins to weigh them down, and they become depressed. And the longer it persists, even the sight of the two-inch thick study Bible sitting on their nightstand causes the pit in their stomach to sink even deeper until they finally retire the book to the shelf, convinced that “maybe I’m just not a reader.”

Let me encourage you: God desires for you to know and love His Word. Of all the possible things you would chase in this life that God could be against, Bible study isn’t one of them. In fact, He’s prepared to strive with you to help you. Prepare your heart, stay humble, and be encouraged! Cast off all your guilt and shame, and lift your eyes up to Christ.