In the West, busyness is the norm. Businessmen value themselves and others based on their calendars. Students turn the bags under their eyes into badges of competition and honor.
But busyness isn’t just out there. We’re all on the same bus. With demanding jobs, family obligations, and duties at home, time feels scarce.
Alexandra (2015), public domain
Busyness Is Not the Problem
Among Christians, I suspect busyness is the top excuse for not studying the Bible. It seems we don’t have enough time for God’s word. I’ve made this excuse many times myself.
But we must confront this Biblical truth: We always do what we want to do.
Our actions spring from and reveal our hearts; we can trace this truth throughout the Bible. As part of his confession, David asks God to create a clean heart within him (Ps 51.10). Solomon warns his son that the springs of life flow from the heart (Prov 4.23). Ezekiel’s prophecy about the new covenant focuses on new hearts, not new behaviors (Ezekiel 36:26).
Jesus also teaches clearly on this matter; he says the words we speak flow from our hearts (Matt 15:18). We cannot say of our sinful words, “I didn’t mean that.” Jesus doesn’t stop with our speech—our sinful thoughts and actions also reveal our true desires (Matt 15:19).
This brief survey hands us a difficult conclusion. When we don’t study the Bible, it’s not because we’re too busy. It’s because we don’t want to.
(There are exceptional life situations that leave us too busy to study the Bible. Illness, intense family duties, and extraordinary job demands come up. For most of us, these are the exception and not the rule.)
A Divided Heart
There is a battle within every maturing Christian. The growing, vibrant, new man longs to glorify God, while the putrid, rotting, old man resists God and craves sinful pleasures. These fights are contested among our values and desires.
We skip Bible study because we don’t think it’s important. Studying the Bible takes time and energy, and we doubt it will make a difference. We list scores of activities more worthy of our attention.
Deep Repentance
If the problem lies in our hearts, repentance must extend to these same depths.
We’ve all tried to address sin through a change in behavior. We set an early alarm, make a strict schedule, or enlist an accountability partner. Though these strategies can be helpful, they don’t address the core problem. Without deep repentance, new behavior efforts amount to tying a top hat on a pig. He might look respectable for a time, but he’s still headed back to the slop.
We need to confess our sin specifically. We must admit that we have not believed God when he declares the value of his word (Psalm 19:7–11). We have not loved or acted as we should.
But don’t forget the gospel! The punishment we deserve for our apathy, our tepid hearts, our indifference to the glorious truths of God—this punishment was given to Jesus. He took our place!
This news is thrilling, but we’re only halfway done. Because of Jesus’s perfect life—including his undivided heart—we are God’s children. We are embraced in the family. Neglecting Bible study doesn’t make God love us less, and studying the Bible doesn’t make him love us more.
And we must pray for God’s work within us. Pray for a change of heart and a love for God and his word. Ask God to help you treasure what is most valuable and organize your time accordingly.
How to Begin
How can we learn the value of studying God’s word? Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8)!
Study the Bible, on your own or with friends, and enjoy the food God brings to your table. See how God repays your effort with his wisdom, his presence, and his transforming power. As you apply the Bible, God will convict you of your sin and encourage you with his faithfulness.
When you see the glory of God and the beauty of his word, making time for Bible study will be easy.
Sounds like you’re trying to guilt the brethren into studying the Bible. You realise that for most of Church history the majority of Christians were illiterate, right? I think your time would be better spent encouraging those who want to study the Scriptures to do it properly.
Jim — Thanks for reading and for your concern. It’s not my intention to guilt people into studying the Bible. I tried to point out that our behavior follows from our hearts, so if we say we want to study the Bible then (usually) the excuse that we don’t have enough time isn’t a good one. (The issue of whether or not we should study the Bible is a separate matter, though you can probably guess where I stand on it.) I want to help people see the riches and excitement of studying the Bible, not make them feel guilty.
I’m very glad to hear that, Ryan, thanks. However, I thought one of your theses here was that “people do what they want.” So, clearly, they are kidding themselves and others if they say they want to study the Bible and don’t. Why would they say this? I contend that it is because they think they should say it in order to appear obedient. I think it’s similar to missions. So much emphasis is placed on it in church that members feel obligated to pay it lip service. I love studying the Bible and Theology, so I do it, but it’s not necessary for every non-pastor or non-teacher to do so (I study for my wife, for example). Just my two cents worth–thanks again.
Jim — Thanks for engaging in the discussion! Yes, I believe the Bible says that people do what they want. The contradiction is then between what our heart really wants and what we *say* we want. My point is that if we say we want to study the Bible but we do not study the Bible, then we don’t *really* want to study the Bible. This is not that different from what you’re saying either—many people know what they *should* want, so they say they want this even though they often don’t.
All Christians have internal conflict—I don’t mean to imply we either want good things or we don’t. The truth is that sometimes we want the right things and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we do the right things with a mixture of good and bad motives as well. Growing more holy in our desires and motivations is part of sanctification.
One last point related to the end of your comment. You might be taking the phrase “study the Bible” in a more academic sense than I mean. I think everyone should study the Bible in the sense of going beyond a “simple” reading of the text. I think we should read carefully, ask questions, and apply the Bible. (That’s largely what this whole blog is about!) God’s gifted us all differently, so I don’t think studying the Bible needs to look the same for everyone. But I do think we should all try to go past a “surface” reading. I hope that makes sense.
You hit it right on the head! Thank you Bro for your truth and great insight! God bless you and your family..
I think studying the Bible is not valued. We don’t recognize that it is our instruction book , how God speaks to us and how we get to know God. It can be arrogant to try and live this Christian life without the Bible guiding us.
In my many years of teaching I have found that many people are content with what is spoon fed to them. It’s easier to listen to a sermon or some Christian radio preacher than it is to engage. This is not to say these things do not have a place. The preached Word and teaching is important, however not at the expense of personal engagement, especially if the person is literate.
The other issue I have found is that many new believers have never been taught to read the Bible in a way that is like OIA. They are simply told to to go and read it. One of the most powerful discipleship tools is to shepherd a person in reading and studying the Scriptures. Once a person grasps the basics, inevitably the questions start to flow and the “walk” truly begins.
For me there is no greater privilege than to read the Word of God. And a close second is when a person comes to me and asks a question about what they have read as they have engaged.