Why Christians Don’t Read their Bibles

Did you know that almost half of all Christians never open their Bibles? 📖

According to the Pew Research Center, 46% of U.S. Christians say they seldom or never read their Bibles outside of church services.

I don’t say that to judge anyone or make you feel bad, but to ask this question: Why don’t more Christians read their Bibles?

According to other research I’ve read, most would explain their actions like this:

I want to read the Bible, but I’m busy and I don’t know how to get going.

I sympathize. The Bible is a big, dense book. Where do you start? It’s also full of rules and judgments that leave many people feeling guilty and condemned.

Who would want to read that?

Pastors, teachers, and influencers are using technology to make the Bible more accessible, and that’s a good thing. But as long as the message people hear leaves them afraid of a judgmental God who is recording all their sins, I don’t expect much will change.

We don’t need more shame-shovelers wielding the Bible like a big stick. What we need are preachers and teachers who unveil the good news of grace and redemption that runs from Genesis to Revelation.

We need storytellers, minstrels and moviemakers who use the Scriptures to help people connect with the Author of life.

I believe that reading the Bible should leave us awestruck at the goodness of God. If that has not been your experience – if you read the Bible out of a sense of duty or maybe don’t read it at all – can I gently suggest you may be missing out?

There are plenty of free resources on Escape to Reality to help you find the treasures of grace in the Scriptures, but if you’re looking for a little more structure, permit me to plug my new weekly Bible study.

I’m calling it the Tour of Thessalonians because it will be a journey of discovery through two of Paul’s earliest letters. 🚌

My 9-week Tour of Thessalonians will strengthen your faith and fill you with joy. We started on Tuesday, but it’s not too late to join us.