Why Study the Bible?

The Bible is important. Whether you believe it's true or not, it's important. Even if only as a historical document it is significant. Not everyone cares about the Bible, and for those, this may or may not have personal value, but please read on, just in case. It is my experience that some who care nothing at all for the Bible as a Religious book, may still find it of interest simply because it offers what is just plain good advice for living a wholesome, successful, healthy and generally happier life. Within its pages are principles which go way beyond the best known 10 commandments: seeking forgiveness when wronged, showing mercy for those who do not deserve it, being diligent about your work, showing compassion, charitable giving, being a responsible citizen, caring for the elderly, maintaining priorities in life, love and affection for spouses, children and extended family - the Bible is an infinite resource for human existence.

If the "Good Book" really is more than just a good book, it is worth the time and effort to study it and ingest its principles. Which brings us to the question at hand; even if you truly want to study the Bible, when in the world is there time to do that?

A few quick calculations and you can figure out that 1% of a 24 hour day is 14.4 minutes. Take out the hours you spend sleeping, eating, and walking the hamster and you end up with something closer to 7 minutes. And that is the challenge - could you spend 1% of a busy day - only 7 minutes - understanding a Book that just might change 100% of your life?

The 1% Bible Study Challenge

So, suppose the answer is yes. Yes, I accept the challenge. Yes, I will spend just 7 minutes Studying the Bible each day for one month. 7 minutes. That doesn't seem like much. Actually that sounds almost insulting - "God, here's your 7 minutes..." but even If you were to add up an entire month worth of 7's, that total (According to the folks at CBS), is roughly equal to the amount of time you spend watching commercials in every one hour TV episode. "God you can have your time, just don't interrupt NCIS."

But this isn't about guilting anyone into anything. This is for the people who actually want to spend the time, but just feel overwhelmed by the whole idea of it. This is your time!

Ok... I'll do it.

How?

Ten Secrets to Seven Minutes

1. Use a Study Bible you understand. Nothing is more discouraging than deciding to spend a few minutes reading the Bible, only to discover you spend more time trying to figure out what it is saying. Use a Bible that makes sense to you. If the King James English doth maketh no sense unto thee, that's ok-eth. Try a different translation!

Want something written in the language of this generation? Try the NIV, or the New Living Translation. Like the flow and beauty of the older style, but without any thou's? Try the ESV.

Simple truth is, you won't find God's autograph on the inside flap of any of them, so get one that makes sense to you.

According to the Gallup/American Bible Society survey -- When shopping for someone who is, "...not too familiar with the Bible..." 88% of respondents want one that is "easy to understand," Seventy-one percent of those shoppers insist on footnotes, and 70% look for large type.

2. Ask for help. This may seem like the simplest thing of all, but... it's God's Book. So if you ask Him to help you understand it and apply it, there's a pretty good chance He will.

"God, I am not a scholar or anything, I just want to get something out of the Bible that might impact my life today. Please open the Bible to me."

3. Take small digestible bites. If you read fast, and you want to read 10 verses, go for it. If you want to read just 1 verse, and think about it, and let it settle in your spirit, do that. You only read half of a verse, fine. There is no rule here, just spend at least 7 minutes. (Some days you may want to spend 10 minutes, other days you may only have 3 - fine. It's about the purpose of the time.)

4. Meditate. Some people - Christians especially - have been taught meditation is spooky. Don't meditate! You might end up floating around the room on the dining room tablecloth. No, the dictionary says meditation means, "To engage in thought or contemplation; reflect." If your 7 minutes is at the end of the day, you might fall asleep meditating on one phrase. It might mean one thought sticks with you all day, and you keep finding ways it applies. Don't make it complicated. In this context, Meditate in your Study the Bible just means - think about it a little longer.

5. Set a time. It doesn't matter if it's 7:00-7:07 each morning while you eat your oatmeal, or 11:00-11:07 while you sit up in your bed. How do you choose? Ask yourself,

*Am I wide awake and alert? *Is this a time I can keep consistently? *Will I be distracted or interrupted? *What comes immediately afterward? [The meditation part is important, so don't read 7 minutes, then go drive a bus full of loud Middle-Schoolers!] *What about weekends? It's ok if your Sat & Sunday times aren't the same as the rest of the week.

6. Commit. Don't do this half-hearted or you will fail; not might, will. You are doing this for yourself, not for a merit badge or free movie popcorn coupon. Many things compete for our lives, and your time IS going to be spent somehow, so choose to make it count for your spiritual health. Are there other ways to feed that Spiritual part of you? Sure, and it's good to do those things too - good music, enriching friendships, worship and church. This is one of those things for which there is no substitute. Don't accept 2nd best.

7. Set a goal. You might want to select a Bible Chapter with close to 30 verses. Several good ones are, Genesis 1; Proverbs 3; 11; Psalms 25; (Many Psalms are less than 15 vss)  John 3;14;16 or 20. Romans 8. Matthew 1; 6; 19. There are plenty more, but those are a few Old and a few New Testament choices.

8. Read the Bible in context. That means don't bounce around reading 1 verse in Psalms 23, and 1 from Isaiah 21, then jump to Colossians 5. Many people could quote John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." but John 3 is like a spy novel - that verse is part of a clandestine dark-alley conversation between Jesus and one of the Jewish leaders who wasn't supposed to believe in Him, and could have gotten banned from the Temple if anyone found out! It means more if you read it with the rest of the chapter.

9. Tell someone. Great teachers know, "The easiest way to learn it is to teach it." When you have a particularly interesting 7 minutes, tell someone about it. You'll be amazed as you begin to explain it, more and more just bubbles out of you. That is how it works. God made His Word to work inside us first, and then, to work its way out.

10. Get a Revelation. First I get a hold of God in His Word; that's Bible Study. But then little by little God gets hold of me, that's Revelation. How do I recognize when I have reached a Revelation, you wonder? Easy, it will be when 7 minutes just isn't enough anymore, and you can't wait to bump it up to 10.

If you want a little more you can add number 11. Get a great study book too. Studying the Bible is enriching, encouraging, at times thrilling, but it's even better if you can study with someone who's been spending 7 minutes for 20 years! There are thousands of well known authors such as Max Lucado, TD Jakes, or Beth Moore. No excuses - it only takes a minute to change your whole life.

Bible Study books are available by the thousands from many Online Christian Retailers. Spend 5 minutes online, and make years of investment in your life!