I Don't Get Much Out of the Bible

What you're missing when you read for information, not formation.

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Can you relate? If so, you’re not alone. Lots of us struggle to read the Bible. Maybe there was a time when the words jumped off the page at you and it changed you. Now, though, you feel like you’re in a dry spell. Maybe reading the Bible hasn’t been all that helpful from the start. That’s okay too! Today I’m going to try to explain why you may be having trouble. Let’s get started!

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Our Western culture is driven by left-brained, logical thinking that affects how we read things from a novel to this post. Perhaps an example may be helpful:

In school we are taught to read with the intention of gaining as much information as possible in order to learn something. Remember problem solving questions? If train A leaves the station travelling at this speed, etc.? (Fun fact: I hated word problems.)

This is called informational reading. We solve the problem. We move on. It’s all very logical. Even when we’re reading a book for fun consider how the plot unfolds. At its most basic, you meet the good guy, you meet the bad guy, there’s growing tension and then a climax after which there may or may not be a change. We enjoy it while we’re reading it, but rarely does it stick with us in a life changing way.

But we aren’t just logical beings; we’re emotional and relational as well. When we read the Bible informationally, we’re only engaging the logical left-side of our brain. Did you know that the right side of the brain actually processes information before the left side? We’re forming relational opinions before we form logical ones. Ever get a “gut-feeling?” That’s the right-side of your brain talking to you before you can figure out what’s going on. Michel Hendricks and Jim Wilder point out in their book The Other Half of Church, “much of the right half of the brain runs ahead of my conscious awareness.”¹ By using only informational reading, we are not engaging the relational right-side of our brain. We’re actually limiting ourselves and our relationship with God.

To make things a little muddier, there is no way we can know what it was like to live when the Bible was written. Bye-bye logic! What we think is our best guess based on archaeological findings, history and science. It’s like putting together a 2000-piece puzzle and 1800 pieces are missing.

So, what can we do? Here are some suggestions:

1. Stop putting pressure on yourself to find “something” in the Bible whenever you sit down to read it.

2. If they’re not helping, stop doing reading plans. Instead, think about what you want to learn. Maybe you want to know how Jesus treated people. If that’s the case, reading the Bible in a year, starting at Genesis is not for you! (Spoiler alert: it’s just another added pressure.)

3. When you find something that really sparks your interest, re-read it! Stay in it! Read it the next day! Focus only on that passage and reflect on why it means so much to you. I spent a week reading the Temptations of Jesus and learned something new everyday. Many scholars dedicate years to specific passages. It’s not about how much you read; it’s about why you’re reading it. Quantity does not equal quality.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. What happened in the past that made this jump out at me?

2. What can I learn from it?

3. What’s going on now that it speaks to?

4. What is this passage challenging me to do to move forward?

5. What is the Triune God saying to me specifically about what I’m reading? (Alternatively: What’s Jesus trying to tell me here?)

This is called formational reading. You’re bringing yourself into the passage. You’re learning about yourself and God through the passage.

Now, and this part is key - you don’t have to sit in one spot and ask yourself those questions. Maybe you relate to God in nature – go for a walk. Maybe you enjoy art and sounds – play some music or paint. Maybe you like caring for others – make a meal. Spend some time considering these questions in ways that you meet God in the every day. If you’re not sure where that is, check out Gary Thomas’ book Sacred Pathways.

Remember, you don’t have to keep up with the Jones’ when it comes to Bible reading. God can meet you in many ways throughout the day that may not have anything to do with what you’ve read in the Bible.

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1. Wilder, Jim and Michel Hendricks. 2020. The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 21.