How do you view the Bible?
A couple of weeks ago, I went to our church’s women’s retreat. The speaker, Laura Sandretti did such a great job at being real and relatable - there were so many things I took away from the weekend. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share some of those takeaways here.
One thing that struck me relates to how I view the Bible. I enjoy studying and learning new things, and my background is such that I’ve had several very intellectual pastors whom I’ve sat under. I’ve been blessed to have been taught how to study the Bible - looking at the historical context, investigating the words in the original Hebrew or Greek, and learning big words like dispensationalism, covenant theology, Calvinism, Armenianism, eschatology, etc. I enjoy approaching the Bible from an intellectual standpoint.
And there’s nothing wrong with that.
We should be scholars of God’s Word. We should understand the larger Biblical context of what we’re reading. We shouldn’t be ignorant of the historical context in which it was originally written. We are told to “rightly divide the Word of truth”. (2 Timothy 2:15) That requires study.
However, the older I get, the more I also just want Jesus to speak to me through His Word.
Laura Sandretti, in her book, “Believe Deeper”, said “…I would read what is often affectionately called ‘A love letter from the Lord’ like it was an encyclopedia or repair manual.” (p. 21) I can totally relate.
I suppose it reflects even more on how I view my relationship with God in general. Do I see Him as my loving, heavenly Father who wants to hang out and talk to me? Or am I constantly worried about messing up and disappointing Him? If I just learn all the rules and follow them, then everything will be OK and he’ll bless me, right? Which goes back to my relationship with my earthly father and learning that love is conditional, which I’ve talked about before.
Related to that, Laura also stressed that when God brings something to our attention that He wants us to address (conviction) it isn’t to accuse us and tell us that we’ve messed up again. It’s to lovingly show us that He has something better for us. I hear the voice of condemnation so often in my head, yet Scripture says that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
I think even as I teach the BUILD method of using journaling a spiritual disciplines to grow in our faith, it could come across as a formula. A “here’s a step by step process for fixing the areas in your life that aren’t right”. In a way, it is, but I encourage you (and myself) to never separate it from the personal relationship you have with Jesus. We’re not correcting lies in our lives and replacing them with truth so that we can check off boxes or make ourselves more likable to God. We’re learning and growing because God loves us so much and He knows that living the way He designed us is what brings us peace, joy, and purpose.
So how do you view the Bible? Do you see it more as an instruction manual or a love letter? It’s both, but most of us lean in one direction or the other. Laura had some simple suggestions for growing in this area:
1. Pray before you read Scripture. Many of us have probably heard that before. I generally pray before I read, but it can easily become more of a rote, empty ritual rather than a heartfelt prayer. Ask God to “open the eyes of your heart” (Ephesians 1:18) and show Himself to you as you read.
2. Read shorter passages repeatedly. There’s definitely benefit for reading through large portions of the Bible to get a good overview, but also, take time to take a shorter passage and read through it multiple times. As you read, ask God to speak to you about the real life issues you’re facing. Allow the Holy Spirit to connect the things you read in His Word to your everyday experiences. Many times that involves reading the same passage multiple times.
3. Put your name in Scripture. Yes, the Bible was written hundreds of years ago in a very different culture and to a specific group of people. But it was also written to us. To you. To me. Take a meaningful passage and put your name into it as if God were speaking it to you. One of my favorites is Psalm 139.
“I have searched you, Amy, and I know you. I know when you sit and when you rise. I perceive your thoughts from afar…”
That takes the Bible from being impersonal and academic to being a love letter from God to us.
How about you? How do you view the Bible? Is there one of these points that you can take away and apply to your life?