Reading with Purpose

Reading the Bible can be daunting. As a good friend of mine once said, “I’m not sure what it is that I’m supposed to be accomplishing here.”

Here are some suggested goals and ideas:

1. Look for a character in the story who reminds you of yourself. Examine what happened to him or her. Compare your actions with his or hers. How will your actions produce similar or different results?
2. Watch for a word that resonates with your situation. For example, if you have been in a foul mood lately, pay attention to scriptures that speak to and about that situation.
3. Look for imperatives. They will come in the form of sentences that tell the reader or a character to do something, or change something, or to think differently about something. “Go and make disciples.”
4. Note corrections and rebukes. If one of your sins or bad habits comes up in your reading, watch for the response. It will usually take the form of a correction or a rebuke.
5. Watch for reassurances and encouragement. The Bible isn’t all about what we do wrong. Sometimes, we’ll read about an effort similar to one in our own lives and find that God blessed that effort before. It could very well indicate that God will bless your effort as well. The key is to be sure that your effort is in keeping with God’s will.
6. Don’t assume it is for someone else. One of the worst habits you can develop is to think of someone else who needs to be reading that juicy passage you just finished. Focus on your response to the scripture, and its response to your life, your mistakes, and your successes.
7. Read the selected passage until something clicks. There are some passages in scripture that are hard to read, not because they are theologically dense, but because not much seems to happen. All those “begats” come to mind; or perhaps the long stretches in Leviticus and Deuteronomy which refer to rites and rituals that most Christians don’t observe anymore. When those passages come up in your reading plan, it may be time to slow down and read more carefully.
8. Don’t be afraid to get help. Have your pastor recommend a good commentary. Commentaries allow you to read the ideas of Bibical scholar on the meaning of passages in the Bible. Or you could ask a friend what they got out of a particular verse. This is where the SOAP/YES groups come in so handy. Ask me about how they work.
9. Start early so you can walk away and try again later if you need to. There have been plenty of times when I was struggling with a passage to no avail. Upon reflection, I realized that I was tired or distracted. A brisk walk around the block or a pause to have a cup of coffee would have afforded me the time needed to clear my head and approach the problem fresh. If I wait until the end of the day, I may not have a chance to come back without “doubling up” in the reading. So I try to read in the mornings. If you’ll note the time of my journals, you may see a few in the late PM range. Many of those are passages that didn’t jump out at me on first reading.
10. Not every reading will feel deep and profound, especially the 10th or 50th time around. Some of the reminders I get from my SOAP readings are pretty routine. God is particularly fond of reminding me that leadership in God’s Church isn’t an exercise in garnering popularity. When those passages come up, I sigh and smile and write down the journal entry–again. It may not feel profound this time around, but it is still important!