Dangers of Not Being in the Word
A Danger in the Christian Walk
Are feeling stuck in life? Perhaps lacking zeal or purpose, or just in a very hard season where God feels distant? Hanker down and listen closely; I think God may have something to stir in your heart regarding His Word.
The truth is, many of us aren’t reading the Bible as often as we should. I have my days that are harder than others and miss, perhaps just like you. And when I miss a day, or even several, I honestly feel it. I feel the heaviness of operating out of my own strength. I feel the depletion from not being filled up. I feel negative without God’s Word to give me wisdom and understanding. Does this sound familiar?
The troubling thing is, most people are operating our of their own strength because they aren’t reading Scripture regularly to fill them up. Here just a few stats that are frankly, quite alarming.
According to a 2014 article by Christianity Today, only 19% of people read the Bible every day. Which, and I’m preaching to myself here too, is significant because the Bible is the only definitive word we have from God. In it, we learn who He is, what He cares about, and have the only revealed will of God. So, if you’re not reading Scripture regularly, honestly, how are you going to get to know Him, HIs voice, and the purpose He has for you? You just won’t. Operating apart from His word is operating in the dark. Psalm 119:105 declares, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. So we need God’s Word, that’s pretty evident.
Another stat, and this one is actually a bit alarming, blew my mind when I read it. It’s from the Back to the Bible website. They found that people who read the Bible 3 times a week or less are no less likely to engage in sin than those who don’t read the Bible at all. Crazy, right? Research has shown that the magic number is 4. If you can read the Bible at least 4 times a week, you are roughly 50-75% less likely to engage in sin. It’s why being in the Word is so important!
If you aren’t taking in Scripture at least four times a week, you are more likely to sin. His Word is a sword to fight temptation and if you’re going to prevail over the enemy, you’re going to need the Word to do so. Look at how Jesus overcame every temptation in the desert: he recited Scripture.
Are you starting to see the importance of reading the Bible every day? Reading the Bible on a regular basis is valuable because:
It discerns what is right and wrong.
It’s a tool to defeat the enemy in moments of temptation.
It brings you closer to Jesus.
There is so much noise out there grabbing for your attention. And you have to ask yourself, Are you really equipped to navigate those voices and discern what’s truly Gods?
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing
Now, let me answer a question some might have: no, what you hear at church isn’t enough. You need more—you need your own time in God’s Word. To sort through what’s Biblical and what’s not. Because let’s be honest, it’s hard to tell these days.
Years ago I remember having a conversation with my Catholic grandmother, and I’m not here to thrown Catholicism under the bus but this was her specifically. We were talking and she mentioned something her priest told her about the Bible that she had heard at a recent service. I knew that wasn’t in the Bible; I even looked it up to be sure. She had no idea because she never actually read the Bible for herself; her only understanding of it came from her priest. I was so troubled because she had no idea she was being fed something that wasn’t even in God’s Word. This is just the tiniest tip of the iceberg, though.
Let me give a few examples. And I would encourage you to think through where you are getting fed because our sources aren’t always good sources these days.
Church is an obvious first thought of where you are getting fed. But are you? Something I’ve found in the church is a huge lack of true Gospel teaching.
I got saved in high school and spent my first 14 years as a Christian at a church that taught verse by verse. We could spend a year or two in just one book of the Bible because we were truly studying the Word in its fullness. But then I moved states and started attending another church that taught topical, motivational teachings. And not once in 4 years did I learn anything new. Seriously. I can’t tell you one thing I learned because it essentially felt like the same teaching every week. There was nothing deep or insightful. And I remember hearing a staff member say that they wanted to keep the teachings easy to take in because so many people in the church were seeking or new to the faith. I was blown away because that just isn’t sound logic.
I was a sixteen-year-old girl who did not grow up in a Christian home and I knew exactly nothing about the Bible when I got saved. But as a sixteen-year-old girl with zero understanding, I was able to comprehend every teaching I ever heard at that church I first attended. In fact, going through the Bible in such a way made me hungry for more of God’s Word!
Pastors don’t need to, and shouldn’t, try to dumb down God’s Word because they think it will lose people’s attention or be too much for people to understand. You don’t think God can use His word to penetrate a heart?
“So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
People want the Word but so many churches are struggling to adequately communicate it to their congregations. They’re more concerned with feel-good messages that are easy to digest than people actually fortified by God’s Word. And I get it—it’s probably easier to teach topically because you can talk about what you want to talk about and find a few verses to support your opinion on the subject. But then, isn’t that really their opinion rather than God’s matter on the subject?
And this isn’t the only church. I’ve tried numerous churches in my city and have had a hard time finding strong, biblical teaching. Unfortunately, if you listen to many of the “celebrity pastors” popular today, sadly, it’s the same motivational and topical teaching. The Church is facing a deficit and it’s dangerous.
One thing I want you to think about today is this: are you being truly fed at church? Do you know more about the Bible today than you did last week, last month, or even last year? If not, consider finding a church that does. Or if you’re planted in your church but still crave that biblical teaching, find sermons online. There are some great Bible teachers out there. My favorite, and it’s the church I mentioned I got saved at, is John Lindell at James River Church in Missouri. There is no better Bible teacher alive today than him. Go listen to some of those messages and you’ll be amazed at how much you’re going to learn. I also enjoy Craig Groeschel at Life Church, Mark Driscoll from Trinity Church, and Matt Chandler from The Village.
The Danger of Instagram
Another area you’ll see this in is on Instagram. Anyone and everyone is a teacher and authority on God’s Word. And let me just say upfront that I think it’s wonderful the doors social media has opened up for people. But stay at home moms and college kids are labeling themselves as an authority on God’s Word and promoting themselves as a teacher for hire.
Or you have people out there teaching a false-gospel and they have thousands of followers hanging on their every word. But these followers know no difference because they aren’t in the Word often enough to know what’s true. I know a very well known influencer who has been a believer for about 7 years and she’s starting to talk about her faith to her over one million followers, and I absolutely love that because she is reaching people who may not otherwise be reached. But she’s a somewhat new believer and she’s sharing resources from people like Rachel Hollis and some prosperity gospel teachers.
Now, I’m going to address the elephant in the room because I’m going to assume many of you like Rachel Hollis and enjoyed her book. I’m not here to say if she is truly a believer or not but I can tell you one thing: much of the little theology she shares is actually not biblical. She is teaching hundreds of thousands of women a gospel that is false. Flat out false.
Maybe you get mad at me for saying that but I want you to take a moment and reflect why you might be angry. You must ask yourself, Am I loyal to Rachel or am I loyal to Jesus? Your answer should be Jesus and if that’s truly your heart, then get into the weeds of some of the teachings and hold it up to God’s Word. It won’t stand.
But it’s not just Rachel, either. I mentioned prosperity gospel teachers and that again is a false teaching I would encourage you to look into. God’s number one concern isn’t your comfort. Your blessings aren’t tied to how spiritual you are. God cares about the condition of your heart and for some believers, much of their walk with Jesus will be very difficult. Look at Paul. Or the disciples. Or most of the people in the Bible.
More so, you couldn’t preach the prosperity gospel to most of the world because they live in poverty and you can’t go proclaim that Jesus wants to bless your wealth and health if you’ll only love Him enough or tithe to Him so much. It just doesn’t work. Honestly, I just need to stop there.
Back to Instagram, there are a ton of stay at home moms and young millennials advertising as an authority on God’s Word and ministering to people, and that’s not a bad thing. The platform has grown for the Word to be spoken to a greater degree today than any other time and that’s a wonderful thing! But it can also be a dangerous thing. What training, education, or mentorship have they had in Scripture and ministry?
I’m not saying everyone needs a Bible degree; I don’t. I did get a degree in faith-based writing so I took a lot of Bible classes. But it also wouldn’t hurt if more people did today.
But here’s a good way to discern if you should be following someone’s teaching on social. Here are two questions you can ask yourself:
Have they been mentored or are they being mentored now?
Are they plugged in and serving in their local church?
If you can’t answer yes to BOTH, and I mean both, then I would encourage you to either unfollow, or if you insist on following, weigh their theology with what’s in the Word. This is why it’s important to read the Bible every day and learn His Word. How are you going to be able to discern if what is being spoken into your life is Biblical or not?
I know some of this sounds like I’m venting and perhaps I am a bit. But a lot of what I talk about are issues I’ve seen plaguing the body of Christ and I’m worried. Really, truly worried. And that’s why I’m tackling the tough topics here; I see a lack of health and I care enough to call it out. Biblical literacy and healthy church culture are some of my top concerns and passions in life.
Hebrews 4 says,
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
We need Scripture in our life to penetrate and discern. To know what’s biblical and what’s not.
I have something God put on my heart for 2020 and I want to invite you today to join. It’s called Wondered by the Word and it’s a community that is committing to read the Bible in a year together. In this group, you will learn how to study the Bible, grow in wisdom and understanding, and be strengthened to overcome temptations and trials. If you will commit to this journey, there is no doubt you will come out of the year strengthened!