Why You Aren’t Motivated to Read the Bible?

For a Christian, going to church on a regular basis is not enough. The Scriptures, on the other hand,  says that the world will get even worse that it already is. So, as a Christian, your duty is to “submit to  God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Precisely, submitting to God means that you are willing to give up everything for God and make Him  the priority in your life. However, how can you do that when you are not even willing to give up your free time for some Bible-reading time?

Well, here are some reasons why, as a Christian, you are not motivated to read the Bible.

You are not a born-again Christian

It is often believed that if you are a Christian, you have been born again. Not true at all!

Going to church regularly, listening to Hillsong music and tagging oneself as a “Christian” are not  enough for one to be born again. For instance, I grew up in a Christian household and was baptized at  an early age. Yet, I was like any typical teenager -spending my free time doing things like watching  movies, getting addicted to music, and of course, daydreaming instead of growing closer to God.

To understand the concept of “born again”, you have to understand the difference between a regular  Christian and a born-again Christian. Regular Christians would go to church to pray while born-again  Christians would turn their homes into houses of prayer (1 Timothy 2:8, Matthew 6:5-8). A regular Christian’s knowledge of the bible would be based solely on what he learns from a pastor’s sermons  while a born-again Christian’s biblical knowledge is a spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27).

For a regular Christian, God is their Savior, but for a born-again Christian, God is their Savior and Heavenly Father.

You see the difference? God is not looking for dutiful servants, but loving children. Growing closer to God and having a personal, intimate relationship with Him…that’s what you call a born-again Christian. Unfortunately, when you are a Christian who’s not been born yet again, you’ll lack the motivation to  read the bible. But, if you want that to change, go into your room now and pray earnestly to God, asking Him to come closer to you.

You feel guilty

I don’t know if you’ve ever realized it, but every time you sin, it results in guilt. In Isaiah 59: 2, we  learn how sin can separate us from God. Whenever you transgress God’s law, the spirit of God inside of you is grieved, which is why you start feeling guilty. There is a good reason why we Christians are made to feel the burden and guilt of the sins we committed. God wants us to repent sincerely and seek Him continuously so as we can be under His wings.

However, it can also happen that, during your state of guilt, you refuse to grow in goodness and  holiness. Often, when we sin and distant ourselves from God, we find it very hard to come back to Him. And, so we move further away from Him. Whatever you did or said, remember that God will never leave or abandon you. Remember that He is the good God who gave His only son for sinners like us. If He did that, then He will certainly forgive you.

You are exhausted

In scriptures like 2 Timothy 1:7–10, 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 and James 1:2–4, we are taught that God will put us through trials and tribulations to test and challenge our faith. Knowing that God is our refuge and strength, however, is sometimes not enough. Despite the fact that we have access to God’s tremendous grace via faith in Him, there are times when we feel exhausted.

Struggles and persecution are a common part of the Christian life, but there are times when these struggles may lead to frustration and doubt. I don’t blame you for what you are feeling as fear, doubt, hopelessness and uncertainty are common things that you’ll face when you go through hard times. However, moving away from God’s word is not the solution either.

Remember what God said in John 16: 33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”