Why I No Longer Read My Bible And Neither Should You...

...is a saying we should never come to in our walk with Christ. I used to think that I needed to hear God audibly for Him to be real to me and so I could experience Him in a way I thought was supernatural. I never thought the Bible was of great importance and a crucial means in understanding and growing in relationship with Christ. I always thought there was more to God than obedience to His very own Word that He left with us as a means of communication. This type of thinking left me to lead my life as if I was saved, going to heaven and that was the end of it.This thinking reminds me of some athletes who reach a certain pillar of success and then think they have "made it". Their preparation that propelled them to that success may begin to take a route of contentment because they finally earned the starting position. Or an athlete signs a multi-million dollar contract and they begin to work just hard enough to get to the next day knowing that they will be set for life financially. Or the senior football player who believes they are entitled to their position when the sophomore steps in and outworks them. An athlete can never settle no matter how successful the past has been because there is always someone else who is willing to work a little harder for their spot.Yes, God can communicate with us in other ways, whether that is through dreams, visions, or even audibly but God's Word is powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. Obedience to His Word should be our response every time we open the Bible and read the pages. His power and command to honor Him should increase our desire to seek Him and know Him more. Never is it just another chapter we need to get through to check off the "Read" box. The Bible is full of life and is God's breathed out words profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and righteousness as stated in 2 Timothy 3:6-7. Open it. Read it. And then watch it change you from the inside out.Hebrews 4:12 - For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.