By Ann Weaver.
A few months ago, I saw a video that someone had made titled similarly to the title of this article. In the short reel-like video, the man was holding his Bible in all the places people use a phone: walking on a treadmill, as soon as he woke up in the morning, as he cooked, as he drove, etc. It definitely made an impact, and I thought about it for a long time afterwards.
What would happen if we did view our Bibles like our phones? We would treat them so differently! Think of how you feel when your device drops on the floor. Think of how you get worried when the screen cracks. Think of how often you pull it out to check a message or notification. Do you feel that way if your Bible falls on the ground or when the page tears? Do you pull it out when you have a spare moment?
If we did that, there are five definite ways we’d begin to treat our Bibles:
1: We would handle it carefully.
We may handle our Bible casually, but we wouldn’t throw it around, leave it sitting where it could be crushed, or flip through it with disregard for its delicate pages. Instead, we’d do our best to make sure it doesn’t rip or get marked up, just like we don’t throw our phones.
2: We would carry it everywhere.
We wouldn’t be content with leaving it at home all the time—we’d bring it with us in case we needed something. We’d carry it to the park, pack it for vacations, and bring it on long car rides. Not only that, we’d panic if we forgot it at home or left it somewhere, just like we would if our phone was left behind at a gas station.
3: We would consult it constantly.
How often do we pick up our phones? We’d be picking up our Bibles instead. Whenever we’re waiting at the doctor, standing in line at the grocery store, or taking a walk around the block, we’d have our Bibles in hand, reading passages and thinking on their meaning.
4: We would want to share parts of it with our friends.
Just like we send reels and posts to each other on social media, we’d be eager to share a passage of Scripture that made an impact on us or the last verse we read. Then our friends would send comments back about it, and it might result in longer conversations.
5: We would be proud to show it off.
Not only would we want to share Bible passages with others, we wouldn’t be concerned about how it looked to carry a Bible into places like restaurants or businesses. We might even compare concordances, and we’d probably want a new one every now and then for a higher-quality cover or newer, updated notes.
If we treated our Bibles like phones, we also wouldn’t have to worry whether the content we’re looking at lines up with Philippians 4:8, which says, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” It wouldn’t even be a consideration—because we’d know that what we were looking at is God-honoring and good for our eyes to see.
Am I literally suggesting we do this all the time? I am not. It might be good to do in certain situations, but we don’t have to be legalistically carrying out this idea. However, I do think we could substitute some of our time on devices for time in the Word. Here are three ways I suggest:
1: Entertainment.
Instead of watching a YouTube video, we can spend some time in the Word. We can read it and think about it. We can pray for the Lord to give us further understanding into that passage of Scripture. And yes—we can share it with others along with our notes and the things we learned from the verses.
2: Audio Occupations.
When we’re cooking or taking a walk, we can listen to Scripture being read or played in a song instead of our favorite albums. As much as we might like Christian contemporary music, it’s not Scripture.
3: Guidance.
We should be saying the same as the Psalmist does in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Though our friends may give us good advice when we’re feeling discouraged or depressed, the Bible is the only place we can go for perfect advice.
What are some other ways we can keep the Scripture at the forefront of our minds? We can be intentional with our time, finding a special time to read Scripture instead of leaving our Bible time for spare moments. We can constantly have a Bible verse to learn, recalling it whenever we can and finding a new one as soon as the most recent has been memorized. We can also put a verse on our device’s lock screen, though it’s important to change it often to keep it looking fresh and not mundane.
There are many ways to keep Scripture in our hearts and minds, even if we don’t literally carry a paper Bible with us. After all, there are many Bible apps or websites, and pocket Bibles are available to slip into bags or suitcases. However we choose to keep Scripture at the forefront of our minds, we will be following the command in Joshua 1:8. “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”
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