by
Remember that song kids sing: “Read your Bible every day if you want to grow”? The song is apparently now supported by research and the findings are damning: those who don’t read their scripture at least four times a week their lives are akin those of unbelievers in morality.
A study by the Centre for Bible engagement found a powerful relationship between engaging scripture at least four times a week and moral behaviour. Among adults, reading or listening to the Bible at least four times a week lowers the odds of engaging in harmful behaviours such as getting drunk, having sex outside marriage, using pornography, and gambling. These effects remained even after they controlled for other factors, such as church attendance.
In 2006, the Centre for Bible Engagement set out to find out why so many people own Bibles, but so few read them. The Bible remained the best selling book in the world, in fact most Christians owned up to four Bibles, yet few read them.
And in 2009 they published their compiled research after surveying over 200,000 people between the ages of 8 and 80, from 24 countries, and from all walks of life.
The study involved asking participants questions about prayer, sacred texts, their beliefs and their practices.
What they discovered was astounding. It was what became known as the “Power of 4” and it states:
The life of someone who engages scripture four or more times a week looks radically different from the life of someone who does not. In fact, the lives of Christians who do not engage the Bible most days of the week are statistically the same as the lives of non-Christians.
Controlling for differences in gender, age, church attendance, prayer habits, small group participation, and most other factors you would think would matter, the researchers found that someone who engages the Bible four or more days a week is:
- 228% times more likely to share their faith with others
- 231% times more likely to be discipling someone else
- 60% times less likely to feel spiritually stagnant
- 59% times less likely to view pornography
- 30% times less likely to struggle with loneliness
- 31% times less likely to struggle with forgiving others
- 416% times more likely to give financially to their church
- 218% times more likely to give financially to causes other than their church
- – 74% less likely to gamble
- – 407% more likely to memorize scripture
The study found that about one-fifth of teens and up to two-fifths of young adults who are Christ followers do not hear from God at all through His written Word in a given week. Three out of ten adults read or listen to the Bible one to three days a week. Tweens (40.1%) and teens (45.2%) are more likely to be engaged in scripture at this level.
This leaves a minority of believers who do read or listen to the Bible at least four days a week.
Around 75 percent of young adult Christ-followers (ages 18 to 24) have not read the entire Bible. Among older adults (ages 25 and up), more than half have not read all of God’s Word at least once.
In terms of Bible knowledge, three out of ten teens did not know who preached the Sermon on the Mount. Half of young adults and more than one-third of older adults could not identify the town where Jesus was born.
Additional data with Christians shows that the more people read or listen to the Bible, the more they share their faith and disciple others. Emerging evidence from on-going studies further suggests that the more Christ-followers read or listen to the Bible, the better they are able to define spiritual growth, the higher they rate their own spiritual growth, and the less likely they are to experience periods of being stalled in their spiritual growth.
The mounting evidence shows the power of God’s word in helping believers win the day spiritually. This finding gave their ministry one clear focus: helping people to engage God’s Word for themselves daily. “When we connect people with the Bible we are opening up the opportunity for the Holy Spirit to speak truth into their lives,” says the organisation.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21 (NIV)
So is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 (NIV)
The study authors note that a lack of scriptural engagement produces believers who are ignorant of basic Bible facts and truths, vulnerable to false teachings, and, in many cases, spiritually immature.
“Like sheep, we tend to drift away from our Shepherd. Living in a world filled with temptations, disconnection from God’s Word can increase our chances of giving in to those temptations. Without a firm grasp of the Bible, nurtured through daily reading or listening, we weaken our ability to defend the faith we claim, [we are] less confident to share that faith with others, and [we are] more vulnerable to falling prey to false teachings.” (Cole & Ovwigho, 2009, p. 6)
Why we don’t read the Bible
When asked what hinders them from reading or listening to the Bible regularly, most people said they are “too busy” or “don’t have enough time.” Other culprits such as the distractions and interruptions of life were blamed as well.
Many who gave reasons such as these also acknowledge that they are really just excuses and the real problem is that they have not made staying in God’s Word a priority.
Heart issues can also keep someone from reading or listening to the Bible. While some may run to God and to the scriptures, others run in the opposite direction when faced with discouragement, anger over unanswered prayers, feelings of guilty, or confusion over the behaviour of other believers.
Sometimes believers get too comfortable. Our lives are going well and so we are lulled into the false belief that we don’t need to be hearing from God through His Word.
Resource issues were mentioned by a minority. These include lack of accountability, being unsure where to start or what plan
to follow, and difficulty understanding or interpreting biblical passages.
The study’s conclusion is that finding a way to get hearing from God through the Bible back on believers’ priority lists will go a long way towards building a stronger Christian community and a more effective witness for Christ.
Have you read your Bible today?
A link to the study:
https://bttbfiles.com/web/docs/cbe/Scientific_Evidence_for_the_Power_of_4.pdf
