10 Go-To Excuses to Avoid Studying the Bible (and practical ways to overcome them!)

A few months ago, I asked a question via Facebook: “Why do you typically avoid studying the Bible?”

I received some insightful responses, and joyfully ventured into dangerous territory: debunking the excuses.

While I enjoyed the idea of helping others overcome their Bible study blockades, I was not so happy when God brought up some of my own common excuses, like boredom and lack of motivation.

I still do not have a consistent time studying the Bible. I still struggle to apply and obey what I read. But, thank the Lord, God’s not done with me yet.

I can say with confidence that He’s not done with you either. Can you find your go-to excuse in the following list? Most of these are the direct answers from my little FB survey. 

1. I’m a Beginner

You might say: “I’ve never studied the Bible before. I don’t know where to start.”

Click HERE for tools and tips to start your own adventure in God’s Word! (It will change your life!)

2. I Feel Stuck

You might say: “I feel like I don’t know what I’m looking for. I have trouble understanding the relevance of what I’m reading to my life without some sort of sermon, bible notes, etc.”*

Click HERE for 3 simple ways to get going, or KEEP going, when you feel overwhelmed by Scripture.

3. I’m a Devotional Book Junkie (ie: I can’t “feed” myself):

You might say: “I feel like I don’t get much from just reading the Bible. I feel like devotional books apply to me more.”*

Click here to discover where the devotional book fits in a Christ-centered Bible study.

 

4. I’m Easily-Distracted:

You might say: “My weakness is doing *anything* consistently. Daily habits work for 2……maybe 3 weeks (including Bible) and then I forget about it for months, and then I read it again.”*

Click HERE to understand 6 distractions that keep us from being filled with the Spirit, and how to overcome them.

 

5. I Don’t like to Read:

You might say: “I’ve never liked studying or reading.”*

Click HERE to see how the non-reader types study the Bible for themselves (It’s possible!).

 

6. I’m Unmotivated:

You might admit you don’t read the Bible because of: “Laziness.”*

or: “I hate to admit it but I don’t feel like it.“*

Click HERE for 5 reasons to “labor and strive because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men…” 1 Timothy 4:10

 

7. I’m Too Busy: 

You might say: “My life is a rush without a minute to spare!”

Click HERE for help in making time for God in the rush of 21 Century living.

 

8. It’s So Boring:

You might say: “I find it really uninteresting and hard to get into.” *

or “When I do try, I end up falling asleep.” *

Click HERE to get out of a “Bible Study boredom” rut, and on the path to finally interested!

 

9. Don’t Care:

You might say: “I’m not ready for the conviction.”* “[When I am] avoiding sins I have not confessed that God is working on in me, it hurts less sometimes to avoid reading His Word.”*

or: “[When I am] avoiding sins I have not confessed that God is working on in me, it hurts less sometimes to avoid reading His Word.”*

Click HERE for Bible study tips for when you, honest to goodness, just don’t care what the Bible says.

 

10. Not Relevant:

You might say: “other than encouragement and prayer, how is reading Leviticus going to help me manage my time better so that I can maintain my 3.8 GPA while taking 21 credits?”*

Click HERE for how to study God’s Word in a #selfie world.

…

I greatly appreciate everyone’s honesty regarding these reasons we don’t study God’s Word. It takes courage to ‘fess up to our excuses. That’s the first step: to recognize what justifications we mentally conjure up, then knock them down to pursue deeper knowledge of God.

I think these quotes, also from the Facebook questionnaire, sum it up nicely:

“At some level, disbelief is a part of the problem. I.e. “If I really believed that this was the inspired Word of the Almighty Holy God, how could I NOT read it.” All the other answers also apply in some measure. However if you TRULY believe the Word of God is what you SAY you believe it is… then all the other explanations look pretty shallow and/or unbelievable. And yes I am preaching to myself a bit here too!”* -S

“I know that if God didn’t want us to follow or gain knowledge from a book he wouldn’t have had it written. So I really should stop being a greedy, selfish, sinful human & just do something as simple as read a book. A little a day if that’s what it takes.” * -A

I find it very difficult to overcome many of these excuses. But I know God’s Word is good. Living and Active. Trustworthy. Filled with promises. Loaded with truth. Crucial to my understanding, and therefore worship, of the God I claim to believe. Join me in ditching the excuses. Click on any of the above links for tools and encouragement in your particular struggle.

What is your go-to excuse? Is there an excuse you typically use that wasn’t mentioned here? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

*These are actual comments I received from my question forum on facebook.