How Not to Get the Most out of Bible Study in 10 Easy Steps
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How not to get the most out of Bible study—really? What a topic! Sometimes we don’t mean to undercut our commitment to going to Bible study, but we end up doing it anyway. What are some ways we hinder our own blessing in studying God’s Word and attending Bible study?
Don’t expect much from studying God’s Word. Of all the places and times we should have great expectations, this is one! God’s Word changes us! How the Lord will use the study of His Word to change you, I couldn’t even predict, but I know this, if you are in the Word, studying it, praying over it, asking the Lord for insight and help, asking Him to grow you into His image, then you can expect the Lord to use His Word.
Be sporadic in attendance or in doing your homework. One of the great benefits of a regular, weekly Bible study is that it builds discipline in us. Working on a Bible study lesson each week helps grow the habits of a lifetime—habits of diligence, disciplined use of our time, managing our own households well, following through on our commitments, and to spend time on things that hold value for eternity.
Be legalistic about getting your lesson done. “I have to do it. Just. Get. It. Done. Ugh…three more questions!” Oh, dear ones, please recognize that even the filling out of a Bible study lesson is a spiritual act where you can worship the Lord. Just doing the study and trying to quickly cram on the answers at 11:30 the night before class isn’t doing you any good. Your own heart will be in a huff, and you will grow disgruntled at the study author for asking so many questions!
Be unteachable. In a nutshell, being unteachable is often pride masquerading as knowledge. Your leader has been placed in that position of leadership because of her knowledge in the Word of God. Being skeptical or challenging toward her reveals your own heart’s hurdles. The same is true of not really learning from or valuing what others have learned in your group. There may be some bones to leave behind, but there’s probably some meat you can chew on.
Show up late to study. Sometimes it just can’t be helped, but generally, if we want to get somewhere on time, we do. I have found that we always make time and plan ahead for the things that are truly important to us. A habit (notice I’m not saying a once in a while thing) of showing up late to Bible study means you miss out on the great conversations beforehand, the chance to arrive with a peaceful heart and a clear conscience that you are showing love to your sisters in the Lord and your Bible study leader.
Don’t pray. Don’t pray in Bible study. Don’t pray beforehand. Don’t pray in between meeting times. It’s time in the Word and time in prayer that fosters the deep heart fellowship we all long for. Remaining silent during prayer time is a way of cheating yourself and your fellow attendees of true biblical fellowship. The Holy Spirit helps us pray as we should, so even if you feel a little uncomfortable, you can ask the Lord to help you honor Him as you step out in faith and obedience.
Argue with your Bible study leader. Arguing in your heart or in person with your Bible study leader is a sure-fire guarantee that you won’t get much out of the study. If you do have questions or concerns, go to them privately, in humility, with your Bible open and your finger in the text, ready to hear from them.
Don’t ask God for help. Do the lesson in your own power and strength. Do I really need to say anything else on this? Yet, it’s so easy to just start doing the lesson without stepping into the throne room of God and asking Him for His help to peer into His Word.
Give up and quit the study. There’s lots of reasons women may stop mid-year in a study, but often, the fault lies in listening to those pesky little critters called excuses. We can tell ourselves “It’s too hard. It takes too long. I’m too far behind. I don’t like how my leader leads the group. I don’t click with the other ladies.” The list can go on and on. But dear one, if you had the desire to begin the study, then ask God to help you complete it—with joy and a right heart for His glory. The evil one loves nothing better than to derail our desires for godliness.
Thinking everyone’s answer can be right. When it comes to interpreting God’s Word there is only one meaning of a text. It’s our job to figure it out as God intended them. It’s not okay to throw all our ideas into a bowl and let them all swim in there together. God preserved His Word for us. It’s our job to faithfully apply good Bible study skills (called hermeneutics) as we study so we can see if our understanding fits with the context (flow) of the passage. As we do this, we will grow in our observational skills rather than trying to foist our ideas on the text or to arm wrestle with God, so we twist His Word to make it mean what we want it to mean.
That’s it. It’s not too terrible of a list, is it? But as any regular Bible student can tell you, we can all easily fall into the things on this list at different times or seasons. John Flavel said in Keeping the Heart, “When you go to God in any duty, take your heart aside and say, ‘O my soul, I am now engaged in the greatest work that a creature was ever employed about; I am going into the awful presence of God upon business of everlasting moment. O my soul, leave trifling now; be composed, be watchful, be serious; this is no common work, it is soul-work; it is work for eternity; it is work which will bring forth fruit to life or death in the world to come.’ Pause awhile and consider your sins, your wants, your troubles; keep your thoughts awhile on these before you address yourself to duty.”
Another way to not get anything out of Bible study is to come to it distracted, stay distracted, and remain distracted. This encouragement also comes straight from Flavel in Keeping the Heart. “If you would have the distraction of your thoughts prevented, endeavor to raise your affections to God, and to engage them warmly in your duty. When the soul is intent upon any work, it gathers in its strength and bends all its thoughts to that work; and when it is deeply affected, it will pursue its object with intenseness, the affections will gain an ascendancy over the thoughts and guide them. But deadness causes distraction, and distraction increases deadness. Could you but regard your duties as the medium in which you might walk in communion with God in which your soul might be filled with those ravishing and matchless delights which his presence affords, you might have no inclination to neglect them. But if you would prevent the recurrence of distracting thoughts, if you would find your happiness in the performance of duty, you must not only be careful that you engage in what is your duty, but labor with patient and persevering exertion to interest your feelings in it. Why is your heart so inconstant, especially in secret duties; why are you ready to be gone, almost as soon as you are come into the presence of God, but because your affections are not engaged?”
If you want to learn more about John Flavel’s excellent book, Keeping the Heart, read my short book review on it!
