Articles
THE BIBLE IS NOT A 5-HOUR DRINK
Facebook unites people, through friends, from all over the world. Recently, I have begun
observing how frequently people post Bible verses and memes of Bible verses which, invariably,
are “feel-good,” optimistic, faith-building, grace-filled Bible verses. There is nothing inherently
wrong with that; we should all have go-to verses we need to remind us of the love of God.
The danger comes when we fall into the trap of thinking that those verses are the sum of all
Bible teaching. We either don’t believe we need more than that or we don’t have any interest in
learning more than that. This is when our mentality devolves into thinking that Bible study ought
to be more of a pep-rally, “boost me up” type of setting.
For example, a very popular verse, for obvious reasons, is Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the
plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a
future and a hope.’” You might have already had that verse memorized. Here’s my ques- tion:
Do you have any idea what verse 10 says!? Or verse 12? Do you even have an idea what chapter
29 is about? Do you know what Jeremiah’s message as a whole is about? Do you want to know?
Are you willing to study what else Jeremiah had to say? Maybe, just maybe, God had other
important things to say than just giving us “warm fuzzies.”
Let me gently offer this suggestion… Perhaps if we spent more time studying the whole
Bible, the whole book of Jeremiah for example, and we understood much more about God’s
nature, His plans, His works, and His expectations, our faith would be strengthened much more
than just “feel-good” verses and we might find ourselves needing such verses less. The Bible is
not a 5-hour energy drink, to be read, quoted, or recalled only in cases of spiritual drought. It is
more like vitamins and minerals to be consumed on a daily basis for long-term spiritual health,
sometimes in the form of “veggies” we prefer not to eat.
“Feel-good” verses are the dessert to your meal. The “meat and potatoes” are the theology of
God that requires deeper study. You would do your faith some good if you dug deeper. Paul told
the elders of Ephesus: “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God” (Acts
20:27). That’s the whole Bible.
Paul Holland, Minister
Swartz Creek church of Christ
Swartz Creek, MI
