What If We Treated Our Bibles Like Mobile Phones?

I was listening to the radio while driving my boys to basketball this week and the announcer was talking about how many people are developing an ever-increasing dependent relationship with their mobile phones.

Did you know studies have shown that:

• 35% of Australians check their mobile within 5 minutes of waking up.
• 12% say it is that last thing they check or do before they fall asleep at night.
• 30% of people check their mobile phone in the middle of the night.
• 31% of Australians admitted to using their phone while on the toilet. It has even been given its own title - ‘toilet IT’. 
• 70% of people indicated that they use their phones during meal times with family or friends.
• More disturbing is that 32 percent of people admitted to checking their phones while driving and a survey of 9000 Australians showed that 45% said that they couldn’t live without their mobile phones - Nomophobia

Nomophobia, a term originally coined by the UK Post Office refers to people who suffer from “no mo(bile) phone phobia”. This is when you feel anxious about not being able use your phone for some reason whether it’s because you’re low on battery or there’s minimal signal.

What if we began to use and treat our Bibles the way we treat our mobile phones?

What if…..

• we carried it with us everywhere?
• it was the first thing we reached for and read when we woke up and the last thing we used before we went to sleep?
• we turned back to get it if we left it at home?
• we used it in case of an emergency?
• our children got excited when the newest version came?
• we spent an hour or more using it each day?
• we promised our kids they could have 30min reading it as a reward?
• we ‘liked’ or ‘shared’ our favourite parts of the bible (the same as we ‘like’ or ‘share’ things we find online)?

Are you connecting with Jesus through your Bible?  One great thing with the Bible is that unlike our mobile phones, we don't ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected, because Jesus already paid the bill!

Chaplain Phil