Do you know that, on average, we spend over 2 months a year on our phones? In other words, we spend an equivalent of 70 full days in a year using our phones. Let us break it down. According to global research, the average person spends 4 hours and 37 minutes on their phone each day. Kenyans spend, on average, 5 hours daily on their phones, which is above the global average. And this is just our phones. Let us not even talk about the countless hours we spend on our tablets, television screens, and computers. But can you guess how long it will take you to read the entire Bible cover-to-cover? Coincidentally, if you are an average reader and you dedicate just one hour to reading the Bible (not studying, just reading), it will take you roughly 65-70 days.
Too Busy or Just Distracted
This blog is not meant to condemn but to be a wake-up call to us all, myself included. I accidentally came across Josiah Queen’s song, “Dusty Bibles,” which the algorithm providentially brought to my playlist. In the song, Josiah asks, “We’re too busy and can’t find the time. Are we busy or is it all a lie?” and I could totally relate. I had spent countless hours on my phone, scrolling and watching reels on social media, but did not have time to read even a chapter of the Bible. Those words hit me hard! I tried justifying how busy I was that day, too busy with work, with ministry engagements, time with family, time doing online studies after work, and the list is endless. I was exhausted, but ironically, I still found the time and energy to sit on my phone for almost the whole evening. I scrolled through apps, watched reels, responded to messages, and made calls, but I couldn’t find time to hear from God through the word.
Dusty Bibles, Dusty Souls
Charles Spurgeon once said, “There is dust enough on some of your Bibles to write ‘damnation’ with your fingers.” Have you ever seen a dusty car on the road with some funny writing on it? Now, imagine someone trying that out with your Bible. How visible will the sketch be? The same thing is happening with your Bible cover on the shelf: figuratively, it’s sketching “damnation” because it has been neglected. Spurgeon was teaching us that when we neglect our Bibles and let them gather dust, we are endangering our souls, and it is as if we are declaring judgment on ourselves. Neglecting the word of God means neglecting God himself.
That evening reminded me how easy it is to spend so much time on what does not last and forget what is beneficial and eternal. Job said that he treasured the words of God’s mouth more than his daily bread (Job 23:12). Job is teaching us here that the word of God is the greatest treasure and more important than food or any physical needs just as it is written in Deuteronomy 8:3, that “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
A question is asked in Isaiah 55:2: “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” We spend our resources and energy on temporal things that cannot satisfy, such as entertainment, social interaction, and work, rather than focusing on the word of God, which offers satisfaction and eternal benefit.
Connected To The World, Disconnected From The Word
Have you ever heard of the word “Nomophobia”? It means being afraid of not having your phone. We get worried when our phone battery is low or when we forget where it is. Checking it all the time, even when there are no new notifications. We take it everywhere, even to the washroom, the hospital, exam rooms, and the dinner table. Also, we sleep next to it and pick it up before we even pray or talk to God. We stay connected to the world but disconnected from the word.
A Simple Challenge: 15 Minutes a Day
Remember, at the start, we said reading the whole Bible takes about 70 hours. I started a simple challenge, and I welcome you to join me. If you read the Bible for just 15 minutes a day, you can finish it in about 280 days. And when you finish, start again and try reading 30 minutes a day, then 1 hour a day. Fifteen minutes may sound insignificant, but it will help you develop at a realistic, slow pace.
If you are confused about how to do this, download our Kuza App. We have a free Bible section with a clear, easy-to-follow reading plan to help you, and an audio Bible is available if you would like to listen. This will enable you to read your Bible anytime, anywhere.
Here are some more simple tips to help you connect to the word.
- Link the Bible reading challenge to something you love: A while back, I linked Bible reading to my morning runs. I told myself I could not go out to run until I had read at least one verse. Or sometimes made sure I read immediately after my exercise while cooling down.
- Join a group challenge: This will motivate you, help you stay accountable, and give you a chance to share what you learn and encourage one another. If you do not have a group, click here to join our Kuza WhatsApp community and participate in our Kuza Bible Reading Challenge.
- Utilize your waiting time: Through the Kuza App, you can read or listen to the Bible when you are waiting for a meeting, in traffic, or during breaks at school or work. Those small minutes are a precious addition to your 15 or 30-minute challenge.
Treat Your Soul Like You Treat Your Phone
We take very good care of our phones by ensuring they have screen protectors and a good protective case, keeping them clean, protecting them from thieves on the streets, and regularly charging them to avoid being offline. We do these things because we value our phones, which are essential to our social life and work.
But what about our souls? How much do we value our souls, and to what extent can we care for our souls? We give so much attention to our phones and yet neglect the word that gives us true life (Psalm 119:50).
So let us dust off our Bibles and make time for what is eternal and that which truly satisfies. Remember, just 15 minutes a day can make a huge difference and satisfy our longing souls with glorious treasures ( Psalm 107:9).
