Reading the Bible is a good thing to do. We know we should do it, but we rarely consider why. The reason matters. In fact, our motivation can make all the difference between guilt-driven and delight-driven Bible reading.
I learned the importance of motivation through exercise. Like many people, I knew exercise was good for me, so I tried and failed to incorporate it into my routine for decades. Inspired by a new workout plan or a fit friend, I’d start with enthusiasm only to fizzle out a few weeks—or only days—later. Sometimes I’d start again, hoping to improve my sleep, feel better about my appearance, or set an example for my kids. Finding myself out of breath after climbing stairs triggered a few fitness phases, too. Despite these good intentions, my exercise stints were always unsatisfying and temporary—until my motivation changed.
When I realized that God entrusted my body to me—that it was a gift from Him to use for His glory—I began to see exercise as a necessary part of faithful stewardship and a way to demonstrate my gratitude to Him. Even though I hated lifting weights, I wanted to do it as an act of worship. To my surprise, exercise became a daily activity I genuinely enjoyed and looked forward to. I’ve been loving exercise consistently for years now. My reason for exercising made all the difference.
My exercise experience mirrors my Bible reading experience. I tried new Bible reading plans, accountability partners, and Bible study groups. But when I approached Bible reading strictly because I knew I should, my consistency was short-lived, and the experience was rarely enjoyable.
Bible Reading Duty vs. Delight
Now, there is a certain nobility in the dutiful study of Scripture. Sometimes we must do something we don’t want to do, simply because it’s the right thing to do. And that’s reason enough. But duty as the sole motivator is unsustainable and unsatisfying. Reagan Rose put it this way:
“Now, guilt isn’t a bad thing. A sense of our guilt is what leads us to repentance, it gets us back on the right path. But guilt is a terrible fuel to drive us forward on the path of obedience. The life that pleases God is not one which is motivated by guilt, but by love. And love doesn’t grow from the fouled soil of shame… But Bible-reading motivated by guilt, far from promoting that kind of affection, undermines our love for the Scriptures. When you see daily Bible reading as a chore, a bare duty, it saps it of all delight.”1
Does this resonate with you?
Hear me out: If you’ve diligently followed a Bible reading plan despite “not getting anything out of it” or not enjoying it, please don’t give up. No time in God’s Word is ever wasted, even when we read strictly out of duty. But I do believe your Bible reading experience can be transformed from guilt-driven duty to soul-satisfying delight. It starts with your motivation.
Motivation Matters
We are wise to examine our hearts and the motivations behind our Bible reading. An honest look may reveal that our Bible reading is a performance; we believe it will impress God or others. Maybe it has become a prideful, self-righteous, legalistic, or solely intellectual pursuit. Motivations like these turn our study of Scripture into a mere act of service, and that’s not God’s intention for our time in His Word.
Our reason for reading the Bible influences how we read and study, determines how we feel about the experience, and impacts the fruit of our efforts. If we read the Bible only because we know we should, or because we want other people to think we’re spiritually mature, or because we want to feel good about ourselves, we’ll become exhausted and discouraged, and eventually give up. In doing so, we’ll miss out on the many benefits of God’s Word. Delight, on the other hand, can keep us going forever. When we genuinely enjoy God’s Word and experience its benefits, we’re motivated to read it because we actually desire what it offers.
You Don’t Have to Read the Bible
Have you ever considered that daily Bible reading wasn’t even “a thing” until the 1400s or so? Most Israelites of the Old Testament and believers in the early church and beyond couldn’t read and didn’t have access to God’s written Word. Scripture was shared and taught orally. The first complete Bible manuscripts were compiled by 400 A.D., but they were handwritten and very costly, making them a luxury only the wealthy could afford. Johannes Gutenberg printed the first mass-produced Bible in 1455, but it was in Latin and still costly. William Tyndale printed the first English New Testament in 1526, and by 1539, a complete English Bible was available to the public in most churches. But it wasn’t until the 1800s that printed Bibles became easily available to everyone.
If daily Bible reading is a requirement of all faithful Christians, then any believer prior to the dawn of the printing press would have been disqualified. Thankfully, this is not the case! As Reagan Rose puts it: “Daily Bible reading is not a requirement for Christians, neither biblically or historically. You don’t have to read your Bible every day.”2
Rose also suggests that “Having access to read the Word of God daily is a privilege that, historically speaking, is a unique blessing for us in this present age. Recognizing that privilege should not burden us with guilt, but instead invite us to take up, read, and cherish this precious gift.”3
A Compelling Reason to Read & Study the Bible
So, if we don’t have to read the Bible, if we’re free from that obligation, why should we, especially if we don’t feel like it? Is it worth persevering through the process of duty and diligence and self-discipline to attain the delight of reading God’s Word?
The list of benefits of consuming God’s Word is endless. (Check out 15+ Motivations to Study the Bible for an inspiring glimpse.) Yes, it offers hope, guidance, and comfort. It’s instructive and can empower us to resist temptation. The Word of God produces faith. These and others are compelling reasons to read the Bible. But the most effective motivator and the greatest benefit—the one that reflects God’s intention in giving us His Word in the first place—is knowing God.
God has chosen to reveal Himself to us through His Word, the Bible. Jesus taught that the Scriptures—referring specifically to the Old Testament—reveal who He is (John 5:39). The New Testament even includes eyewitness testimony of God’s revelation in Jesus (2 Pet. 1:16–19).
God didn’t give us the Bible to burden us with an impossible task—discerning the indiscernible. It’s not a book we must master to earn God’s favor or spiritual “gold medals.” God is personal and relational. He has been seeking fellowship with us since He created the first man and woman in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:8–9). And He wants a real relationship with us (Acts 17:27). God gave us His Word so we can know Him.
In Scripture, God has offered everything we need to know Him intimately. He has put in writing for us to read: His history, His character, what He loves and what He hates, His past deeds, His promises, and His plans for the future. The more we know God’s Word, the more we know Him.
Bible Reading—A Guilt-Free “Get-To”
As long as our motivation for reading the Bible is merely to check a task off our lists, earn favor with God or people, or build a mental storehouse of knowledge, we’ll continue to battle disappointment and frustration despite our best efforts. But when we shift our perspective and open our Bibles with the intention of knowing God more, our experience becomes a delight rather than drudgery. When we realize the Bible isn’t merely a manual for our improvement but a beautiful story of God’s love and redemption, the pressure to prove ourselves through Bible study evaporates, and we discover Jesus on every page. We approach God’s Word as though we’re pulling up a chair to the banquet table, surveying the feast before us, and eagerly anticipating a time of rich fellowship.
The best reason to read and study the Bible is communion—an active, thriving, life-changing relationship with God. When I discovered this, and my motivation to read the Bible changed, so did my enjoyment of the process. My duty became genuine delight, and I now eagerly study the Bible because I sincerely want to, not strictly because I know I should. Just as exercise, for me, became worship instead of work, when our motivation is to commune with the Lord, our Bible reading becomes a “get-to” rather than a “have-to.”
Friend, the Bible is priceless treasure—the source of abiding joy and peace, the wisdom of the ages, strength to endure, nourishment for your soul, victory over sin, and genuine fellowship with the King of kings. All this and more lies waiting for you within the pages of the Bible. It’s a gift, ready to be opened and enjoyed. Will you receive it?
P.S. If you’re looking for a simple way to read and study the Bible, try one of my Bible reading plans.
- Reagan Rose, I never felt like reading the Bible. Here’s what changed., Redeeming Productivity, April 16, 2026, https://redeemingproductivity.com/i-never-felt-like-reading-the-bible-heres-what-changed/ ↩︎
- Reagan Rose, I never felt like reading the Bible. Here’s what changed., Redeeming Productivity, April 16, 2026, https://redeemingproductivity.com/i-never-felt-like-reading-the-bible-heres-what-changed/ ↩︎
- Reagan Rose, I never felt like reading the Bible. Here’s what changed., Redeeming Productivity, April 16, 2026, https://redeemingproductivity.com/i-never-felt-like-reading-the-bible-heres-what-changed/ ↩︎
