Far better than social media: a daily diet of scripture reading

By Dean Collins

If you are seeking a life that brings goodness for others and for yourself, then Proverbs 16:20 might help: “Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”

The last part of the verse helps us understand the first part. Blessing and happiness come to the one who puts their trust in the Lord. Sitting in the middle of church on Sunday, you might mumble out an “amen” at this word from the wise king. Of course, putting our trust in the Lord is the right answer; it’s the implementation that sometimes gives us difficulty. All the way back in chapter 3 we are instructed to trust in the Lord with all of our heart and not to lean on our own understanding but in every way to acknowledge God and allow him to direct our paths.

Increasing rapidly

The problem is we often walk out of the church building or turn off the online sermon or podcast where we heard good Bible instruction and immediately revert to our social media consumption, which is increasing rapidly. I strongly suspect the amount of content skimming we do each day is interfering with our ability to truly give thought to God’s Word and to the role his Word plays in directing our path and in discerning truth. The content we see online comes from many sources, not all of them reliable. But God’s Word is trustworthy and offers a sure foundation and wise counsel for every aspect of life.

There is considerable data available that documents the increase of time spent on social media platforms each year. From the youngest to the oldest, we are choosing to get our content online. There are certainly many good resources online. But unfortunately it doesn’t appear to be scholarly research that we are accessing in large quantities. Not just in America but across the world, people are engaged in social media content for entertainment and as their news source.

Many have turned to social media as their primary source of news because they distrust television news. The amount of likes and reposts of content on social media in no way demonstrates that online content is more accurate. Unfortunately, it is just passed on without thought. Our trust in what is popular content seems to be making us more polarized, less educated, and clearly not united in a pursuit of righteousness.

Commanding trust

The idea in Proverbs 16 is that one gives thought, searches out, and considers what is true, including that the source of the information is reliable. Keil and Delitzsch’s commentary on this verse explains that the word we are to give thought to is God’s Word. God’s truth is to be the filter for our information and choices. It is God who commands our trust. We may be experts in many things, but our ultimate trust must be in the wisdom and knowledge that comes from God and from his Word.

If giving thought to God’s Word leads us to good things and ultimately to God’s blessing, then reading scripture is an essential aspect of our lives. So how are we doing with our consumption of scripture?

An April 2022 Christianity Today article said that only 10 percent of Americans report reading their Bible daily. In 2021, 50 percent of Americans said they read their Bibles three or four times per year. Not daily, but per year! But in 2022 that statistic dropped 11 points to 39 percent. “It is the steepest, sharpest decline on record.” Click the link to read the whole article.

Eroding activity and relationships

The busyness of everyday life and the added amount of time we spend with social media content seems to be eroding activity and relationships that bring real life, increase wisdom, and unite God’s people. If all one does is read the scriptures and nothing more, then significant life change and spiritual growth will be limited. On the other hand, if we trust in our own wisdom to get through life’s challenges and never engage scripture, we will be ill-equipped for life’s hardest moments.

I use online resources every day, and I do learn from social media, as well as to keep up with friends. But when it comes to the things that matter most, I have found that the time I spend in God’s Word every day brings me far more help and hope than anything I ever read in social media. I’m not sure it’s a stretch to suggest that the time we spend in scripture should exceed our online consumption. And if we take in more of God’s truth and apply it to our lives, I am confident the people around us will be far better off than if we read one more post on Facebook or Twitter or watch a video on YouTube!

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:20‬ ‭ESV

Photo by Ben White at unsplash.com

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