Read The Manual

by E.E. Perry
Published June 4, 2005

I work as a technical call center representative at an international electronics company. I take calls each and every day from both end users and technicians in the field. I have discovered through the years that 75% of the time, the customer could have fixed the problem without my assistance. The answers to these 75% of the calls are found in the manuals that accompany the system we manufacture. Why don’t they read the manual? Laziness? Perhaps. The manuals are rather thick volumes. Some probably feel that it is quicker just to call us and wait for us to call back. However, by the time we get back to them, they probably could have found it in the manual.

Christians today seem to suffer from the same demise. They have a manual (the Bible) that explains to them what they need to know about serving God and being a Christian. The Bible is a rather thick volume. Would it not be easier to just asked the preacher or some other church leader? Or read a smaller book like “The Bible for Dummies”? Perhaps. In doing so, the Christian is at the mercy of the writer or preacher’s interpretation of the Bible. By the time they have gone through the trouble to find it out from someone else, they could have looked it up themselves.

I believe God wants to speak to each of us through the Bible – not just preachers and worship leaders. Yet, one element seems to give Christians much trouble – they have to read it. Yes, actually read the Bible. No, not just the New Testament but the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation. This may seem like a daunting task at first, but if you plug away at it every day, you can finish the Bible in a year.

Why is it important to read the Bible for yourself? Glad you asked. If you don’t know what the Bible says, how can you make certain the things you hear and read are true? You can’t. Therefore, you need to read the Bible to protect yourself from false teachers and false doctrines. While you read, the Holy Spirit will help you understand. God’s greatest method of reveling His will is through His word, and He wants to revel it directly to you. Now, I am not saying that preaching is bad. However, you must be armed and ready should false teachings arise. The only way to know is by knowing what God has said in His word.

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