Scripture as Travel Agent and Tour Guide

When I decided to become a committed follower of Jesus someone told me, "If you want to mature in your faith you need to read the Bible." So, I started to read.

I had an uncontrollable desire to devour the Word. I needed the Word like a "drunk" needs a drink. I wanted the Word to get inside of me. I found Scripture to be more compelling than ever. It was like fire in my bones.

But, I quickly ran into a problem. No one had ever taught me how to read the Bible. They only told me to read. The first few months, I found myself reading to defend church practices and traditions. My parents didn't teach me to approach Scripture in such a way; I guess it was just part of the church culture I grew up in or something like that.

This defensive approach didn't last very long. It wasn't very fun for me. I didn't have the time or energy to waste on things like lifting hands, worship styles, instrumental music or how to "do" church right. I found it to be strange how we had defended certain practices/traditions with verses that actually had nothing to do with the subject we were defending. Does Ephesians 5:19 really defend accapella music? Does Acts 20:7 really mean that if we don't take communion on a Sunday, we sin?

I began to learn a very important truth that has stuck with me for years now--how we read the Bible is just as important as what we read.

You can take the approach of reading the Bible for information only, but this approach will leave you arrogant. It's not appealing to me.
The approach of reading the Bible as a means to load up the arsenal to defend a set belief system is taken by many, but this will leave you spiritually unhealthy and relationally unfriendly.
You can read Scripture as history, but you will become like a gnostic whose spiritually is distant from a God who has chosen to invade every generation with His presence and power.

I hear a lot of stats on how our younger people are biblically illiterate, and there is much truth to these stats. Honestly, (some of you aren't going to like this) I think the reason that many of our younger folks (40 and under) don't read the Bible much is because they don't like the way they've heard the Bible read by their parents, Sunday school teachers, or preachers growing up.

Scripture can be interpreted as a Travel Agent, whose purpose is to point you to a destination. They make the plans and then send you on your way.

Or, Scripture can be read as a Tour Guide, whose purpose is to lead you on a journey while teaching you about life.

Surely there is the place for the Travel Agent, but right now in my life I choose to engage Scripture as a Tour Guide. I need the Word of God to teach me about life. To release me from bondage. To act in formational ways. To perform in ways that declare that the Word is still alive. And, ultimately, to invite me into this glorious story.