2 Reasons Why Devotion Books Are Killing Your Spiritual Growth

Are you an impatient person who likes having access to things in an instant?

• We can instantly stream movies without going to Blockbuster.
• We have Instant Pots to cook our food quickly.
• We even have mobile ordering so we can skip the lines.

We love having … but want to give little work and effort.

Somewhere along the way this mentality has skewed the way that we view our spiritual growth.

It is naive to think that growth of any kind can happen with little effort.

There have been plenty of times in my own life where I disengaged from God’s Word because I was over-engaged in other areas of life.

I felt like I couldn’t spend a ton of time in the Bible so I opted to dive into devotion books instead to get an instant dose of Bible content to sustain me as I went back into my busy schedule.

The problem? I spent more time reading other people’s thoughts about the Bible than I did actually reading the Bible.

The busyness of life can interfere with your spiritual growth. Practices, schoolwork, family time, and work demand your attention like a toddler who wants more gummy snacks.

As our schedules fill up with more to-dos, we can fail to prioritize the things that will fill us up. A full schedule can leave you feeling empty.

Bible study is one of the first things to fall through the cracks when our schedules become busy.

This happens to all of us.

The result: Our spiritual passions begin to burn out.

In a 2014 study by Lifway Research they found that 81% of church goers read the Bible less than once per week.

Less than once per week.

I don’t want you to over look this stat. 81% of the people who regularly attend church read their Bibles less than once per week.

Bible engagement is one of the primary spiritual disciplines that help us grow in our faith.

“Bible engagement is the number one spiritual discipline. It is number one because it impacts every other discipline. More than just “read your Bible more!”, Bible engagement is about applying what you’ve read to your daily life.”

Robby Gallaty

In a hope to spark some spiritual growth the church has encouraged people to grow in their spiritual lives by reading devotion books.

Devotion books are written by Christian leaders to encourage Jesus followers and to explain biblical passages in a conversational manner.

[READ: How To Study The Bible: 4 Tips For New Believers]

Devotion books are great tools for spiritual growth, but used incorrectly, will kill your spiritual growth.

How?

Here are 2 ways devotion books are killing your spiritual growth.

1. Devotion Books Are Supplements, Not Meal Replacements

There is no replacement for the Word of God.

The biblical authors wrote about the importance of learning from God’s Word and learning from teachers of God’s Word.

In Colossians 3:16 Paul wrote:

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Colossians 3:16

In 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul instructed Timothy to:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15

There is a necessity to be taught by Christian leaders and to engage with the Bible for yourself.

In today’s culture many Christians believe that streaming a sermon, listening to a 3-minute devotional podcast, or picking up a devotion book is enough to help them grow spiritually.

It isn’t.

Devotional content, sermons, and podcasts are supplemental. They are meant to be added to your daily discipline of Bible engagement.

Just like a vitamin, you can’t live on devotional content alone – you need a meal each day.

Jesus said it this way:

It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

Matthew 4:4

Reading a devotion book gives you a false sense of spending time in God’s Word. Sure, there are a few Bible verses sprinkled into the devotion book, but what you are describing is more of a book study than a Bible study.

Nothing can replace the time you need to spend with Jesus by learning from the words of God, praying, and studying.

Failing to engage in the Bible is a recipe for never owning your own faith.

2. Devotion Books Don’t Teach You How To Read The Bible For Yourself

Surface-level Bible study develops surface-level Christians. It is impossible to dive deep into the Bible without opening up a copy of it.

If a devotion book inspires you to dive into God’s Word for yourself, then that book has fulfilled its purpose.

Maybe the content is so interesting that you find yourself opening your Bible to read the verses before and after the one listed in your daily devotional reading. Maybe your devotional walks through a specific method of Bible study so that you learn the tools you need to take your own Bible study deeper. If so, great!

But devotionals are limited in their ability to transform you — God’s Word isn’t.

Our ultimate trust is in the Word of God, not in the words of humans.

Devotionals are written by fallible, sinful people, God’s Word isn’t.

For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Devotionals may contain inspirational and motivational content, but they lack the power to divide soul and spirit, as Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s Word can.

If you are looking for a way to access God’s power, learn His will for your life, or grow closer to the Lord, then you have to go to God’s Word first and most.

That is one of the reasons I created a Bible reading journal along with my new book Doer. My aim is to help people apply the Bible to their lives but I know that can’t happen unless people know how to read the Bible.

Read It. Live It. is a 260-Day Bible Study Journal that walks you through each chapter in the New Testament to help you read, study, and apply God’s Word.

Check out Read It. Live It. and Doer below for special pre-order discounts.

Look for them both to launch on Amazon on March 26, 2019!