Last week, I discussed three reasons why you should read your Bible. (Yes, the whole Bible!). And as a bonus, we had a fun little quiz on Tuesday to test our Bible knowledge. Now, let’s get practical. How in the world are you going to accomplish the task of reading your Bible when you’re already too busy, you don’t understand it, and you don’t even like reading anyway?

Here’s some advice straight from the Bible: Start with milk!

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:2, “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.”

The Bible refers to us as infants when we are early on in our spiritual growth, and we have to grow in Christ just like we grow physically. But not all aspects of your walk with Christ will grow at the same speed. You may be mature in prayer, but immature in your knowledge of the Bible; you may be mature in faith, but immature in your giving. So your maturity in reading the Bible is not related to the longevity of your Christianity.

Since the wisdom of spiritual growth lies in starting as a child and growing to maturity, there’s no reason why reading the Bible can’t be approached with the same advice. You can start with milk!

So if the idea of reading the whole Bible is about as appealing to you as a hamburger is to a newborn, consider reading a Children’s Bible for your first time. If you want to get a broad understanding of the Bible as a whole, this is a great way for you to do this without getting bogged down in the minute details. Read through it once to get the main idea before going on to your own Bible and your own comprehensive reading plan.

So look at the pictures. Soak it all in. By becoming familiar with the Bible as a whole before jumping into your own “adult” version, four things will happen:

1. You’ll develop the habit of reading;
2. You’ll experience the joy of starting a Bible AND finishing it!
3. You’ll be less intimidated by the idea of reading your own Bible, and
4. God’s Word will begin taking root in your life and you’ll want to dig deeper next time.

Not everyone will need to start this way, but for some this just might be the thing it takes to take those first childlike steps. You’ll find a huge selection of children’s (or teen) Bibles at your local Christian bookstore.

Want more tips? Check back next Tuesday for a discussion about the various Bible translations!

Q: Do you have a favorite children’s or teen Bible? Have you ever utilized this tool yourself?