Thursday Thoughts... Dusty Bibles

Last night I had the joy of going with my family to a Josiah Queen concert with Ben Fuller. It was a fun night, full of great music, energy, and plenty of singing along. One of Josiah’s songs, Dusty Bibles, took up extra space in my heart last night. The lyrics go like this: “I’ve been struggling to find some peace of mind. It’s the problem of our nation and in our generation. We’re too busy and can’t find the time. Are we busy, or is it a lie? We got dust on our Bibles, brand-new iPhones. No wonder why we feel this way. We walk with our eyes closed, blind leading blind folks. And I'm done with those idols and dusty Bibles.” It's not a new song. I’ve sung that song in my truck many times before, but last night it kept playing in my head because it’s such a clear picture of where so many of us live today.

We’ve got more technology at our fingertips than any generation before us. We can talk to anyone, anywhere, instantly. We can order almost anything we want and have it show up at our doorstep. And yet, so many people are stressed, anxious, and restless. Studies show the average person checks their phone 144 times a day (about once every 10 minutes). Nearly 60% of people say they feel anxious if they don’t have their phone close by. My friend Heather Oden once made a comment that every time we hear a ding, we bow down to the self-made phone god to see what’s on the screen. That hit with a dull thud. Unfortunately, if you stop and think about it, it’s sadly true.

Let me be clear, I’m not just pointing this at you. I’m talking to myself here too. I know how easy it is to lose track of priorities, to tell myself I’m “busy” when really I’m just distracted, to reach for the phone instead of reaching for something that matters. I fight this battle every day just like you do.

The problem is that we keep saying we’re busy, but are we really busy… or are we just filling our time with noise? If our schedules are crammed full but we don’t make space for the things that matter, we’re not really busy. We’re just distracted. And here’s the cost: every time we choose the ding over the real, we’re trading away an opportunity for something important. That’s where the lyrics really hit home… dusty Bibles, brand-new iPhones. We’re not short on time. We’re short on priorities.

Josiah points to starting with the Bible and research backs it up. A study of over 40,000 Americans, ages 8 to 80, found that people who read their Bible four or more times per week experienced staggering differences compared to those who didn’t. The odds of loneliness were 30% lower. Anger issues dropped by 32%. Bitterness in relationships dropped 40%. Alcoholism was 57% lower. Pornography use dropped by 61%. And sex outside of marriage was 68% lower. Let those numbers sink in. If I told you there was a pill you could take that cut your odds of those struggles in half or more, people would line up around the block. But it isn’t a pill. It’s simply opening the Bible. I’ve looked and I can’t find anything else in the world that consistently produces those results.

I can tell you from my own experience that daily Bible reading has been the most valuable habit of my life. It grounds me when life feels chaotic. It centers me when I’m anxious. It reminds me of who I am and what matters when the noise tries to pull me in a thousand directions. Here’s an important callout: it’s not just about avoiding the negative. It’s about making room for the positive. When you put down the distractions and pick up the important, you unlock space for connection. Card games with friends. Playing catch with your kids. A date night focused on your spouse. Honest conversations that lead to unexpected opportunities. You stop filling your time and start investing it.

And I know the irony. You’re probably reading this on your phone. I’m not telling you to throw it away or delete your social media. I’m simply saying to put them in their proper place. Use them as tools, not idols. Let them serve you instead of the other way around. And in that space you create, give more of your week to the things that matter.

That Leads Me to This Week’s Challenge… Knock the dust off. Be intentional about giving more of your time to what matters most. If you’ve never built a daily habit of Bible reading, I’d encourage you to start. And if you’re not sure where to begin, reach out to me personally (DM, comment, text, call) I’d be glad to help you ease into it. I understand it can feel overwhelming, but like anything worth doing, it’s easier with someone to walk alongside you.

At the end of the day, it isn’t the iPhone that will shape our legacy. It’s the way we spent our time, the people we invested in, and the God we chose to walk with.

Bonus non-contact option: CrossPoint Church (Kansas) has a daily reading plan you can find here: https://crosspointchurch.com/dailyreadings. It takes just a few minutes, and you can choose for the app to read to you, or do the reading yourself. 

I’m thankful you took the time to read this, for choosing to work, and for being part of what makes this world amazing.