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From Duty to Delight: Helping God’s People Love God’s Word
By Landon Coleman
As a pastor, I desperately want the people in my church to read the Bible—not only when they attend corporate worship or Bible study, but throughout the week on their own. I want God’s people in my local church to read the Bible regularly and consistently. I also desire for them to study, memorize, and meditate on the Word. To that end, pastors often take one of two approaches to motivate people toward faithful Bible reading.
Two Approaches to Bible Study
1. An Emphasis on Duty
One approach emphasizes duty. A pastor may stress a believer’s obligation to read the Bible, focusing on what Christians ought to do. Certainly, literate believers who have access to the Scriptures in their own language ought to read the Bible. However, in my experience, this approach often results in guilt-driven motivation, subtle legalism, and a growing sense of burden surrounding Bible reading. When duty is detached from grace, Bible reading can become more about performance than communion with God.
2. An Emphasis on Delight
Another approach emphasizes delight. Rather than stressing obligation, a pastor may focus on the privilege believers have in reading God’s Word the fact that we get to read the Bible. In my experience, this approach cultivates a healthier and more joyful practice of Scripture reading. It also aligns more closely with the emphasis of Psalm 119, where the psalmist repeatedly describes God’s Word as his joy and delight (Psalm 119:161–163). Delight in the Word is not manufactured through pressure, but cultivated through grace.
Helping God’s People Read the Bible with Delight
If we want to encourage Bible reading that flows from joy rather than guilt, how do we do that? Here are several pastoral considerations.
Model Delight in God’s Word
God’s people are unlikely to delight in Scripture if they do not see their shepherd delighting in it. Preaching and teaching should flow from a genuine love for the Word not merely from preparation or obligation, but from reverent joy and submission to what God has spoken.
Help People See the Big Picture
Many believers struggle with Bible reading because they do not understand the Bible’s overarching story. Without seeing the big picture of Scripture, individual passages can feel confusing or disconnected. Helping people grasp the redemptive storyline of the Bible allows them to place each passage within the larger story of God’s grace and delight often follows as understanding grows.
Help People See Christ in the Bible
When the Bible is viewed primarily as a collection of rules or moral lessons, a spirit of duty often prevails. But when believers see how all of Scripture points to Christ and His work for sinners, delight begins to grow. Christ-centered reading transforms the Bible from a book of demands into a revelation of God’s redeeming grace.
Be Careful When Recommending “Tools”
Believers often ask for Bible reading plans or study systems, and such tools can be helpful. Yet pastors should recommend them carefully. No single plan or method is the only faithful way to read the Bible. Tools are meant to serve the Christian, not rule the conscience. A believer does not need to read through the entire Bible in a year to be faithful to Christ.
Encouraging Delight Without Ignoring Duty
There are seasons when God’s Word may not feel like a delight. During such times, believers may need to listen to Scripture out of faithfulness rather than feeling, praying that God would renew their hearts through His Word. Pastors must encourage delight without ignoring duty, always pointing God’s people to the grace of Christ, who meets us even when joy feels distant.
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