Everyone wants a cell phone. In 2019 there were an estimated 1.52 billion smartphones sold worldwide (Statista). All for good reason. Who wouldn’t want one? They are incredibly handy and helpful. We use them all the time. Life is much more convenient with them. But this spawns a thought: What would our world be like if we treated our Bibles like we do our cell phones?

• Imagine if everyone was desperate to have one.
• Imagine if people waited in long lines just to get the newest Bible.
• Imagine if so many people wanted one, there was often a massive backorder.
• Imagine if people were willing to pay hundreds of dollars just to have one.
• Imagine if people bought insurance for it, just in case the unthinkable happened.
• Imagine if we enthusiastically wanted to show it off to others and tell them about it.
• Imagine if we never left home without it.
• Imagine if we were willing to turn back home when we forgot it.
• Imagine if we always carried it with us in our pockets, purses, and bags.
• Imagine if we frantically searched for it when we lost it.
• Imagine if we used it when we traveled.
• Imagine if we used it while waiting in line at the groceries store, the DMV, and the bank.
• Imagine if we used it at the game, at work, at the gym, and at home.
• Imagine if we always wanted it around in case of an emergency.
• Imagine if we felt very uncomfortable without it.
• Imagine if our children constantly begged to use it.
• Imagine if it was almost always able to keep our kids occupied so mom could cook and clean, or so dad could fix things around the house.
• Imagine if it was the #1 item on our teens’ Christmas lists.
• Imagine if we were always spending time with it.
• Imagine if we constantly used it to search for answers and information.

If people treated their Bibles like they do their cell phones, this world would be a much, much better place (Psalm 119:11). This isn’t a knock on cell phones; it’s a reminder to spend time with the most important item in our possession. Our Bibles are a precious gift from God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Let’s treasure them!

Brett Petrillo