Apple sold a staggering 33.8 million iPhones in just the last fiscal quarter (Apple.com). However, this is just a drop in the bucket compared to the 455.6 million cell phones sold in the last quarter (TechCrunch.com). That’s right, in one quarter!

Everyone wants a cell phone, and why not? They are incredibly handy and helpful. We use them all the time. Life is much more convenient with them. But this spawns an interesting 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, updated version.
• Imagine if so many people wanted one, there was often a massive back-order.
• 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 and purses.
• 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

***Idea was inspired by an unknown author