We’ve all heard of selective hearing – we’ve all probably experienced this condition. Husbands in particular seem to have trouble with it more than wives(!). Selective hearing happens when one’s attention is split. As much as we think we can pay attention to our phones while trying to participate in a conversation, we can’t do it. Half of our attention is just that – half. 

Do we ever experience selective ‘hearing’ when we read the Bible? Do we pay attention to some of it and not the parts we don’t like? We might read only the books we find encouraging or easy to understand. Some books of the Old Testament and even Revelation in the New probably don’t get as much eye time as the Gospels and the Psalms. 

The Bible – the whole Bible – is a Christ-shaped narrative. To get the complete picture of who he is, what he has done, what he is doing now and what he plans for our future, we need to read the whole story. It’s not easy to read the difficult parts (I admit to skipping around too), but there’s help. With some selective searching, we can find resources online and books that will help us tackle those books we tend to avoid. If we give our attention to only half the Bible, we might be missing something great.

First published on 13 May 2025, at www.gemsofgodsgrace.wordpress.com a personal blog which is not sponsored by Grace Communion International.

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