Do you have too many Bibles?
According to the American Bible Society and Barna Group, 88% of American households have Bibles, and the average number of Bibles per household is 4.7!
Compare this with some parts of the developing world, where Christians may never own a Bible or owning a Bible is against the law. We have an embarrassment of riches, really, when it comes to availability of copies of the Scriptures as well as the number of quality translations.
I own and use at least three or four separate copies regularly, with plenty more around the house and office.
I guess what I’m wondering is…Do I have too many Bibles? Do you have too many Bibles?
Do I need more than one or two at the most (especially with access to sites like Bible Gateway and YouVersion)? Could I be blessing other people by giving away my extra copies? What if I simply chose to give the money I would spend on what is really a luxury purchase away? Maybe to a ministry that will give the Scriptures to someone that might not otherwise have access?
I’m not gonna lie, nice, expensive Bibles are a weakness of mine. I know it’s okay to pay for quality, to be sure, but after a point my collection could quickly become a prime example of poor stewardship.
I don’t want to be the guy that keeps someone less fortunate from having access to the Scriptures, just because I like the smell of a new book.
Too much of a good thing is still too much.
What are you holding onto that you could give away?