When I tried to read the Bible for the first time in high school, I definitely did not get it. “Wait. Why did God put that tree in the Garden of Eden if he knew Adam and Eve would take the fruit? And why do all these guys have so many wives? And how is God cool with his children rolling up to the Promised Land and killing all the locals?” I didn’t get it. 

If you’ve ever tried reading it, maybe you didn’t get it either. The Bible is a big book that was written multiple millennia ago that has names that are hard to pronounce and teachings that can be tough to wrap your head around. Even Peter, a first-century Bible writer, admitted that (2 Peter 3:16).

That’s why the African man from Acts 8 is my hero. When a Christian put him on the spot and asked him if he understood the Scripture he was reading, the African replied, “How can I … unless someone explains it to me?” (Acts 8:31). That humility led to a conversation, which led to his heart’s transformation.

Can I encourage you to do the same thing? If you don’t understand the Bible, ask someone for help. If the Sunday sermon goes over your head, email the pastor on Monday morning. There are people in your life who know the answers to your questions, and they would love to help you grasp the height and width and depth of Jesus’ love for you.

If you don’t get it, admit it!