The Complete Guide To Caring For Your Bible

Growing up as a kid, I was passionate about reading books and relished my Mum returning from the library with more novels or magazines for me to binge read. My love for books made me cherish them. I was that kid that got displeased if you messed with his book/Bible especially if it was a gift to me.

This childhood habit helped me learn the art of caring for books. However, it is surprising that there are very few to no people talking about how to take good care of the Bible, the most sold book in the world.

In this guide, I’ll share some of the ways I care for my Bibles. Grab your popcorn!

Why should we care better for our Bibles?

The average Bible contains about 1000-1200 pages depending on its size or translation. This coupled with the cost of translation, printing, packaging, marketing makes the Bible very expensive to produce. Today we can purchase Bibles at affordable prices because of donations and subsidies by charity companies so why not take good care of your Bible

While it is not explicitly stated in the Bible, the way you care for the book that contains God’s word to you may be a reflection of how much you honour Him.

The Bible is a priceless treasure. When you take good care of it, you have more copies and versions still available even if you purchase a new Bible.

How to take good care of the Bible

If you read your Bible regularly, they will experience some form of wear and tear eventually but here is how you can keep them in the best condition for as long as possible.

1. Realise its value and respect it

If you find yourself very careless with your Bible, it may be as a result of how much value you place on it. Remember, it is a book containing God’s word to us and you want to treat it like the value it possesses.

2. Get a cover

We all get cases for the new phone we just acquired to protect it. Our Bibles should be no different. Because Bibles are made of paper, they are prone to damage. A good cover will make it easy to carry. If you are very fashion-conscious, you may choose to get one that matches your personality.

3. Keep food/liquids away

Food and liquids are high up on the list of culprits that damage the Bible. If you are taking a drink or consuming food, be sure to put your Bible aside for a moment. Food and liquids can stain your Bible, make it difficult to read, or even cause the pages to rip out. You should also keep them away from the windows to prevent them from being soaked by the rain.

4. Flip its pages gently

I know you are in a hurry to get to a scriptural reference but remember to flip its pages with a bit more care. They are made of light paper and not steel.

5. Clean fingers

You flip the pages of your Bible with your fingers. So next time before you handle your bible, ensure your fingers are not dirty from food, machines, and other sources.

6. Keep your Bible out of sunlight

The rays of the sun are powerful enough to cause damage to your Bible over an extended time. Be sure to place your Bible in a cool and dry place. The sun can make the colours of your Bible fade and the pages weaker

7. Close after reading

When you are done reading your Bible, just close it. Leaving the Bible open can indirectly contribute to damage to the pages. The inner pages of the Bible are more fragile than the cover.

8. Use the right highlighter

When you want to get a highlighter, get one that is suitable for books like the Bible. A Bible highlighter should not be too thick that its ink passes through multiple pages. Using pens on your Bible can lead to damage.

9. Resist the urge to fold the pages

Have you found a scripture you want to take note of? Are you about to fold that page? Resist the urge now! A page becomes weaker at the point where it was folded.

10. Don’t stuff your Bible

Do not make it a habit to keep multiple sheets of paper or cards in your Bible. This can make the binding loose and make the pages prone to falling off.

Conclusion

Even if you are not the tidiest person on Earth.
Even if you have been unable to care properly for your previous Bibles.
Even if you just got your first Bible.
You can now implement these tips to make sure your Bible is cared for as much as possible. I am not the tidiest person so that’s some evidence that you can also care for your Bible and keep them in the best condition possible despite using them frequently.
All it takes is to keep these points in mind and apply discipline with diligence.

If you would love to get a new Bible to replace your old one, please check out our shop.

How do you keep your Bible in the best condition? What did I miss out on? Please share them below as comments.