Which is the best Bible translation of all time? Is it the KJV? The NIV? The ESV? The NRSV? The CEV? The HCSB? The NAB? The MSG? The NLT? Or is it my lunchtime favorite, the BLT?

Well, you'll be happy to know I've figured out which Bible translation is the best. I’m not talking about my personal preference; I'm talking about the absolute, undisputed best Bible translation in the world. And I'm going to tell you what it is.

But before I do, I want to ask another question: why do we need so many Bibles? With research showing a steady decline in Bible reading across America, shouldn’t the Church unite to address that issue? For starters, what if Christians agreed not to buy another Bible until they read through one of the many they already have?

And another question: why do Christians judge each other over which translation they favor? Are you a liberal if you read the NRSV? Are you a conservative if you use the KJV? Are you an Evangelical if you feel comfortable with the NIV? Are you a true believer if you’ve switched to the ESV? How tragic if Christians fought a battle for Bible translation among themselves, while losing the war for Bible engagement in society.

OK, back to my original question: which is the best Bible translation of all time? That's easy. It's the one you read and apply every day, and that’s the only one Scripture Union endorses. You can't argue with that, now, can you?

February is "Bible Bail-Out Month." By my calculation it's the time when most people bail out on their New Year's Bible reading resolution...and I know why.

Want to see a real live example of community-based Bible reading on a nationwide scale? Check out this video from New Zealand where the Bible Society, Scripture Union and Wycliffe Bible Translators are joining forces to promote The Essential 100 Challenge to every church in the country beginning this month.

I'm baffled by Christians who spend so much energy complaining that the Bible is being pushed out of the public square. Why? Because it isn't true. Oh sure, there are plenty of people in our pluralistic society who don't obey God's Word, even some who publicly disrespect it. But that's a different issue, one that's been with us since the Garden of Eden.

You want to know why pastors have trouble motivating their people to read God’s Word? It’s not for lack of Bibles. We have plenty of them. And it’s not for lack of good preaching. Most pastors regularly emphasize the importance of the Word.

It’s because our default method of Bible reading—what I like to call the “Lone Ranger Method”—is hard to sustain. Research shows that people just don't read the Bible on their own every day. The Lone Ranger was a good sheriff, but I bet he was a bad Bible reader.

So, what’s the solution? What would motivate more people in your church to read the Bible more consistently? I think it’s a new paradigm called “Community-based Bible Reading.” What’s that?

Community-based Bible Reading is when a significant number of people in a congregation commit to reading the same Bible passages, together, over time. Each day, they read the same passage individually. Each week they talk about these same passages in groups. Each Sunday they hear these same passages preached about in a sermon.

When a large enough core group is focusing on the same passages together, it creates a motivational updraft for Bible reading. People who struggle with the Lone Ranger Method are pulled along by the positive reinforcement all around them.

And the side effects of Community-based Bible Reading are significant. When many people are reading the same passages together, that’s what they talk about. They have a common experience in the Word to relate their lives to.

A pastor in a mainline denomination who tried this approach once told me, “The simple practice of having my people read five Bible passages in the week, which I then preach from on Sunday, has transformed my church.” That’s Community-based Bible Reading.

What’s the best way to read the Bible? Many people think it’s something like getting up real early every day and intensely reading the entire Bible every year. And if you can’t pull that off, well…you’re a spiritual weakling and you better stick with Our Daily Bread.

But is the pre-dawn snow plow routine really the best way for everyone to engage with God’s Word? Sure, it’s a good method, if you can keep it up. But what if you can’t? What if you aren’t a morning person? Or what if you’re new to the Bible? Or what if reading is difficult for you?

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to a concept I call “devotional temperament.” It’s a combination of your level of Bible understanding, your unique learning style and the needs and concerns in your life at any given time. It seems to me that the best Bible reading method for you would be one that takes all those perspectives into account. My concern is that as Christians we inadvertently emphasize a Bible reading method that is at odds with the unique way God has wired many of us. No wonder so many people struggle to maintain a regular Bible reading habit.

In future posts, I want to share more of what I’m thinking on this topic. In fact, if you have some ideas, I’d love for you to share them in response to this post. But for now, I simply want to say this: don’t feel guilty if you aren’t a Bible marathoner. Instead, just take 5 minutes today to engage with the Bible in a way that seems most satisfying to you—reading, listening, even singing. Then thank God for speaking to you.

In his book, Invitation to a Journey, author M. Robert Mulholland Jr. refers to “creation gifts”, that is, the unique mix of personality traits given to us by God. His point is that understanding how we’ve been created helps us become more conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.

I think the concept also applies to our devotional lives. We will get more out of our times of Bible reading and prayer, and become more effective at applying God's Word, if we understand the unique devotional personality God has given each of us. Here are a few I’ve discovered:

• Early Birds—these are the classic early morning devotionalists. Their minds are the sharpest and their hearts are the most receptive just as the sun is coming up. They love the routine of starting every day the same way…with God.

• Mid-Day Breakers—these devotionalists love to take a few minutes for Bible reading and prayer in the middle of their busy days. For them it’s like an oasis with God that keeps them sane.

• Commuter Seekers—these folks have discovered how to transform the boring time on a bus or train into a meeting with God. They also appreciate new technology; digital Bibles and devotionals are perfect for them.

• Night Watchers—when the pressure and details of the day finally fall silent, these devotionalists come alive. They love unstructured time with God when everyone else is asleep.

• Free Spirits—for these devotionalists, routine is a downer. For them the most important thing is quality time with God, and whenever that’s possible, great!

So...what’s your devotional type? Don’t feel guilty if you’re not an early bird or a free spirit. Spend a few weeks experimenting, asking God to give you insight into how he’s wired you. Then build a lifelong pattern based on your unique devotional personality.

What would happen if the US Government passed a law banning the sale of Bibles? I know. Christians would scream bloody murder. Churches would be packed and start mobilizing. Millions and millions of believers, and a lot of non-believers too, would begin reading God’s Word as a form of protest. Take that! To the chagrin of the secular powers that be, it would ignite an underground Bible reading revival!

So…why would that be so bad?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m incredibly grateful to live in a country that has freedom of religion, where I can easily obtain a Bible. I don’t want that ever to change. But I can’t help thinking that something’s wrong when Christians seem more likely to fight for their Bibles than to actually read them—90% of American households have one or more Bibles, but less than 20% will ever read the Bible through even once in their lifetime. Not good.

So…what can we do about it?

Well, a lot, actually. We can make the God’s Word a priority in our churches. We can attempt to communicate biblical principles in the public square. We can even use television, radio, print and the internet to persuade more people to give the Bible a try.

But as good as all those ideas are, there’s one thing that must happen first. We—that means you and me—must read and attempt to live out God’s Word today, and then tomorrow and then the next day. I know that sounds pedestrian. I know that doesn’t seem likely to change the world anytime soon. And I know it would feel better to do something aggressive to…to…restore this great nation to its Christian roots…and…to…to…promote absolute truth in a post-modern culture. But the fact is until Christians in America rediscover the basic discipline of daily Bible reading and prayer we’ll never be fully effective in having a biblical influence in our society.

Of course, I don’t think the government is ever going to ban the sale of Bibles. They need the tax revenue. But if that’s what it takes to ignite a Bible reading revival, I say bring it on.

Recently I received a Bible Catalog in the mail from Christian Book Distributors. And let me say right up front, I buy from CBD. I enjoy browsing through their books and Bibles.

And believe me, they have them all…Maximixed Living Bibles, Power of a Praying Woman’s Bibles, Extreme Teen Bibles, Children’s Study Bibles, Bible-in-a-Bag Bibles, Livin' Out Your Faith Bibles, Duct Tape Bibles, Word on the Street Bibles, Revolution Bibles, Spirit-filled Life Bibles, Study Bibles, Learning Bibles, Journaling Bibles, Backpack Bibles, and of course, Veggie Tales Bibles. Oh yes.

And guess what? All of those Bibles come in multiple translations, print sizes, and bindings with every kind of feature you can imagine. The 64-page catalog is jammed with fine print listings of Bible after Bible. And just in case I can't find the right Bible from thousands of choices in the catalog, well then, there are even more Bibles on the website.

But hold on...why do we need so many Bibles? Especially when research shows people are reading them less and less. And especially, especially, when there are places in the world that have no Bible translation at all. Seriously…why?

I say it’s time for Christian publishers and retailers to rethink their true motivation for selling Bibles; is it really to promote the Word of God? And I say it’s time for Western Christians to stop spending so much money on designer Bibles; couldn't we use at least some of that money to support efforts to translate and distribute Bibles in areas of the world that have none at all, like the Last Languages Campaign sponsored by Wycliffe Bible Translators?

But most of all, I say it’s time for me to stop lusting after a new leather-bound Kitchen Sink Bible and start doing a better job of reading and living the one I already have. How about you?