Should Everyone Memorize Bible Verses?

For those of us who have been Christians for any significant length of time, it’s likely that we have been encouraged at some point to memorize Bible verses. I have what may be an uncommon opinion of Bible verse memorization, but I want to begin by acknowledging that doing so has been helpful for very many people. I’m certainly not saying that it’s universally a bad idea and should never be done. However, I generally avoid memorizing Bible verses (at least in their exact wording), and I simply want to explain my reasons for having this position.

When I was younger, I recall some of my friends from church being involved in Bible quizzing. I was never involved in these competitions myself, but I was awed by the stories I heard of kids my age having the ability to memorize and recite entire books of the Bible. Yet, even though I was fairly young, a part of me was uncomfortable with Bible quizzing. It seemed to me that mindlessly reciting the words in order to win a competition might somehow detract from the significance and impact of the words. This is not a criticism of anyone who participated in Bible quizzing, it’s simply the thought I had at the time.

Perhaps one of the ideas behind Bible Quizzing was that if these kids knew portions of the Bible so well, their lives couldn’t help but be enriched by the words they had memorized. But I think it possibly might have had the opposite effect: if you become too familiar with something, it can lessen the impact and become a meaningless recitation of words.

I have a one-year-old daughter, and one of the most fascinating things about her is watching her discover the world for the first time. When we take her to the park, she’s mesmerized by the leaves on the ground, the grass, sticks, and anything else she finds. I’m so accustomed to seeing these things that I barely notice them anymore; they’re like background noise that is tuned out. But from her perspective, this was the first time she had ever seen them up close, so they occupied her entire focus. This same phenomenon can happen with words if they are heard, read, or spoken in exactly the same form too frequently; they begin to be stale and less impactful than they might be otherwise. We hear the beginning, realize it’s something we’ve heard many times before, and find it hard not to tune out the rest.        

            It’s important to realize that Bible verses aren’t magic words; they’re not incantations or spells that we say, producing some sort of magical effect. Yes, they are powerful words, but the power comes from their meaning, and the impact that meaning has on us.I still remember the first verse I ever memorized, Phillipians 4:8: “Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.” If I read that and truly grasp its meaning and importance, it will hopefully help me manage my own thoughts in a productive and beneficial way. However, if I were to read it in another language that I didn’t understand, would it have the same effect? Clearly not. It’s not merely reading or reciting the words that has an impact on my life; it’s my ability to grasp their meaning, and then to apply it.  

            This is why I generally avoid memorizing Bible verses. I’ve memorized several in the past (and still remember them), but those verses have unfortunately become some of the least meaningful to me, because they’re too familiar. I can recite them without thinking about the words, and that’s precisely the problem.

            I believe the solution is to be familiar with everything in the Bible, and obviously in some cases this will result in virtual memorization of some portions; but it’s possible that, by avoiding focusing on mere memorization, the point of a verse may become fixed in our minds and have an impact on us without becoming stale or easy to tune out. As a result, our attempts to apply those words (and their meaning) to our lives may be far more effective. Once again, memorizing verses has been helpful to many people, and to anyone for whom this is true, I certainly wouldn’t suggest that you stop doing so. However, it’s possible that for others complete memorization may be counterproductive, and I believe it’s wise for each of us to consider for ourselves what would be the best way for us to ensure that the words and ideas in the Bible can be most impactful and familiar.