When you read a Bible story, with whom do you most identify?

Are you always Jesus, Paul, or a disciple? Are you always the hero in the story who stands full of faith? If you are the bad person, is it only because you find redemption by the end of the story?

One tip for reading your Bible and understanding the stories more completely is to attempt to put yourself in the other character’s shoes. Ask yourself, “What was life like as a Pharisee?” and “Why would I be upset at Jesus?” Sometimes take the position of a non-believer and imagine what it was like to see Jesus perform a miracle or hear Paul preach for the first time. 

Most of us have been reading the Bible from one vantage point for so long that we no longer consider how the other people in the story feel. Which ultimately leads us to forget how the people around us feel when they encounter faith.

People are not one-dimensional, and reading the scriptures from one viewpoint will limit our ability to understand the full impact of Jesus on everyone.