One mistake I see new believers make is to run out and buy an expensive Bible. We are excited about Jesus and want a Bible reflecting our excitement. The result is that we buy an heirloom quality book that looks impressive.

Then we become cautious with it. The pages are delicate. The binding is expensive. It looks spectacular, and we want it to stay that way. It eventually gets displayed in a prominent place in the house where everyone knows we are Christians.

The problem is that it is not what a new believer (or an old believer either) needs. We need to dive into the Bible, reading, highlighting, making notes, and writing questions.

Some of the best advice I received 20 years ago was to buy a cheap Bible. The person that told me this actually bought them by the box full. Then he would read every page with pen and highlighter in hand. He often focused on a topic like the resurrection or light and highlighted all the passages that said anything about it. When he finished, he threw it in a box and grabbed another. The cheap Bible removed the stigma of messing it up, and he became free to read and use it. 

We want to celebrate our faith in a beautiful way, but a well-worn Bible is worth far more as a family inheritance.