When it comes to vacations, we prefer a house in a beautiful forest or near a snowcapped mountain. This means the first thing we check before we press “reserve” are the windows. How many are there? Which direction do they face? What’s the view like? The more windows, the better, in my opinion.

Now, when we finally arrive at one of these homes and I get my first glimpse at the windows, there’s one image I care nothing about seeing: my own reflection. That’s because— prepare yourself for an obvious fact—a window is not a mirror.

Windows can be wonderful when they allow us to see something grander than ourselves. We look through them to the scene on the other side.

This is how the Bible is meant to work in our lives. We look through it to the beauty and worth of God. If you come to Scripture with the wrong intention, prepare to be frustrated.

One of the reasons many find the Bible boring or irrelevant is that we approach it like a mirror, hoping to see ourselves.

We assume we’re the main character of the story, that we’re the main subject matter.

And that leads to a pretty disappointing Bible reading experience. In this way, the Bible works just like any other book. Every story has a main character and if you don’t know who it is, you’ll have difficulty enjoying the book. More importantly, you’ll miss what the author is trying to communicate.

One way we easily identify the main character of a book is to notice how often that person appeared in the book. The author is likely constantly pointing your attention to that character.

And the book likely begins and ends with this person in focus.

Let’s see how this applies to the Bible. On average, God is referenced about once per verse in Genesis 1 and about every other verse in the final chapter of Revelation. He’s the person the Bible draws our attention to from beginning to end.

God stands at center stage within its pages. When we read the Bible, we’re reading His story.

Here’s the big takeaway from all this: The Bible is for you, but not about you.

In that sense, the Bible is more like a window than a mirror.

It’s not trying to show you yourself (not primarily at least); it’s trying to show you God!

There is one place in Scripture where the Bible is referred to as a mirror, though. Let’s look at the passage in James, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it” (James 1:22-25).

This James passage shows that the Bible is concerned with our transformation. Looking intently into Scripture helps us see what needs to change in ourselves. But that change doesn’t take place because we’ve been looking at ourselves; it comes because we’ve been looking at God through the window of the Word.

Seeing God is the only way we change. We’re not transformed because we complete a long to-do list—transformation comes from a big, beautiful vision of God.

What we behold, we become.

That’s what the Bible does: it gives us a clear view of God. And when we get a clear view, we turn to Him in awe, repentance, and worship. In so doing, our hearts and lives change. We aren’t the center of the story. He is.

When I read the Bible like a mirror, I often leave with a to-do list (be humble, be more submissive, etc.) and I miss the significance of much of the text.

But when I read the Bible like a window, I leave in awe of God, with a natural desire to love Him, follow Him, and become the type of person who draws attention to Him. It leads me toward change through inspiration and worship, not to-do lists.

Every time you read or listen to the Bible, you’re looking through a window into the heart of God. Every chapter is a view into the landscape of His character, His ways, and His heart.

Adapted from See For Yourself: How to Study Your Bible with Confidence and Joy by Jimmy and Kelly Needham (Lifeway Press, 2026). Used with permission.

For deeper reflection, listen to Genesis 1 today!

Be encouraged by Kelly on the her STORY Podcast!