The Bible: What's In It For Me?

The Bible is about you. You can learn a tremendous amount about who you are, where you fit into the great plan, and how God wants you to lead your life. In a sense, you were there as a slave in Egypt, and God rescued you (the book of Exodus). You were there among the people who acted as though God was not their King and committed terrible atrocities because "everyone did as he saw fit" (Judges 21:25). You were there at the Cross mocking Jesus, and you were there weeping and embracing Him when He rose from the grave. In a sense, the whole story is about a loving God pursuing you.
Nevertheless, you will learn the most about you when you discipline yourself to look first for God, His plan, and His People. Because humans are naturally self-centered, it's natural to read the Bible for what it can tell you about you. Also, under the worldview of our culture, God, the Bible, and the church exist for the purpose of making your life meaningful and fulfilling. God's job is to give you "abundant life" - and "abundant" is culturally defined as happy and full of feelings of achievement. Under this assumption, the Bible's purpose is to show you how to lead a happy and fulfilling life. It's no surprise, then, that people visit a new church or open the Bible with the question, "What's in it for me?" The idea that you and the Bible and the church exist for God's purposes is foreign to our culture's thinking.
Nevertheless, it is so. You and the Bible exist for God. Luckily, God is not an egotist, an insane dictator, or a control freak. His plan includes your eternal joy as the most unique and beautiful human being you can be. In Christ's life, death, and resurrection, God had shown that you exist for the sake of a God who loves you passionately and will go to any length for your sake.
Still, if you come to the Bible with a narcissistic worldview, you will misread everything. Narcissism is self-centeredness.
It's like Bette Midler's character in the film Beaches: "But enough about me. Let's talk about you. What do you think - about me?" Narcissism can keep you from seeing and fulfilling the role God has for you in His plan. While you're focused on your personal comfort and interest, you can squander your chance to be a player on God's stage.

Karen Lee-Thorp in A Compact Guide to the Bible