Instructions are important, they help to understand the inner workings and precise composition of the product. Trying to be a christian without reading the instruction manual (a.k.a. THE BIBLE) is like tyring to put together a complex product with no idea of how to do so or even with the finished product is supposed to look like.
I have been listening to the Bible daily, going through the Bible in a Year in this manner. For myself, hearing the Word spoken I pick up on more details than when I read. But I still do reading as well. One is not better the other, the important thing is getting the Word into my head and my heart.
I still make mistakes along the way, but the more the Word is instilled the more I follow the path Christ has prepared for me. Even if I should fall off the path He is still there, holding my hand and showing me the next step.