When I held my new Bible in my hands, I didn’t know where to start. It was 2004 and I had just given my life to the Lord. Everything about the Church, God, and the Bible was so wonderful and awesome and innovative. I knew the Bible was the key to this new life, but I didn’t know how to apply it.
Have you ever wondered what the key is to applying the Bible to your life? Rest assured that every believer, whether novice or seasoned, disputes this.
The basis of this question is what I was taught as a new believer: “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). We learn what this means and how to do it by reading and meditating on the Bible daily.
What is the Bible?
Word Bible comes from the Greek and Latin words meaning “book.” According to Webster’s Dictionary, the term was first used in the 13th century and defined as the sacred scriptures of Christians comprising the Old Testament and the New Testament.
It is made up of 66 books with 40 different authors. These authors were fishermen, government officials, farmers, shepherds, doctors, priests and kings writing over a period of 1,500 years. Each author wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy reminds us that every word of the Bible is relevant and still applies to our lives today.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful in teaching us what is true and making us understand what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. “(2 Timothy 3:16, NLT).
Love the Lord your God with your heart, soul and mind.
When Jewish religious leaders asked Jesus what the most important commandment was, Jesus responded, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment,” (Matthew 22:37). Jesus’ words reflect the Old Testament passage in Deuteronomy 6:5.
This passage is rooted in the Old and New Testaments as its foundation, because God knew that a relationship with Him came from the heart. (Deuteronomy 10:12, Deuteronomy 13:3, 1 Samuel 7:3, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27)
Because God created us, he knows our hearts intimately. And he reminds us in Proverbs 4:23, “From the heart, spring the springs of life. »
Without our hearts rooted in the Bible, our passions, desires, thoughts, perceptions, and affections would not be aligned with God. We were created with our will, our heart, our desires and our thoughts. The truth of this passage in Matthew 22:37 means that every part of our life must be filtered and refined through our relationship with God.
In other words, there must be genuine love for God that begins with God-directed thoughts, behaviors, desires, and affections. The book of James explains why:
“But do not listen to the word of God. You must do what is written. Otherwise, you are fooling yourself. You are wrong. For if you listen to the word and do not obey, it is as if you were looking at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, you go away, and you forget what you look like, but if you examine carefully the perfect law that sets you free, and do what is said and forget what you have heard, then God will help you. will bless for I do it” (James 1:22-25).
It seems that many are not? But here’s the thing: when we love God, His Word begins to change our minds, which creates a ripple effect in every area of our lives.
How to apply the Bible to life?
To apply the Bible, we must know the Bible. This means that we listen to it, we read it, meditating on the Scriptures day and night.
Recently, at a writers’ conference, I learned how Billy Graham integrated the Bible into his daily life. In his office, his Bible would always be open on his desk. And several times a day, he picked it up to read it.
Hellen Keller had a similar idea when she said, “Unless we make it a habit of going to the Bible in times of light as well as in trouble, we cannot fully respond to its consolations because we lack balance between light and darkness. »
1. Learn the ways of God
Our goal in reading the Bible is to learn about God’s ways and understand His purpose for the world and for ourselves. As we turn the pages, his heart and his love for us are revealed. We learn why he created the world, his past interactions with humanity, and his plan to redeem us. Most importantly, we learn about his character and his heart.
2. Live God’s ways
Then we begin to hide the word of God in our hearts (Psalm 119:11). Knowing God’s word allows us to filter our lives through the Bible. It opens our eyes to what a divine life looks like. The Holy Spirit will help us apply the Bible to our lives, as He whispers His love and guidance to us.
Instead of cursing or speaking carelessly (Matthew 12:36), we choose our words carefully. Instead of watching unhealthy or ungodly television (Matthew 6:22, Matthew 5:28), we find ourselves navigating toward a healthier spectacle (or simply turning it off). Instead of making impulsive decisions, we ask God if applying for this job or dating this person is what He wants for us.
One of the ways I learned to apply the Bible to my life was the SOAP method. It helps interact with God’s word so you can discover life principles and truths for your daily walk with the Lord.
- S – Writing. You can write the scriptures in a notebook.
- O– Observation. This step encourages you to interact with the scriptures you have written in your notebook. During this stage you are essentially asking yourself: what am I seeing and what does it mean?
- A – Application. This step encourages you to personalize God’s word in your life. What is God saying to me today? Should I make any changes? Should I act?
- P – prayer. This step consists of ask God to work in your life regarding the truths you have just discovered.
The Holy Spirit will help you apply the Bible to your life.
When we first gave our hearts to God, He filled us with the Holy Spirit who speaks to us and leads us into truth, the truth of God. As we read the Bible, the Holy Spirit will guide us to understand it and live God’s ways.
“But he who helps us, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).
Applying the Bible to your life means hiding God’s Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11) and obeying the Holy Spirit when he whispers to us the ways and truths of God (John 14:26).
Heather Riggleman calls Nebraska home (Hey, it’s not for everyone). She writes to bring bold truths and raw faith about marriage, career, mental health, depression, faith, relationships, celebrations, and heartbreak. Heather is a former national award-winning journalist and is the author of Mama Needs a Time Out and The Word About Prayer. His work has been featured on Proverbs 31 Ministries, MOPS, Christian Women Today and Focus on Family. You can find it at www.heatherriggleman.com.
Photo credit: Unsplash / Priscilla du Preez
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