The Bible: A Manual for Life
The Bible is God’s message to His people, showing us how to live in obedience to His commandments, so that we shall live and not perish. Having a commitment to learn from the Word of God will change your life forever. Let’s understand more about it below:
Sometimes, we feel that it could be valuable to have a manual guiding us on how to live, raise children or deal with tiny or enormous barriers in life. Then, we realise God’s grace leading us through His own voice exposed in lively words, popping up in front of our very eyes in any circumstances we might encounter day-to-day.
At some point in life, we find ourselves lost in which direction we should take, with no sense of direction, getting any route available, and slipping out of God’s perfect will. It would be fantastic to have a map to point out the right way to get into God’s unblemished plan for our lives and to the next generation, that we are inspiring deliberately.
Furthermore, we have mothers trying to be mothers 24 hours per day and mothers who are pressured to afford the same 24 hours of their day to balance household finances and welfare. Not enough, they need to be infallible at work and well-presented to society’s standards.
Taking that into account, it sounds exhausting as it is on my uncountable list of mum’s duties.
The Word of God: A Map for Your Path
However, God always has plans for good and not for disaster (Jeremiah 29: 11).
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
And in the midst of our weariness, we might find strength, if we look carefully at God’s Word as our source of nourishment to strengthen body, mind and spirit.
Let’s aim to navigate into 3 topics and learn how to manage life’s manual, map and strength.
- Safe manual (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- Handbook map (Psalms 119:105)
- Encouraging force (Matthew 4:4)
Firstly, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 shows us the veracity of the Bible, assuring that what it says comes from God and is useful to teach, rebuke, correct and give training for life.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Isn’t that amazing? We have found our manual to live intentionally on this Earth. And he finishes this verse by giving us the knowledge that will equip us for every good work. It truly is what we want to hear, and we may feel very comfortable having this content.
In the meantime, we may feel frustrated when we follow this manual and it doesn’t work well. Then, we just give up on it and go with the flow.
Therefore, persistence (and commitment) in seeking God’s Word will bring us trials, but what comes after that is hope, and hope can not be strayed because God poured out His love into our hearts, establishing the work we need to do (Romans 5:4-5).
Secondly, a map. When it is clear to understand, it looks like a light illuminating the way and assuring us of reaching our destination.
Psalms 119:105 says that God’s Word is this light in our path. Once we are walking in the light, our perspective broadens, and we have a chance not to stumble. Instead, it makes us aware and watchful.
Moreover, Proverbs 22:6 says that if we teach the children the way they should go, they genuinely go through it, and they will get to the excellent destination. The more we have God’s Word as our map of life, the more we raise our children towards a precious future.
Thirdly, Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 that we don’t live just eating material food, but every word that comes from the Lord. It is highly recommended to keep our bodies well-fed, but it might not be the main focus.
Here, He is exposing the importance of setting up our lives on His commandments, which bring delight and preserve life (Psalms 119:47-50). When we relish the commandments, our focus shifts and our mission strikes up naturally and reliably. It will make a difference in our children’s lives. If we are confident in this choice, they will find themselves on a safe journey too.
Living on Every Word: Finding Strength and Purpose
It is important to know this is an opportunity God gave us to show Him love (John 14:15), to live family life abundantly and to raise our children for a bright future. When we are guided by our understanding, the chance of not reaching a blessed future is quite high. Otherwise, if we believe in God’s Word, we submit our ways to Him, and He will make our paths straight. Not just us, but also those whom we have responsibility for (Proverbs 3:5-8).
In fact, all of this is very illuminating… But how do I start? We start with the book of Titus 2:4, encouraging us to start with love, the powerful tool of God’s action.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for giving us your Word, which leads us towards a good future, not for despair, but for hope. Your Word is encouragement, and I can be confident walking on this path, enlightened by you and nourished by your commandments.
Please, help me to stand firm and not give up on your teaching, putting it into my heart and mind, blessing those around me, especially my dear children. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
More Resources
Thanks for reading this article! All the answers you need are in the Bible, the written version of the Word of God. If you want to know more about Him, we’ve created a beautiful Bible Reading Plan. And to help you in your journey with Jesus, we also have a very interesting ebook, The Things Above. Check it out!
Also, watch inspirational and educational videos, and listen to our worship songs on our YouTube channel.
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The video below is in Portuguese, but you can use the YouTube features to watch it with captions, or even listen to it in your language (click on the video settings and check the options available).
