Here are five tips for putting the Bible into practice every day of your life.
Apply It
You cannot apply the Word of God until you know the Word of God, so knowing what Jesus and the other authors in the Old and New Testament tell us about how we’re to interact with the world, lets us apply it those in the world. Jesus gives us a clue as to how to apply His teachings in our lives by saying, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:44). If you’re hated for your faith, love them and pray for them. That’s applying the Word of God.
Speak it
During a recent funeral, I was told beforehand by the person who was now dead, to preach the gospel and to tell his family and friends that it’s “Goodbye” if they‘ve not trusted in Christ, but for the children of God, it’s “See you later,” because the person we are grieving over is in the presence of the Lord and of His glory, and I doubt very much they’d want to come back. Anyway, it’s not the last time we’ll see them, so we must tell people there is hope in Christ and none other. That’s putting the Bible into practice in your life.
Live It
If you live it, people will see it, and if they see it, they just might believe it. What is the “it?” It’s living out the Word of God by being humble and meek. That’s the opposite of the way the world operates, but that’s why this salt and light draws people to Christ, like a moth is drawn to the light. By being meek, you not only reflect Jesus’ life on earth (Phil 2), it says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt 5:5). Meekness speaks volumes without saying a word.
Reflect It
If you look in the mirror, you’ll probably reflect on how time is catching up with you (like me!), but if you read the Word of God, you’ll find the Word of God reads you. It has the power to change us. And when we reflect this change before others by the way we live, they can’t help but notice. Only by God’s Spirit can we reflect the Son of God (Rom 8:29), so if you try to reflect the life of Christ, you will be living out the Word of God in your life. Someone just might notice that.
Memorize It
It’s hard to live out the Word of God if you don’t know the Word of God, but if you know the Word of God, you can live it out because you know what Scripture teaches about how we’re to live in the world, and in the church. I cannot remember to “love my enemies” until I know that verse (which is Matthew 5:44), so when someone is trying to do me harm and is opposed to me, I know enough of the Bible to know that I should pray for them and love them (Matt 5:44). That’s what Jesus did. Remembering that can keep us from reacting with anger.
Conclusion
If you read Matthew chapter 5, you can see what we are to be like in this world. Instead of sand in the machinery, we ought to be salt that enhances the lives of those around us, and light to shine into the darkness so that others might be drawn to the Light of the World. The Bible has teachings that are verbs; in other words, it’s what you do. Love is a verb. It is action oriented, not just spoken words, because talk is cheap. Loving others is living out the Word and putting it into practice in your life.
May God richly bless you,
Pastor Jack Wellman
