Why I use the Bible as my guidebook for a healthy lifestyle

I was born in a family that always went to church. Neither my mother nor my father graduated high school because they needed to work on the farm during the Great Depression.

Dad drove delivery trucks most of his life and Mom was a homemaker. They were as blue collar and as hard working as you get.

They also instilled in their three children a great sense of faith. My sister was a nurse and is married to a pastor. My brother has been a pastor for many years. After ten years as a deacon and adult Bible study teacher, I also was a pastor for 5 years.

Even though I was raised in a family where faith was strong, we didn’t hold to blind faith. There was a sense of skepticism that kept us from blindly following whatever a pastor or religious leader said.

Take it with a grain of salt

My Mom use to say all the time, “take it with a grain of salt”. Though I didn’t know where that saying came from at the time, I knew what she meant. She was saying don’t accept anything as truth without testing and proving it for yourself.

That attitude of verifying everything I heard inspired me to read the Bible for myself.

It also inspired me not just to read but also to study the languages the Bible was originally written in so I would not miss any nuance and see the meaning for myself rather than relying on the bias of some teacher.

Also being a history buff I picked up on the history, customs and culture of the time the Bible was written which aided in understanding how those who received the books or letters that became the Bible perceived them.

Over time I came to realize that the Bible is a book that is worth following. It is truly an amazing book.

Though the Bible has been attacked over the years it still stands the test of time. There are those who claim the Bible is filled with mistakes, yet they can’t point to one that will stand. Each supposed error that is pointed out has a reasonable explanation.

The reasons the Bible is worth following

If I had the time I would talk about the Inspiration of the Bible, which is how it demonstrates that it is more than just a mere book written by mere men.

Also we could talk about the inerrancy of the Bible, how the Bible is perfectly accurate in what has been described in it, historically, prophetically, and in every other way.

Though people like to deny it they can not prove a single error. In fact there is an entire field of study called apologetics which deals with defending the Bible by answering those who say the Bible is full of mistakes.

Then there is the subject of the canon of the Bible. This is how we got our Bible. How the books became part of the Bible.

Within this topic is also the transmission of the Bible, how it has survived over thousands of years. There is enough textual evidence of the Bible over the centuries to prove that the book we have today is the same as was written in ancient times. No other book from antiquity can compare to the Bible

Lastly are the topics of the authority of the Bible and the sufficiency of the Bible. The authority of the Bible states that since it is a book inspired by God and not by man then it is the standard by which we can live. The sufficiency of the Bible states that it has all anyone would need to follow to have an abundant life.

The Bible has all anyone would need.

Over the years I have discovered that whatever the topic, you can find some principle that sheds light on that topic in the Bible. Now I’m not saying that it covers everything under the sun, but as far as moral principles for which direction one should choose in any given situation, it can be found there.

Take smoking for example. Smoking didn’t exist when the Bible was written, but the principle of taking care of one’s body and not putting anything harmful into it is there.

I remember once when I was a deacon in a church I was invited to join the church council. A topic was brought up, I don’t even remember what it was, so being new to the council, I suggested we consult the Bible to see what insight it might give. To that one of the women on the council who had been a member for many years said “this isn’t religious, this is business”.

I was amazed that someone who basically ran the church didn’t realize that the Word of God should and does cover every aspect of our lives and is worth consulting about any topic, even business.

The Bible is the best source of information for the soul and the spirit.

When it comes to the soul and the spirit there can be a lot of confusion between the two. There are some that teach that they are both the same.

There are those that believe that man has only two natures, the physical and the spiritual and that the words spirit and soul are interchangeable.

The Bible doesn’t teach that though. Hebrews 4:12 says,

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Not only does the Bible teach that there are two immaterial parts to a person, soul and spirit, but that is it the Bible itself that is able to discern between the two.

The Bible is our instruction manual to life

The Bible itself explains why it is so useful. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 it say,

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The word inspiration is unique. It doesn’t mean inspired as we think of its normal use, such as Beethoven was inspired to write his 9th Symphony or Newton was inspired by the apple falling on his head to come up with the law of gravity.

The word inspiration here literally means God-breathed. The authors of the Bible were led by God to write exactly what he intended them to write. That is why we have confidence that the Bible is the very Word of God.

As the Word of God the Bible is profitable in four ways.

1. The Bible is profitable for doctrine – The word doctrine conjures up all kinds of negative ideas, but in truth the word simply means teaching. The Bible contains teachings and information that makes sense of real life. It tells us the truth about God, humanity, about God’s plan of redemption as well as teaching us how to live life abundantly.

2. The Bible is profitable for reproof – Another word for reproof is rebuke. The Bible shows us where we are off course and holds us accountable to God by showing us where we are making mistakes.

All of us make mistakes in all kinds of areas of our life. Some mistakes can be harmful to others, some can be harmful to ourselves.

A lot of people don’t like the word sin, but in reality the word sin means missing the mark. Perfection is the mark and none of us are perfect. Like Shakespeare is famous for saying “to err is human.” The Bible is there to identify those mistakes or sins.

3. The Bible is profitable for correction – The Bible not only shows us how we are off course but also how to get back on course. Some have mistakenly viewed the Bible as a book of “don’ts” but that is not really true.

Like a good parent that tells a child when they are doing wrong and teaches the child what the correct way to do something is, the Bible teaches the right way to live so we can have a peaceful happy life.

4. Profitable for instruction in righteousness – The Bible is man’s instruction manual. The stories told in the Bible are examples of the right and wrong responds to situations.

If we really took a close look at what it says we would learn how to handle the bad times in our life without getting depressed and how to handle the good times in our life without getting too proud.

Technology and life in the modern world may have changed significantly over the last couple thousand years, but human nature is the same as it has always been.

What does the Bible do when we read it?

1. The Bible makes us complete – The word complete means to be fit. As one becomes physically fit by exercise and nutrition, one becomes emotionally, mentally and spiritually fit by the reading of the Word of God.

2. The Bible thoroughly equips us – We are not partially equipped. We are thoroughly equipped. The Word of God provides us with all we need to live and meaningful productive life to the fullest.

Jesus Himself said in John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

I hope this has been an encouragement to you today. Send me a comment to let me know if it has. Have a blessed day.