Every single day, we make countless decisions. Sometimes, those decisions are so small that we call them habits. Other times, they are so large that we feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to face them. When we encounter these more daunting decisions, we try our best to make good ones. But all our analysis still might not bring us to a point of comfort or clarity—and that’s normal. In Proverbs 3:5–6, we’re reminded that our understanding of a situation isn’t the be-all, end-all. We’re told: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways, know Him, and He will make your paths straight.” God understands far more than we do. In all things, we need His wisdom as we strive to make good, godly choices. And things like prayer (as we discussed last week) and reading the Bible (as we’re discussing this week) help us grow in wisdom and equip us to make those decisions.
That said, the Bible doesn’t address many of our specific situations. We can’t flip open to Philippians to find out which job to take, or turn to Hebrews to hear which house to live in. But throughout the Bible, God provides us with plenty of principles we can broadly apply to our lives. For example, in the very beginning, God gave Adam and Eve responsibilities and rules, such as taking care of the garden and not eating the forbidden fruit (see Genesis 3:15–17). Later, He gave the Israelities the Ten Commandments, which provided clear instructions for how to worship Him and treat others (see Exodus 20:1–17). Then, many years after that, Jesus reminded us that living a godly life is more than just rule-following. He brought the emphasis back to the heart and our motives (see Matthew 5–7). As we read and learn from the Bible, God keeps showing us how to live in a way that honors Him.
The more familiar we are with the Bible, the more familiar we are with God, and the more like Him we will grow.
These three examples from Genesis, Exodus, and the Gospels all fall into a category called “broad” or “general commands.” These commands apply to all people, in all cultures, in all contexts. In contrast, “narrow” or “specific commands,” like the rules and regulations for the priests in Leviticus, only apply in particular circumstances, in a particular time, in a particular culture. This second kind of command isn’t as directly applicable to our lives, and we usually need to understand more context to connect it to our time and culture. Similarly, it is important to remember that many of the passages in the Bible aren’t telling us what to do at all; they are descriptive rather than prescriptive. History books like Judges, Kings, and Chronicles tell us what happened and how God was revealed through those events, but they aren’t guidebooks or advice columns. The lessons in these stories aren’t always explicit or obvious, but when we read them, we grow in wisdom and empathy. Every part of the Bible “is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). It is all useful to us because the more familiar we are with the Bible, the more familiar we are with God, and the more like Him we will grow.
After all, the whole point of reading the Bible is to draw us closer to God; it is not just so we can make good decisions but so we “may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17). Our goal is to love God and love others—that’s what was emphasized over and over in the “broad” or “general commands” from earlier. So, when we’re making our decisions, those two ideas should factor in the strongest: First, how would this decision help me honor God? And second, how does this decision help me love others like Christ? With those two questions in mind, along with our growing knowledge of the Bible and a whole lot of trust in the One who wrote it, we’re a little better equipped to face the daunting and daily decisions in our lives.
If you would like to learn more about the overarching story of the Bible, the genres (or kinds of books) in it, and different ways to study it, check out our free resource, Understanding the Bible. It’s available to read or listen to on our website, experiencecc.com.
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1 Comment
wow I needed this. I have a few job opertinites coming up and that hook hit deep. I love that our live is not dependent on our understanding. we need to lean and trust in God on His infinite wisdom. thanks y’all you rock!!!