The BasicsSample

SCRIPTURE

As Christians who live in a fallen world, another aspect of our basic training must be the inclusion of the Scriptures into every facet of our lives. God’s Word is where we must find our instructions for how to navigate life. It is a “lamp to our feet and a light to our path.”

I am admittedly not too much of a handyman. In fact, one of my least favorite sentences to read is the simple statement, “Some assembly required.” Whenever I have to put something together, the same pattern usually develops. First, I look at whatever it is and think, “This doesn’t look too hard.” That thought is followed by my attempt to assemble the item without using or even looking at the instructions. This almost always ends in frustration, if not disaster. I then circle back to the directions, read them through hurriedly, and make a second attempt at assembly. Occasionally, with extremely simple projects, I am successful, but more often than not, the result is another failure. Finally, I will get the instructions and read one step at a time. I will not read step two until step one is complete. When I do this, I am almost always successful.

Occasionally, there may be a part missing, or there is a tool needed that I don’t have that will keep me from success, but I don’t fail because I don’t know what to do. The bottom line is this: If you want to get it right, read and follow the instructions!

I admit that some people would have more success without the instructions than I would, but that is just for assembling something in certain situations. In life, we all are equally in need of help. We all fail at doing life correctly, and we are all prone to fail often. All of us have been in situations in which we did not even know what to try to do, as well as situations in which we tried but failed.

The good news for us is that life comes with an Instruction Manual written by the Author of Life. The reason instructions are helpful is that they are written by one who knows what to do. In life, we have an Instruction Manual written by the One who not only knows everything about us and about life but knows it all perfectly since He is the One who conceived of it all and created it all. Who better to write the Instruction Manual?!

The Bible is our Instruction Manual for life. It is the Word of God, written by individuals inspired and directed by God to write what God wanted to be written. It is always and forever a faithful and reliable Source of Truth. If we want to “get life right,” then we must incorporate the Word of God into our lives. We can and should do that in numerous ways:

1. We should hear the Word of God. Make sure you are hearing God’s Word proclaimed and taught by faithful teachers in church, study groups, podcasts, etc.
2. We should read the Word of God. Spend time daily reading the Bible. Become familiar with the wonderful story of God’s Redemptive Work.
3. We should study the Word of God. In addition to reading for general familiarity, take time to study the Word of God, little by little, asking God for His instructions for understanding and application.
4. We should memorize the Word of God. The Bible says that we should hide the Word in our hearts, as it will help us not to sin. Memorizing Scripture helps us in times of uncertainty or temptation.
5. We should meditate on the Word of God. The Scriptures say that we should meditate or think deeply about God’s Word. We should ponder the deep meaning of what God is saying to us in His Word and let it dwell within us richly.

The One who has designed all Creation has given us an infallible Instruction Manual for living. How foolish would it be for us not to incorporate it into our everyday lives?