Learn to Use the Bible in Everyday Life

Learning to use the Bible in everyday life is an important part of growing as a Christian. It’s through the Bible that we really begin to understand our faith and change to be more Christ-like. Romans 12:2 says “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We can renew our minds by reading God’s word. We can then use God’s Word to help us understand how we can live to please God. 

In this blog post, I’ll share how we can use the Bible in everyday life by following the practical instructions in the Bible, honoring the spirit of Bible passages, and using prayer to ask God to guide us through His Word.

#1: Start by Actively Doing the Practical Things 

The Bible provides a lot of practical instruction for how to live life. Through reading the Bible, you can learn how to treat others, how to grow close to God, how to manage your money, or how to honor your spouse in marriage. Whenever you find practical guidance in the Bible, it’s important to not just read it but do your best to incorporate it into your life. 

If you’re a new believer, please know that you won’t change overnight. Personally, there were things in the Bible that I didn’t understand until years later. I didn’t know how to change or address these things in my life for a long time. Transformation takes time. While some Christians may be blessed to miraculously change in an instant, most of us will need time to change. Still, we can commit to making sure our lives line up with God’s word. If it doesn’t, we can then commit to asking God to help us change through prayer.

#2: When Using the Bible in Your Everyday Life, Honor the Spirit of the Instructions Presented in the Bible

There are times when a Bible verse doesn’t directly apply to our lives. However, we can still honor the spirit of what the Bible instructs us to do. A perfect example is tithing. The Israelites lived in a time when livestock and produce were the main source of wealth. In the Old Testament, we see the Israelites commanded to bring their tithe to God’s storehouse (Malachi 3:7-12). God then promised blessings over their harvest.

At first, it may seem as if this Bible verse isn’t useful in the everyday life of a modern day Christian. Most Christians do not own cattle or farms. However, the principle behind this passage is that Christians should contribute a tithe to support God’s work in our community. As modern day Christians, we can certainly provide for God’s work by giving money to the local church. This example shows us that there may be scriptures that seem like they can’t be used in our everyday lives until we consider the principles behind them. 

More on the Example of Tithing

When studying these sorts of scriptures for how to use them in our lives, it’s important to read related scriptures. For example, a passage such as Matthew 5:17-18, which tells us that Jesus did not come to abolish God’s law but fulfill it, helps us to understand that the principles taught in the Old Testament may still apply to us today. Another example is 2 Corinthians 8:2-5 which tell us that even Christians in the New Testament tithed to contribute to God’s work. This means that tithing isn’t just an Old Testament idea but a practice that continued even as the apostles established churches. These two passages help to give us more context to understand that modern day Christians should still contribute to God’s work in their community just like the Israelites in ancient Israel. 

Another Example: Dating

Additionally, there may be times when a situation in our lives may not be reflected in scripture. A perfect example of this is dating. The Bible doesn’t specifically address dating for singles. It does, however, tell us how we should treat each other (Galatians 5:13), who we shouldn’t marry (2 Corinthians 6:14), and how we should conduct ourselves (1 Peter 1:15-16). When studying these passages, I get a pretty clear picture of what behaviors and attitudes may be unacceptable in dating.

This example demonstrates that we can use the Bible in everyday life for situations that aren’t addressed in the Bible. It takes time, but we can learn to honor God in our modern day lives as we study His Word.

#3: Remember to Include God through Prayer

As a Christian, it is good to include God in your study of the Bible through prayer. You can pray for God to give you understanding as you meditate on His Word. If you need wisdom in a particular situation, you can ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read God’s Word.

We often feel like our faith is something that we have to do on our own. We feel that, if we don’t figure it out ourselves, we are somehow disappointing God. This is just not true. The Holy Spirit was given to us by Christ to empower us to live the Christian life. We have a powerful friend and advocate who will help us understand the Bible, overcome sin, and honor God daily. We need to give God the opportunity to guide us in our pursuit of living for Him.

What steps do you take to use the Bible in your everyday life? Please share below!