Studying the Bible & Why It’s Important

So, if you are not a Christian, you may be rolling your eyes at this, or maybe you’re more polite than I used to be about this topic, before I understood it.

Either way, this can be a sticky subject if you don’t really do it presently.

You see, the Bible is God’s Word to us. It reveals who He is & what matters to Him. It tells us His guidelines & roadmap to life & it reveals our sin condition (where we miss the mark on His original design for this world & our lives).

It’s important to read it, because even if you don’t understand everything, God’s Word is true. Trust me, I have been stubborn & proud & doubtful & have tested it many times. His Word = Truth, whether it feels comfortable to us or not.

That’s why it is SO important to actually know what it says & to learn to understand it & get to know God for ourselves. It’s important to understand the common thread of HOPE & MERCY & GRACE & LOVE woven throughout its pages.

Why Yourself?

Up until a few years ago, I had always relied on others to teach me—church, books, Bible study, Sunday school, family, etc. To be honest, I never really read much of the Bible, other than a chapter here or there, depending on the lesson being taught at the time.

I never took the time to actually read word for word, chapter by chapter. And now I can see why that was so wrong of me.

You see, in reading my Bible that way, I was only getting a fragmented view of who God was & what He cared about. I was only getting pieces of the story that others chose to highlight. I wasn’t getting the whole story.

Not getting the whole story meant that I was only relying on what others knew & shared, versus getting to know God wholly for who He is myself… Versus getting to know God personally. I was getting information hand-me-downs.

Clueless Christian Epidemic

I am in no way trying to insult the church as a whole, because the Church means SO much to God, & because I know I am just as much part of the problem.

But lately, I have noticed what I like to call, the “Clueless Christian Epidemic.”

What I mean by this, is that so many “Christians” grow up in the church, know all the churchy things to say from being taught since childhood, but they have never nurtured a personal relationship with God. They rely on that hand-me-down information.

Then, as an outflow of this upbringing, with a lack of a personal Christ-relationship, they inadvertently become self-righteous or self-assured, in many cases. Basically, it becomes easy to assume we already know the answer, rather than bowing it before God & asking His opinion before we act.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are some things, like caring for others, that we don’t have to ask whether we should do. We don’t need to wait on God on whether we should pray, be kind, love others, etc.
But some things require submitting to Him, versus acting rashly in our own self-knowledge.

It becomes too easy to rely on our own “wisdom” & “knowledge” rather than relying on His….

You as an Inventor

Think of it this way… Imagine you are a famous inventor (maybe you actually are), & you have just created something so amazing & inspiring & cool. Your invention can do AMAZING things.

It is so cool, that it immediately becomes super popular & is being sold in droves.

But then this happens… Videos & articles come out, bashing your invention. They mistreat it & criticize it & even BREAK your invention!

You are shocked & hurt. You made something so beautiful, so wonderful, but it is being so poorly treated & misused.

After some investigation into what is happening, you begin to notice a common thread in each story you see or read… The instruction manual never came out of the box.

No wonder everything is going so wrong! The consumer critics are completely misusing what you made, which makes your product run incorrectly, flawed & eventually broken, & then they have the audacity to blame your product & even blame YOU!

Perspective

You see, that’s what we tend to do sometimes. We tend to take the potential God created within us, leave His guidance & instructions in the box, & run our lives our way.

God’s Word (the Bible), is our instruction manual for life, but oftentimes, it remains dusty on our shelf. And His guidance comes through knowing His Word (the Bible) & asking Him for His guidance–through Prayer (see last week’s blog post on this topic, here).

Without those two things, we can’t really blame God when things don’t go right. He intended for things to work & flow together a certain way, but we are oftentimes completely ignoring the instruction book & just “winging it” on our own. And then blaming God or others.

Because of sin, we live in a broken world. Pain & hurt our a constant reality in this world. But what we often miss, is that God can give peace. He can give strength & comfort. God can redeem even the worst situations for our Good. He is Good & He loves us! Rely on Him & let Him be your strength.

A Step Further

We all should get into the habit of turning to OUR Creator. HE is the inventor (Creator) in the above scenario. We are the both the invention (creation) & the critic. Shouldn’t we be asking HIM daily how HE designed our life to work & function?

We were made by the One True God, but we also tend to think we know better how to use the life that our Creator has created. Trust the potential & guidelines HE created!

Don’t stop at what other people have learned (although those are often GREAT resources). Instead, get to know Him for yourself–Talk to Him (prayer) & get to know Him (by reading the Bible).

Don’t miss out on a wonderful relationship with our Creator & Redeemer. He loves you & He wants you to know & love Him, too.

Make it a priority to get to know God yourself! Set aside time to read His Word (right now & daily, consistently!) & grow in your understanding of His DEEP LOVE for YOU, every day. <3

Shine HOPE, Lovelies!

Coming Up

This Thursday (every last Thursday of the month) is our Special Feature Blog Post! This month, I am going to be sharing with you Part 1 of a short story, titled “Falling,” that I have recently begun. I hope you will enjoy the adventure!!

Next Monday, I will be back on track with our series on Intentionality, talking about the importance of being intentional about “Purposeful Fellowship” (hanging out with friends). Join me next Monday to check it out!!

A Note from Michelle:

If you want to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” & “Hope is Found” pages, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Identity Bracelet

Representing Women Artisans in Guatemala & India!

(Now 50% OFF, while supplies last!)

This delicate bracelet features small turquoise beads & a pure silver charm of the artist’s fingerprint impression

Artisan Information:

In Guatemala, many children come from homes with abuse & families that cannot afford to keep them. Through your purchase of this bracelet, you are partnering with a safe home for girls where they are emotionally supported, educated, taught to dream, & also receive English classes! As they become young adults, they have the opportunity to join our jewelry career program. Through your purchase, you help these young women find their voice & become financially independent!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in Guatemala!

(*Also shown, Avalon Earrings & Jeweled Necklace.*)

Shop Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thanks, Lovely!