The more I reflect on the different practices that enable a successful life: time management, relationships, use of words, rest…the more I’m finding that everything there is to be said has already been said. It’s all in the Bible.
The Bible has said it all – we are just finding different ways to republish its truth
I often find myself linking the topics I write about to a Bible verse. I can technically write about success without mentioning the Bible but it will not change the fact that the Bible has already said it. The Bible has said it all – we are just finding different ways to republish its truth.
I’ll give you two examples.
One – on becoming a pioneer
I’ve written about becoming a pioneer – referencing the impact of Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. I found quite an inspiring link to Noah in the Bible, who built a boat for something that had never happened before – a flood. Noah was not actively trying to be a pioneer. It was his obedience to God that allowed him to do something that had never been done before. There was no grand plan, connections or hustle. It was just simple obedience to God’s word.
Two – on thinking laterally
I was reading Tim Ferris’ 4 hour work week recently and there’s a section in the book that talks about thinking “laterally”. This simply means tackling a problem from a different angle instead of how it’s always been done to achieve greater efficiency. A biblical example of this would be Moses and the role he played in delivering the people of Israel from 430 years of slavery in Egypt. Instead of the Israelites using regular roads to escape their captivity, God commanded Moses to split an entire sea into two. They escaped through the sea. The bottom of the sea became their pavement.
Moses was not actively seeking to be a lateral thinker. Even if he did brainstorm the possible routes of escape, I doubt splitting a sea would have ever come to mind! But through his simple obedience to God’s instructions, the people of Israel not only escaped their captivity (problem solved) but now they had a story to share that would inspire generations to come (greater efficiency) = lateral thinking.
I could keep going with the examples.
We can talk about what the Bible shows us about time management in Genesis, where God created the universe in six days. He rested on the seventh day without anxiety because He did what was required of Him in the six. This is also a lesson on procrastination. I saw on someone’s Instagram recently how “procrastination creates pressure” and it’s so true!
We can talk about friendships and the words of wisdom the Bible offers on how to choose them and the consequences if we fail to. One of my most popular posts was inspired by the following Bible verse:
The man of too many friends [chosen indiscriminately] will be broken in pieces and come to ruin, But there is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother
Proverbs 18:24 (AMP)
It’s all in the Book. I can no longer overlook that it’s all in the Book.
I invite you on this beautiful journey of unpacking the Bible a blog post at a time.
This is a redefining moment for the blog and myself as I truly embrace that the manual for success has already been written. The purpose of this blog is to unpack what has already been said in the Bible so you can apply it to your life and build the successful life God wants for you.
I hope this can be a redefining moment for you too. Especially for those of you that have not read the Bible before. I invite you on this beautiful journey of unpacking the Bible a blog post at a time. I can confidently say that if you do apply these truths to your life, you will live your most successful life.
This is not a sales pitch because the Bible literally says:
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do (emphasis added)
The wonderful thing about the success the Bible promises us, is that it is not confined to one area of your life. For example, you do not have to be successful in your career but failing in your well-being. The Bible promises that you will be successful “in all you do”, but the contingency is that you “obey everything”.
So, there we have it. It’s all in the Book.
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