When I was younger, I believed that to appear holy, you had to know Bible verses perfectly or by heart. However, now that I am older, I understand that the goal isn’t to look holy at all. Instead, God wants us to be transformed through the Holy Spirit and practical application of His word.
Instead of just reciting scripture, how can we actually apply its teachings in our lives?
Over time, as I began to read the Bible, I shifted my approach. Instead of using it merely to feel good or to appear wise, I started to use it as the primary source through which I would evaluate all of my thoughts and actions.
How does God want me to think?
How does God want me to speak?
How does God instruct me to treat others?
How does God want me to treat Him?
Verse 1:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
I tend to overthink, a habit that began when I was a young girl. I believe God designed my brain to be analytical, but unfortunately, this trait sometimes extends beyond problem-solving and leads to a need for complete control over situations. I constantly try to predict the next steps in various scenarios, attempting to figure out how to navigate them based on my own knowledge and understanding.
However, as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realize that God’s thoughts, mind, and actions are not the same as mine. There are times when my brain might compute the need to “go left” based on past experiences and personal desires, while God is guiding me to “go right” with His omniscience.
At first, I believed my way was correct, but over time, God revealed to me that it was not. This realization didn’t come through punishment or something bad happening; rather, it came from allowing me to follow my own path and eventually, discovering that it only led to more confusion, frustration, and desperate prayers for help.
I recognized that I did not truly trust God with all my heart. Think of a trust fall, where you fall backward, confident that the person behind you will catch you. Or consider a game where you are blindfolded and must follow step-by-step instructions, even though you cannot see. For me to fall backward into God’s arms, I felt I needed a safety net to catch me, just in case. These safety nets can be coping mechanisms or backup plans (in case plan A fails). With God, I wanted a sheer blindfold, one eye open, or at least another person to tell me what my ears really wanted to hear.
If my understanding didn’t align with God’s potential will, I might convince myself that He isn’t guiding me or speaking to me, and that I am wandering alone. Sometimes, it’s easier for us to accept this excuse than to acknowledge our discomfort or to trust in God’s plans.
Now I understand that God never leaves us. He wants to guide His children, communicate with us, and lead us down the right path. He is never the problem; it was my own heart.
This verse helped me hear God’s voice more clearly and reshaped my prayer life. I broke this verse down into two steps that I apply today to better discern God’s words.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”
Before making any decision, I lay my heart before the Lord. I share my thoughts—whether good or bad—my desires, whether common or unusual, and my emotions, whether happy or sad.
I reflect on my desires. What do I truly want? Is it security, a relationship, comfort, peace, or fun times?
What biases do I have? Have I been influenced by society lately? Am I listening to my trauma or fears? Am I leaning on my pride and my desire to prove a point/ be right? Have I been considering others’ desires for me that may not be healthy?
This practice helps me understand the underlying feelings that may not align with God’s will. It also helps me distinguish my own voice from God’s. The heart can be deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), and if we do not acknowledge or confront what resides within us, it becomes easy to confuse our desires with God’s intentions for us.
“in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”
Next, I read the Bible to find a principle that appropriately and contextually relates to my situation. If I believe that God is conveying a message that resonates with me, the Bible will confirm this truth. However, if the message contradicts His commands or encourages me to remain in my comfort zone, it is more likely my own voice or the Enemy’s rather than God’s.
If I feel that God is sending me a message that my heart disagrees with or is uncomfortable, I choose to be honest about those feelings. God communicates in various ways, including through internal voices, emotions, other people, and nature. The risk comes from ignoring messages that don’t align with our preferences just because they are difficult to accept. I prefer to be open with God about my feelings, allowing Him to work on my heart and give me the courage to be obedient, rather than dismissing the possibility that He is communicating with me at all.
And then, I submit.
Verse 2:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
Before Jesus saved me, my life was a mess. I was incredibly selfish, and my actions were driven by my fleshly desires. I indulged in sex, debauchery, idolatry, discord, jealousy, and fits of rage. At the time, I believed these choices offered me a better solution due to the quick gratification they provided. In hindsight, I understand that these actions gave my mind a dopamine hit but left my soul feeling empty and chaotic.
Galatians 5:22-23 is what God instructed me to use as a new guide for my actions. Whenever I’m about to react to a situation, He prompts me with the question: “Will this action showcase my fruits, or will it lead to an act of the flesh prevailing?” And when I make a decision, I have to think about long-term effects, not just short-term feelings.
I learned that many people engage in acts of the flesh because they feel powerful. For a brief moment, you are deceived into having total control. And in contrast, sometimes, the Fruit of the Spirit can seem passive.
Why be patient when I can avenge myself now? Why be gentle and kind in my messaging when I can get more attention by being loud and rude? Why practice self-control when I can get a quick fix? Why have peace in Jesus when there are things in front of me that need to be handled now?
Many times, the Enemy has tempted me with the lie that God’s fruits are “weak”. However, this is a way for the Enemy to get us on his team. He knows the hour is near and that fruit sets us apart from the rest of the world. While others live in strife, anger, sexual immorality, and division, God’s fruit becomes more attractive because it is rare and accurately reflects the characteristics of Jesus.
To take it a step further, the consequences of my actions do not only impact me, but they also affect the entire Kingdom of God. God has made it clear to me that if I continue to submit to these behaviors, I might as well be on the Devil’s side instead of His.
So, I choose to keep in step with the Spirit and allow it to win inside of me on behalf of God’s kingdom.
Verse 3:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
Fruit helps me evaluate my actions, while love helps guard my thoughts.
Each year since 2021, God has prompted me to revisit this passage, revealing areas in my life where I need improvement. The truth is, I failed in every area. There were times when I wasn’t patient or kind with people. There were times when I was proud, comparing myself to the success and failures of others. There were times when I dishonored people on purpose and by mistake. There were times when I kept records of wrong and held grudges for years. There were times when I rejoiced in evil; cursing people, celebrating when they sinned or were punished.
And now, my heart has changed. I see every stanza as a direct depiction of Jesus. And the concepts that describe what “love is”, I rejoice in because “God is”. The sentences that state what love isn’t, I mourn, because God isn’t.
And I know that I need to embed every description in my heart and represent it as a way to honor God.
Final Thoughts
The entire Bible is filled with all the wisdom and knowledge we need. I strongly believe that we should meditate on it daily, reading all verses rather than cherry-picking through the scripture. However, as I read the Gospels, I noticed that Jesus had three main desires for His disciples, as described in John 15:1-17.
- To obey His commands
- To love one another
- To bear good fruit
I cherish the three passages mentioned because they embody the key themes that Jesus wants me to develop as I abide in Him.