The Bible is the most inspirational book ever written.
The Bible is not a list of dos and dont’s. It’s an invitation to engage in a personal, intimate relationship with your Creator, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Ultimately, the greatest inspiration is Jesus Christ. If you see His life, you will be inspired by His amazing grace, mercy and love. If you repent and believe, it will change your life. I guarantee it because I see how it changed mine. I went from a self-loving, prideful, lusting, partying, hateful boy/young man to a man who is striving to love the Lord with all my heart, mind, strength and soul. Honestly, I know this change is supernatural because on my own, I would have continued living however I wanted to live.
Something is inspirational when it creates a passion within you, a desire to change for the better. No other book can do that better than the Bible. As a Christian, I’ve been given the gift of eternal life by God’s grace. Also by His grace, God gives us His word which is filled with His character and directions on how to live for Him. Here are five different ways that the Bible has inspired me.
Wonder/Awe/Amazement
Verse – Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
This single sentence explains where this universe came from. It tells us where life began. It’s the single most important piece of truth because it all begins with God. And to know that God created everything that has life is such an amazing thing. It produces a sense of awe at how big and powerful God is. When you look at something so enormous as the Grand Canyons, or you stoop down to examine the intricacies of a delicate flower, all of creation is telling of how great God is. In an age where people are no longer impressed with nature, but instead are glued to the TV/Computer/PS3/X-Box, it is a refreshing breath of air to be reminded of the beauty that can be seen throughout the universe. And then to think that God made all of it…blows my mind. This verse has cultivated a love for the outdoors, a child-like wonder at all of God’s creation. Just to name a few of my favorite creations:
1. Sunsets
2. Taste buds
3. Ocean waves
4. Huge cliffs and mountain peaks
5. Love
Healing
Verse – Luke 7:47-48 – “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little. Then He said to her, “your sins have been forgiven.””
When I say healing, I don’t necessarily mean physical healings (although that’s not impossible…God can do anything). I mean the more important healing. You see, each of us has a deep, deep problem. We are sinners, and there’s nothing we can do about that. Sin causes pain, hurt and ultimately, death and eternal separation and punishment in hell. So many problems stem from not being able to forgive the sins caused by others…or not being able to ask for forgiveness from the people we hurt.
But the bigger issue is admitting our wrong and asking God for forgiveness. There is something so amazing, so powerful, so HEALING, in the act of forgiveness. The wounds are washed clean. To know that we can be forgiven by the One we’ve hurt the most…the One we’ve offended the most…that’s pretty amazing. And it should cause us to be quick to forgive other people if/when they wrong us. This is so wonderful because life is full of relationships. Many relationships are strained because of sin, and because we are either too hurt or too prideful to ask for forgiveness/forgive others. But these verses inspire me to remember what Christ has done for me and to do the same. There is no sin/wrong that someone can commit against you that will ever be worse than what you yourself have already done against God (and God has forgiven you of all your sins…)
Humility
Verse – Ephesians 2:13 – “But now in Christ Jesus you who were formerly far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
This is just one verse, but really the entire chapter 2 of Ephesians is so amazing. Humility is not a characteristic that is highly valued here in America. We are very much into self-serving, self-glorifying pride. But true humility is a beautiful thing. Humility is not being a wimp. It’s not self-deprecating in the sense that you’re just beating yourself up. Humility is recognizing how truly sinful you are before a holy and perfect God. Humility is seeing how far away you are from God. Humility is admitting that there is absolutely nothing you can do to bridge that chasm between you and God. Humility is clinging to the only solution, which is the blood of Jesus Christ.
Why is this humility inspirational? Simply because it is the answer to so many of the problems we see in the world today. How many times do I see pride pop its ugly head out in a single day? I see it in myself all the time, even in the smallest of things. We live in a me-first environment where we think we deserve the best, but we don’t care if we step over someone else to get it. So many problems stem from pride. Selfishness. Hatred of others. Greed. Ultimately, pride is when you replace God with yourself, and you live life however you want to, denying and disregarding God. But true humility…this frees you from the bondages of sin. It frees you to live life to the fullest. Which leads me to…
Purpose
Verse – Matthew 6:20 – “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in or steal.” Isaiah 40:8 – “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.” Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Matthew 16:26 – “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
This is one of THE questions that every person eventually asks themselves: What am I living for? There is something innate to each person that drives them. There is a longing for meaning, purpose, something to validate what and how we’re living. But what?
Most people live for pleasure, whether that’s through money, beauty, fame, friends, glory, etc. They fear death and hope that they will live forever. All the anti-aging creams/pills/exercises/diets all point to people avoiding their impending deaths. And at the end of their lives they realize, they don’t get to keep anything that they worked so hard to gain. This truth is maddening and frightening to all. It drives some people to succeed. It pushes others to death. But in the end, it doesn’t matter. Everything gained disappears.
That’s why these verses are so inspirational. It tells us our true purpose in life is to glorify God. It tells us that even though everything else fades away, breaks down, dies, if you are in Christ, if you are living for the Lord, if you are storing up treasures in heaven, you have an eternal reward to enjoy for all eternity! Talk about having true purpose in life! Doesn’t that make you want to just live life to the fullest for God’s glory? To live thinking that nothing matters and it’s all going to end? So depressing. To live knowing that you will be enjoying the rewards forever in total satisfaction and joyful bliss? Exhilarating!
Love
Verse – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
These verses are so inspiring, yet so difficult to truly live out. When I see the list of what true love looks like…oh my goodness, I fail most of those every day! As a husband, I am challenged on a daily basis to practically apply love towards my wife. Honestly, sometimes it’s easy, but often times it’s difficult.
However
When I look at Christ. When I see His example. When I see Him enduring the pain of the cross, suffering for my sinfulness/sins. When I see His love for the Father and for me. That inspires me to strive to live out this lofty goal of love.
In closing, this story of inspiration would not be complete without an invitation to you, the reader. I invite you to read the Bible yourself and see how amazing, how wonderful, how utterly beautiful the God of the Bible is. Be inspired.
