Study 6: My mates and the Bible

I remember once being really stressed out and on the edge of joining a trip of young people (20s) going to Brazil. I wasn’t sure if I should go. At the time, I was working as a labourer for a builder friend, and I didn’t feel like a fully paid-up member of the “God squad” at all. To be honest, my life was far from it at times. I felt really rubbish as a Christian—like a fraud—and I remember turning to the Bible for help and some sort of guidance.

I picked it up, jabbed my finger onto a random page, and started reading my new-found guidance… it was something about certain death, so I shut the Bible and tried again.

This time, I got this verse:

“Let your light shine among men, that they will see your good works and praise your Father in heaven.”
— Matthew 5:16

Now, this isn’t exactly the best way to read the Bible (random finger-stabbing!)—but on this occasion, I really felt God speak to my heart through this verse, with something like:
“Just be yourself—a follower of Jesus. Be real. And leave the rest to me.”

I liked that. So that’s what I’ve always tried to do.

I also asked a few of my mates if they had a verse or section of the Bible that had really impacted them. Here’s what they said:

Dave:

'Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow.' Proverbs 3:6 (CEV)

“The verse I was reading was always a powerful verse to me, but at my wedding we used it and it really helped in my life. It is easy to forget about God until things goes wrong, but this verse has helped me direct my life and keep trusting in Him.”

Michael:

'Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.' Romans 12:2 (CEV)

“I found this verse at a time when I was going off the rails and struggling, when I read it, it recalibrated my life. It is so easy to be swayed by the focus in this world of material things and values, it is a daily pressure, but this verse has really helped me focus on the things of God in my life.”