Walking in His Word: My life Shaped by the Bible (Part 1 of 2)

I didn’t grow up with the Bible as a central part of my life. For years, it felt like a thick, ancient book full of stories that I couldn’t connect to my modern days. But everything shifted when I was going through a season of deep uncertainty, facing career crossroads and feeling lost in relationships. A friend gave me a pocket-sized Bible and simply said, “Start where you are, not where you think you should be.”

I opened it randomly to Matthew 6:33: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Those words hit differently than any advice I’d received. For the first time, I didn’t read the text as a set of rules, but as a gentle guide pointing me toward what truly matters. That verse became my starting point, and I began setting aside just 15 minutes each morning to read and reflect, no pressure to understand every line, just to let the words sink in.

As weeks turned into months, I found myself turning to Scripture not just in hard times, but in everyday moments. When I felt tempted to cut corners at work, Proverbs 11:3 “The integrity of the upright guides them” kept me grounded. When I struggled to forgive someone who’d hurt me, Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive one another” gave me the strength to reach out and mend the relationship. The Bible stopped being a book I read and became a lens through which I saw the world shaping how I spoke to others, how I made decisions, and how I treated myself when I made mistakes.

One of the most profound ways the Bible has shaped me is in teaching me about community. Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together.” This led me to join a small group where we study Scripture and support each other through life’s ups and downs. The Bible did not just change my life; it connected me to a community working to bring its teachings to life.

For most of my teenage life, the Bible felt like a distant relic something I’d seen in churches but never truly held in my hands as a guide for living. I was busy chasing what the world said mattered: a successful career, social recognition, and financial security. Yet no matter how much I achieved, there was a hollow space I couldn’t fill. It wasn’t until I hit a wall facing a broken relationship that I finally opened its pages, not looking for answers to fix my problems, but for something to steady my heart and what I found changed everything.

I’d always thought reading the Bible required perfect focus or deep theological knowledge, so I avoided it. But during that difficult season, a mentor handed me a worn copy and said, “Don’t try to understand all of it. Just find one verse that speaks to you today.” I flipped to Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Those simple words felt like a hand reaching out to me. For the first time, I didn’t see Scripture as a list of rules or ancient stories, I saw it as a conversation. I started a small habit: every 15 minutes I read Bible while drinking milk, reading slowly and writing down verses that resonated with me. Some days, a single phrase was enough; other days, I’d linger on a passage, letting it sink into my worries and hopes.

As months passed, the Bible began to shape how I approached every part of life. (Laura Paige Lucernas, SLCD Immersionist)