Billy Graham once shared the following advice, that though simple, is powerful, and I believe, we should all take to heart: “Read the Bible. Work hard and honestly. And don’t complain.”1 Let’s take a closer look at each of these three admonitions.
Read the Bible
President Theodore Roosevelt once remarked, “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”2 My friends, there is absolutely nothing more important than developing the daily habit of reading the Scriptures. Having a good education is important, but knowing the Scriptures well is far better. When we read the Bible God speaks to us and gives us His wisdom, reveals His perfect will for our lives, equips us with the ability to defeat Satan at every turn, and helps us live a life that glorifies Jesus! No other book can do this because all other books are man-made and can’t compare to the perfect Word of God. Knowing the Bible, God’s great love letter to man, will help us experience peace, joy, and purpose in life, as well as supply us with the spiritual daily manna we all desperately need to live a godly life.
Work hard and honestly
As Christians our testimony is so important because while we may read the Bible daily, many of the people we interact with don’t. In fact, the only Bible they will ever read is by watching how we, as believers, lead and live our lives. When our unsaved co-workers see that we are honest, sincere, helpful, and hard working they will often ask why are we so different than their other co-workers. This in turn will give us a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel with them. Since, sometimes the only Bible people will read is our lifestyle, it is critical that we live a godly life, full of joy and peace, and as a result we will shine for Jesus and be great witnesses for Christ. Your testimony and lifestyle allows you to have many opportunities to shine for Jesus and share the message of the gospel – so guard it carefully!
Don’t complain
While God is always fair, life often isn’t. Because we live in a world full of sin, quite frankly, our world has gone haywire. Why should people be born with severe handicaps? Why should millions of children go to bed hungry? And why do we even have to die? While this was never part of God’s original plan for mankind, because of sin, life has often turned quite unfair. But for the Christian, who knows that God loves us, is never unfair, and has a wonderful plan for our lives, he or she can and should live a complain-free life because they know that God works all things together for good for His children. Thus, the believer in Christ, sees that even when they don’t understand why they are going through a trial or having to endure suffering, they can, rather than complain, rejoice, knowing that God has a master plan to use our sufferings for our eventual good and His glory!
So, when we complain, we are actually telling our Lord, He may have made a mistake allowing us to go through the trials of life. Instead of complaining we should put on, “…the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness,” (Isaiah 61:3), and thank Him for using our suffering for His future glory! Not only that but being thankful, always praising the Lord, and letting God use us for His glory will always bring joy to our hearts, add years to our lives, and once again give us great opportunities to witness for Jesus, as people around us ask us how we can be so positive when things seem so negative.
So, read your Bible, always give an honest day’s pay to your boss, and praise God throughout the day. Doing this will line you up with the Lord’s will for your life, fill your heart with continuous joy, and give you wonderful opportunities to witness for Christ!
1 43 Billy Graham Quotes | ChristianQuotes.info
2 Theodore Roosevelt – A thorough knowledge of the Bible is…