Step 1: Read the Bible

In your business journey, you will be faced with situations where you just don’t know the right choice—or the best choice—to make. And yet, as the leader, it is up to you to decide.

At times like those, you might wish that God would just tell you what to do, what the right choice is, and how that fits into the bigger plan. A nice idea, but it just doesn’t work that way. Or does it?

God has already given you a text with some 700,000+ words explaining Himself, His will and direction for your life, and some history besides. It’s called the BIBLE.

The Bible is your handbook for all of life, including work and leadership. Just as King David and the Apostle Paul said:

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. — Psalm 119:105

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. — 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Therefore, a sensible first step to finding God’s will is to dig into his Word to see what He has to say for you and your situation.

There are many ways to read the Bible, and how you read it is up to you. Here are some ideas to get you going.

Read the Bible to meet your specific need.

Sometimes, you want God’s guidance for a specific situation.

In this case, start by writing down exactly what you need God’s help with. Write as if you were writing a short note to a friend or a reminder to yourself. Underline the important words that identify the crux of the matter.

Then search the Bible for the underlined words and note the verses that come up. Read the verses before and after to gain a sense of context, and then jot down a summary of what these verses are saying to you.

Keep digging and summarizing until you start to see a pattern or gain clarity into your particular issue. Then pray and meditate over these thoughts, asking for wisdom and guidance.

Read to follow up what you’ve heard.

At other times, you may have heard a Bible reference at church, at small group, on the radio, or in conversation with Christian friends. The verses referenced may be a gift to you from God, so don’t miss out.

Next time that happens, make note of it. Then, make time over breakfast, in the evening, or sometime in between to look up these verses and see what God is saying.

You already browse the web for news and more, so why not the Bible also? Once God has your attention, why not “click through” to read more?

Read to gain perspective and insight.

Most often, when someone mentions reading the Bible, they’re following a plan to read the whole Bible, a specific book, or section of the Bible.

Reading bigger “chunks” of the Bible gives perspective and insight that you might otherwise miss. If you’re not sure about that, try reading any one of the gospels in one or two sittings. You’ll gain a renewed perspective and likely learn something new as well.

And, if you’ve never read the entire Bible, find a reading plan that interests you and get started. No need to stay on schedule or to finish within a year—what’s important is that you progress through all of God’s Word to broaden your perspective and deepen your understanding—for life and leadership.

Focus on the true purpose of Bible reading.

The primary purpose for reading the Bible is to provide a foundation for a deeper relationship with God—one in which you grow closer to Him and ingrain His will into your daily life.

To that end, there are many different ways to read the Bible. As long as you’re digging into it in a way that fits for you, it’s already good!

The Bible: 700,000+ words from God to you.