Life Verses And Seasonal Truth

What is your life verse?

Maybe you’ve been asked that question or, then again, maybe not. If you’re new to Christian spaces, perhaps the question throws you into a tailspin of internal panic. I don’t know! That’s too much pressure – I’ve barely read the Bible . . . ‘life verse?!?!’

I see you.

I’ve sat in my share of church small groups and have felt the pressure of producing a spiritually astute answer to myriads of Christianese questions like this one. But trust me when I tell you there is little need to conjure a perfect answer. There won’t be medals given out or applause offered at Bible study for surfacing an obscure text and waxing eloquent as to its personal meaning in your life (at least I hope not!)

What Is A Life Verse?

When someone talks about having a life verse, the person is referring to a verse from the Bible or perhaps even a collection of Bible verses that she or he finds encouraging. Perhaps the person has a passage she memorized as a child that she thinks of periodically. The meaning has become richer over time as she has grown to grasp the context. Or perhaps, the person reads a passage of Scripture during a particularly challenging season and the words begin to take on a special anthem as he has gone forward to tackling each new day.

My Life Verses

While there are certainly verses to be mulled over and grappled with for a lifetime, I’ve found myself clinging to certain verses in certain seasons.

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is the first passage I remember with fondness.

I wrestled with lots of fear in my childhood. I had nightmares, a vast imagination, and a looming battle with anxiety. My felt sense of safety was inhibited by complex factors, and I often struggled to sleep. Psalm 23 was the passage that brought me calm, reminded me I was safe, and transported my imagination to lush green pastures under the care of a watchful Shepherd.

Ephesians 3:20-21

I discovered Ephesians somewhere in high school and grew to love this Pauline letter to the church at Ephesus. During the latter half of my junior year, I was pursuing an opportunity to leave home and participate in a summer-long ministry but was having trouble raising funds to make it possible. In the process of doubting whether it would all work out, I came across Ephesians 3:20-21 that talks about how God is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all we ask or think. I began to believe that not only could God make it possible for me to step into the summer ministry, but he would bless it more than I had the ability to imagine. The Spirit clearly prompted it, as the verses played seemingly sporadically in my head. Another reminder that the Shepherd was watching over me.

That summer my life was forever changed by participating in a traveling drama ministry. Not only did God provide a way for me to participate, he gave me a richer understanding of himself that shaped me more into the image of his Son. I also met my husband that summer.

Psalm 62:8

My freshman year of college I met up with an upperclassman on a routine basis. We would meet over coffee and share things we were learning, the worries we had about classes and boys, and ways we could be praying for each other. Of course, she asked me the dreaded question: “What is your life verse?” In the moment, I did not have an answer (too much of a perfectionist back then!). But I met up with her a couple of weeks later and proudly shared Psalm 62:8. This beautiful verse on trusting God in the middle of uncertainty has been one I’ve turned back to over and over again. It is now framed in my house, reminding me that I can leave all my worries, cares, and ideas at Jesus’s feet.

Proverbs 14:4

As a young mom of two toddlers, I had this crazy notion that my house needed to always be clean! A decade later, I can see myself in the rearview subconsciously striving to balance my chaotic inner world by striving to over perfect the mundane. But if you would have told me that then, I would not have understood you, let alone heard you.

If the house wasn’t clean, I could not sit down. That was difficult, of course, because it didn’t matter how hard I tried, the house would never stay tidy for long.

Not only was I juggling young children, but I had also returned to school to finish my bachelor’s degree and was working a remote part-time job. In addition, my husband was busy working on his graduate degree and working full-time to meet the financial needs of our family. Still, I needed the house to be clean, and if my family would just either help or get. out. of. the. way. . . Whew. I was a little too on edge about it and maybe raised my voice a bit (sorry, fam!).

By the grace of God, this fun little proverb humorously transformed my thinking: “Where there are no oxen, the manager is clean; but from the strength of an ox comes abundant harvest” (Proverbs 14:4). Yes, my kids would continue to spill milk, put fingerprints on the walls, lob spaghetti sauce, and supply endless piles of laundry and dishes; but without my family, my life would lack the ever-increasing richness I truly cherished. Over time, this verse helped me see the mundane messes of life as indicators of God’s increase.

Disclaimer: Keep in mind this is still one of my favorite verses if you visit my house any time soon.

Matthew 10:16

This final verse, Matthew 10:16, might strike you as odd! Still, it has been one I’ve been turning to more recently. Here, Jesus challenges his disciples to be discerning and able to judge with precision while remaining harmless and kind. As a friend recently shared with me, just a degree off from right is still wrong and over time the degree of the angle veers further off course. This current life verse is one I mull through as I make life choices, draw boundaries, and practice speaking truth in love. It may take a lifetime of practice for me to master, but for now, I know God is bearing the fruit of this verse in my life so I will continue to hold on to this verse tightly.

What About You?

Do you have a Bible verse you cherish? What makes it important to you? Is there a backstory?

Ordoes the question push you into a tailspin of internal panic?