A person of faith is ‘the only Bible some people may ever read’

Every week my husband asks me if I’m ready to start one of my many business ideas, and every week I shrug my shoulders and say, “Now is not the right time.” 

He always says, “I believe in your idea. When you’re ready, I’m ready.” 

My husband is a dreamer, and I’m the realist. 

But after reading Mark Batterson’s “Win the Day: 7 Daily Habits to Help You Stress Less & Accomplish More,” I realize that maybe now is the time to join my husband’s team and dream — even if we are still battling a pandemic. 

“Win the Day” reminds me that if I am waiting for the right time, then I will be waiting forever. I need to plant seeds in faith and believe in God’s power to use my story for his story. 

Batterson, author of “The Circle Maker” and a minister in Washington, breaks down his methods to help you “stress less and accomplish more” into seven habits. These habits are an accumulation of research he has done through the years. 

Batterson studied coaches, authors, theologians, poets and celebrities like Michael Phelps and Elon Musk. He took the habits, practices and philosophies from these studies and found the common denominators of success to form his combined method. 

In this book, Batterson weaves his personal story with those of the people he studied. He also uses Scripture to emphasize his points and show how God is using every person’s experience in God’s ultimate story — even our past failures. 

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Batterson says, “The Bible is our backstory. Your life is the rest of the story. In fact, you are the only Bible some people may ever read.” 

The Bible tells our history of where we have been, and we are a witness to the people around us of how God’s story is continuing. What kind of testimony are we giving? Is it one of cowardice or one of bravely trusting God and taking that leap of faith while also putting in the work? 

“Win the Day” reminds me that if I am waiting for the right time, then I will be waiting forever.

Batterson does a great job of showing how faith, hard work and prayer can be put into practical, everyday use to achieve big goals and dreams. The book can be a bit disjointed at times, but it’s a motivating book if you’re feeling like you need a little push to jump-start a dream or goal in your life. 

“Win the Day” is also a good reminder that with God all things are possible, but it doesn’t mean we kick back and let God do all the work. If you take this book to heart, the author will give you manageable steps to start working toward the bigger picture. 

So, the next time my husband asks me if I’m ready to start working on my dream, I’ll say yes. I’m going to allow my faith and hard work to let me dream big and trust God. 

And if I fail, I’ll be able to look at it and say, “God is using this in his story somehow.”

MELODY SHAW lives in North Richland Hills, Texas, and worships with the The Hills Church of Christ with her husband, Andrew, and their two sons.

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