Oscar Wilde said: “If we cannot enjoy reading a
book over and over again, there is no use in
reading it at all.” We all have that one book that
we never tire of – it always gives us comfort
when we feel sad. It enthrals is with wonder. It
makes us think about life, love and being. It
challenges to be a better person. We love it and
we hate it all the same. It is happy and it is sad,
and yet we simply cannot leave it alone for it
contains everything we hope for, everything we
dream of, and everything that makes live worth
living. To me that book is the Bible, the living,
breathing word of God that breathes life into me.
Ma’am, fellow learners
Many a wise and inspiring word has been
uttered about the virtues of the Bible. Theodore
Roosevelt said:” A thorough knowledge of the
Bible is worth more than a college education.”
Ronald Reagan surmised that the answers to all
the problems men faced, were within the covers
of the Bible, and Billy Graham concluded: “The
Bible is God’s book of promises, and unlike the
books of men, it does not change or get out of
date.”
Roosevelt and Reagan were considered two of
the greatest American Presidents and Graham
amongst the greatest spiritual leaders ever. To
them, the Bible contained wisdom, peace, and
hope that inspired their service. I might not be a
great leader yet, but I know this – the path to
inspiring myself and others, are hidden within the
pages of the greatest story ever – the word of
God. Let me explain.
Firstly, the most profound example of leadership,
Jesus Christ, is found in the Bible. Gradesfixer
writes in an article on their website, Why Jesus
Inspires Me, and Other People, visited 8 August
2023, that Jesus loved everyone and treated all
people equally. He had all the power of God, but
he never used it to overpower others. He was
the master, yet he served others. He never
judged but treated people with kindness and
compassion.
Jesus did not have much money or many worldly
possessions. He was a simple man, living a
simple life, yet his message and example was so
profound that people left family and possessions
to follow him. Jesus inspired people to be
different, better people who cares for others as
much as for themselves. Two thousand years
later he still does, and people still follow him.
Secondly, the Bible reminds me that the
impossible is possible. From Genesis to Exodes,
stories are found about impossible things
happening for those who believed in God. The
sea parted and the Israelites walked through on
dry land. The mighty walls of Jerico fell without a
person touching it. David killed Goliath against
all odds. Jesus healed the sick and disabled
miraculously. He himself was supernaturally
raised from the dead.
There are many, many examples of impossible
things made possible by God. It inspires me to
know, that no situation is ever hopeless as God
is always in control and nothing is impossible for
him. He may not give me the answers to the test
I did not study for, but I surely know that
everything is possible!
Thirdly, the Bible gives me hope for the future.
Two of my favourite inspirational verses is
Jeremia 29:11 and John 10:10. The first says
that God has a plan for our lives and that he
wants to give us hope and a future, an
expectation. The second says that Jesus came
that we might have life and have it abundantly.
It inspires me to know that God wants me to
have a good life. He wants me to dream about
the future and have hope for the day of
tomorrow. He wants me to be successful in his
purpose and prosper in his plans. God does not
want me to simply live, he wants me to do so in
exuberantly!
Ma’am, fellow learners, Oscar Wilde was correct
when he said that a good book is worth reading
repeatedly. To me the Bible is the one book I will
never tire of. It inspires me to be a leader like
Jesus who inspires others with his love and
compassion. It makes me see that the
impossible is possible when I believe and trust in
God. It gives me hope for tomorrow for God has
plans that surpasses all my dreams! It inspires
me to be the person who inspires others.
I Leave you with the words of the wise king
Solomon in Proverbs 4: The Word of God is life
to those who find it.