4 Reasons the Bible’s not a Pick and Choose Buffet
“Aunt Karen, can we go to the buffet at Golden Corral today?”
My nephew, Parker, enjoys a buffet. So his restaurant choice for lunch after church often includes this style of dining.
Pick and Choose Buffet
We’re talking about a mouth-watering spread. The choices include meats, vegetables, side-dishes, breads, and desserts. And the food themes offer a taco bar, pasta bar, and every item you ever imagined on the salad bar.
But Parker’s food-pick is one among ten to fourteen family members who voice an opinion. We occasionally go to Pizza Hut’s buffet (not my personal favorite and limited choices). Yet, our family’s never gone to Golden Corral’s buffet for lunch on a Sunday. So, poor Parker, I hope his parents take him there on occasion.
Perhaps you enjoy a good buffet. Picking and choosing all the foods you love, leaving behind items you’d rather live without and your taste buds thank you for it.
Choices seem endless without judgement of what you pick or don’t. The unspoken motto; Come, enjoy, choose what you want, be merry and leave full.
Still, the world encourages the same slogan. After all, they try to convince us life’s one big buffet menu. Choose whatever you want, leave behind items you’d rather live without, your real friends will thank you for it.
Culture promotes the exact advertisement when it comes to God’s Holy Scripture. And sadly, some believers, church-folk, own stock in this marketing campaign. Listen, take to heart the parts you love—in agreement with—and ignore everything else.
4 Reasons the Bible’s Not a Buffet
1. God-breathed and Useful. God’s Word comes from Him, the Creator, and sets the standards for how to live the Christian life. And it proves more heart-healthy than a buffet’s “choose whatever you want.” “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 NIV (Emphasis Mine).
When we inhale God's Word, we exhale by our example in Christian living. #Bible Share on X2. Nourishing and Sustaining. Not only do we feed our bodies to sustain life, but we must also nourish our souls. Something much deeper than a buffet’s “be merry and leave full.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” Matthew 4:4 NIV.
When we taste that God is good, our lives overflow in abundance. (Ps. 34:8) #Bible Share on X3. Living and Active. Nothing the world’s buffet serves us curbs our spiritual appetites, gives long-lasting satisfaction, or transforms our character. But God’s Word changes me at the core of who I am. “For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart” Hebrews 4:12 AMP.
When the Bible comes alive in our hearts, God transforms us to the image of Christ. #Bible Share on X4. Truth and Light. While culture grapples to define truth, the Bible remains fundamental and trustworthy, and true from Genesis to Revelation. God’s the Word Himself and the word became flesh in Christ, full of grace and truth (John 1:1, 14). Culture’s buffet suggests we agree with whatever our gut tells us feels right. Still, the world walks in darkness. But Scripture sheds light on our lives. “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 NLT.
When we meditate on Scripture, the Word guides our feet and lights our path. #Bible Share on XThese 4 reasons are not an exhaustive list. And there’s so much more about the Bible that makes it 
unique to other religious writings—inherent, infallible, and historical.
God’s Word comes as a package deal. We either believe it in its entirety, cover to cover, or not at all.
Images courtesy of Adobe Spark.
Read my blog post, I Will not Apologize for the Bible.
© 2017 by Karen Friday, All Rights Reserved
This post featured on Fresh Market Friday Link up.
This is a pet peeve of mine. Lol I grew up on topical sermons and they do such a limited service to the life of a believer. My dad says you either believe all of it or none of it. So then it makes sense to preach through expositorily so that the church can have the context of all the Scripture. Couldn’t agree more with you Karen and thanks for addressing this topic. The enemy wants nothing more than for us to focus on what we are good at and ignore the parts of the Word that challenge us the most. No wonder so many of us are tempted to become hypocrites and judgmental of one another. Great post👍
Haha! Thanks, Gretchen. And we should be protective of the truth of the Word in its entirety and want it to really change us. There’s no way on earth to know what God penned to us through men or wants us to know, unless we read it. All of it! Who knew?! Blessings!
I love this wise counsel regarding our handling of the Word.
Thank you, Michele, for stopping by and commenting. The enemy deploys many ways to attack the Holy Scripture in today’s culture. Lord, teach us to study and walk in the truth of Your Word. Blessings!
I so agree with Gretchen’s comment and also a pet
Peeve of mine. The world does grapple to define truth and the truth I see being promoted in our culture through topical and “catchy themes” in sermons is disheartening. I appreciate your straightforward insight here Karen!
Crystal, thanks so much for reading and commenting. And, Amen! The Lord’s been speaking to me for some time about getting back to the basics of Christianity. Our culture is off the mark and as the church, we don’t want to jump on the bandwagon. Lord, help us stay true to Your Word as the gauge for everything in our life!
Much like a tasty buffet all too often we choose the portions that satisfy the sweet tooth. But neither our bodies or our souls can live without nourishment. The rich spiritual food of the Bible is often hard to swallow but so good for us. Great post! Blessings!
Thanks, Liz. Love how you just worded the idea. Amen! Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” Matthew 4:4 NIV. Blessings to you!
Karen, I thought you did a wonderful job of outlining the blessings that God’s Word provides us with. The Word of God is amazingly powerful! Your post reminded me of a quote I heard from Rosaria Butterfield’s testimony; she said that when she first started reading the Bible as a research project she was trying to interrogate the Bible but as time went on she realized the Bible was starting to interrogate her! I completely agree with your post – the Bible isn’t something for us to pick apart. Its purpose is to pick us apart so that God can make us new! I pray that God will continue to use you to share the light of the Gospel to our lost and confused culture. Blessings!
~Love, Sarah
Sarah, thank you for your words, your encouragement, and for sharing from Rosaria’s testimony. So true. Oh, how I desire to take in the whole Word…to love the Holy Scriptures from cover to cover, from Genesis to Revelation. I pray we inhale, taste, and meditate on God’s Word so it transforms us to look more like Christ. Blessings!
Amen to that! I have asked a couple of people who didn’t like what the bible had to say about this or that- which part of the bible they wanted to eliminate. And the truth is, you can’t take out anything that makes the whole. These are very simple, very pointed answers. Thanks!
Thank you, April. Yes, the Bible’s distinct from every other religious writing. We take God’s Word in its entirety or not at all. For “all” Scripture is useful. (2 Timothy 3:16) It’s God-breathed, inherent, infallible, historically sound, living and active, and nourishment to our souls. It sustains us, guides us, and changes us. Oh, praise God for His glorious Word. Blessings!
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