I remember reading years ago about having a life verse (although I do not recall where I read it). Now, there is no Biblical command to choose a life verse, and Christians who do so are not more spiritual than those who don’t. But I loved the idea and set out to choose a verse that could serve as the theme of my life. This was not an easy task as there were many verses that I loved. I’d choose one, then I’d come across another and think that should be the verse. Honestly, I got a little frustrated with the exercise.
Then, I decided to pray about it! I asked the Lord to lead me to a verse that would sum up my desire to live my life for Him. Not long after, He led me to the verse. John 15:5:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
I settled on this verse for several reasons. Perhaps these reasons will help you pray about and find your own life verse (if you don’t already have one!):
1. It is Christ-centered
All of Scripture points to Jesus, but some verses make a clear point of making Christ the main focus. This verse reminded me of my utter dependence on him. Any verse that reminds us of our need for Jesus is a verse that will encourage humility, joy, and peace, because Christ is our creator, redeemer, and friend. Find a verse that exalts Christ and reminds you to keep your eyes on him. John 15:5 makes it clear to me that I can do nothing apart from Jesus Christ. He is my everything!
2. It Has a Clarion Call
We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. I want to make sure to establish that before mentioning this next point! And while there is nothing we can ever do to earn our salvation, God does call us to live a life of obedience, because this is pleasing to Him. We are not called to sit back and do nothing in the Christian life. He wants us to live unto Him. Choosing a life verse that has a clarion call to do something for Christ and live in obedience to Him will remind you of your priorities and overall purpose in this life. For me, John 15:5 has a call to abide in Jesus. This call echoes the desires of my heart to remain in, dwell, continue in, and stay in close communion with my Savior.
3. It provides Course Correction
It’s so easy to get off course in the Christian life and get distracted by the cares of the world. A life verse can provide the course correction we need when we get off track. In a sense, it serves as a reminder and guide (like the North star), to call us back to the straight and narrow. It becomes a verse that is impressed upon our hearts. The Holy Spirit can use it to convict and correct and draw us back to Himself when we have strayed. When I’m feeling “off track” and distant from the Lord, John 15:5 reminds me why – I am not abiding in Him, and therefore, I am not bearing much fruit. As I seek my Savior’s face as well as His forgiveness, my life verse has served as a guide and course corrector.
4. It Clears the Clutter
Our minds can often get bogged down with daily stressors, other people’s demands, and the cares of the world. A life verse can clear the clutter of our minds and remind us of our purpose in this life. John 15:5 reminds me that the overarching purpose in my life is to daily abide in Christ that I might bear fruit in my lifetime for Him. So when I experience hardships, trials, or the daily stressors of life, I can rest in Jesus, knowing that He will take care of me. I don’t need to worry, I just need to abide.
Over the years, I’ve created bookmarks and decorative printouts of my life verse to display so I have a constant visual reminder. You can even print yours out and place it in a beautiful frame to be displayed in a prominent place. Get creative! And if you subscribe, you can get access to the printable below (as well as a library of other free printables!). Just download and print. Then when you have decided on your life verse, you can handwrite it or simply type it out using a decorative font in a Word document, and run this printable through your printer when you’re ready to print it out.
I hope you got some good ideas on choosing a life verse. Or maybe you already have one. I’d love to hear what it is and why you chose it!
