What is a life verse? I’m often asked what it means.  To sum it up—a life verse is a verse or passage that speaks to the core of your being. It’s a verse that feels very personal to you. It’s a verse that offers guidance on how you live your life and how you define your faith.

And since the Bible has 31,102 verses—there are plenty to choose from.  Though I admit—there are more than a fair share that likely won’t make the list….  For instance, when the Bible quotes Esau as saying, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, because I’m exhausted,”* it isn’t likely that will be a top contender for anyone’s life verse (Genesis 25:30 CSB).

As I pondered this article and what to write about a life verse, I did what many writers do.  I went to Facebook and asked my friends.  I got some great answers.

My husband, Wayne, chose Proverbs 16:9.  For him, this verse applies to every aspect of his life. It’s a verse he embraces because it reminds him of who is truly in charge.  Wayne loves it so much, he painted it in our stairwell as a daily reminder.  It says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

My pastor, Tyler Tankersley, said his life verse is Micah 6:8.  It says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” He chose it because, as a child, he was told this verse was the true measure of a person.  Tyler and his wife, Jessica, even incorporated this verse into their wedding vows.

Also from our church, Minister of Students Dane Martin chose Isaiah 40:31.  The verse says, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” I am very familiar with this verse since it was my alma mater’s signature verse.  I asked Dane why he chose it, and he said, “It’s a reminder to be patient and actually wait on God and to realize that I cannot do it on my own…I need to depend on God, lean on God, and know that with God’s strength, I can do so much more and an abundance is planned for me.”

My friend Audrey shared, “Psalm 139:9-10 became my life verse as a child. Every time I read it, I imagine I am flying to the farthest corners of the world, but no matter where I am or what I walk through, I am held, loved, and guided.” An apt description, since the verse says, “If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

Ava Lewandowski is a dear friend, and she shared that John 10:10 is her life verse.  It says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Of this verse, Ava shared, “Christ came that I (and all those who believe in Him) might have life…and life abundant! The abundance is not material, but the joy and blessings of this life…through Him.”

Amy Dixon shared that her life verse is Luke 1:38.  The verse says, “And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.”  It’s a verse that speaks of obedience.  But in addition to Amy’s personal life verse, she also has a verse for her business.  Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” and it’s a perfect reflection of the name of her business—Inner Strength Pilates.

Other life verses that were shared include:

• Romans 8:26 – “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
• Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

A special thank you to my friends, Mike Nuckolls, Lori Fowler, and Ed Roop, for sharing these!

Finally—my life verse.  My verses are Ephesians 2:8-9, and it’s the verse that my blog/column is named for. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” I chose this passage after an 18+ year prodigal journey as a reminder that it all boils down to grace.  Undeserved, unmerited, and unearnable grace. It’s the verse that I cling to when in my perfectionist/controlling way—I try to take charge.  Nothing I do will be good enough, and that’s okay because His grace is perfect and all-consuming.

So what about you?  Do you have a life verse?  And if you don’t—why not pray for God to show you a verse that is special for you?

*Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is based on the ESV translation.