Huwag mong kaliligtaang basahin ang aklat ng kautusan. Pagbulay-bulayan mo iyon araw at gabi upang matupad mo ang lahat ng nakasaad doon. Sa ganoon, magiging masagana at matagumpay ang iyong pamumuhay.

Josue 1:8

Public speaking, getting rich, losing weight, finding the right man, leadership skills. Ilan lamang ang mga ito sa subject matters na tinatalakay ng mga popular na self-help books worldwide. Marami ang naaakit magbasa ng mga ito dahil nga naman di-hamak na mas mura kaysa kumunsulta sa isang life coach, wealth guru, o mag-enroll sa gym. Self-help books are also convenient to read dahil you can go at your own pace.

Most of these promise improvement, promotion, achievement of goals, slimmer bodies. However, not all self-help books are created equal. May mga tunay ngang nakakatulong at nakakapagpalago ng ating pagkatao, pero marami rin namang kabaligtaran ang epekto sa nagbabasa nito. Sayang ang pera, sayang ang oras, at higit sa lahat, baka sa halip na mag-contribute toward a better version of you, maging dahilan pa ito ng failure mo. And that is undeniably dangerous.

Kaya naman sa halip na pagtuunan natin ng oras ang mga librong hindi tayo nakakasisiguro, why not study what God has to say instead? Let us get past our fear na hindi natin maintindihan ang nilalaman ng Bible. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all the truth (John 16:13), and that includes God’s Word. Boring ba kamo ang Bible? It is not God’s Word for nothing. It is life. It is the ultimate source of wisdom. At ang exciting part? God promises prosperity and success when we read His Word and live by it. Iyan ang ipinangako Niya kay Joshua who replaced Moses as Israel’s leader after he died (Joshua 1: 8). At that time, ang “aklat ng kautusan” ay ang five books na isinulat ni Moses under the inspiration of God. But now we have the whole Bible to learn and receive help from!