I was thinking the other day about commentaries. (Someone in my office asked why I had several sets of commentaries broken up by Bible book instead of by set.) After they left, I began to think about the purpose of biblical commentaries and the way that I use them.

The purpose of a commentary is to expand our awareness of what a biblical passage means. It may involve some textual element that doesn't translate well into English, a social custom that prevents us from understanding the meaning, or a way to bridge ancient concepts into our contemporary world.

People often ask me, "What is the best commentary series?" It's a good question. There are many of them out there. But if I were to answer the question honestly, I would have to say our lives can be the best commentaries ever authored. I firmly believe that our lives are stories and we are the author. Is my life helping other people better understand the scriptures? In what ways am I living out the Sermon on the Mount? Do I live like God really is love?

If people who do not know the Lord cannot understand the concept of God's love, or his grace-or even his justice, it's our responsibility to explain those things through the way we live. I guess my goal today is to edit my life so that others can better know my God.