 When studying the Bible, don't treat it like a horoscope or a fortune cookie. Remember that the Holy Spirit inspired each author and each author wrote with meaning and intention. This means that it's not a matter of, here's what it means to me or here's how I wanna use that verse. Granted, we should gain personal encouragement, correction and direction from the scripture for our own lives, but this doesn't mean that we can decide what the scriptures are saying. The key is not to put your ideas into scripture, but to extract the meaning that God put there. To do this, I recommend referencing Bible commentaries, studying the historical and cultural backdrops of each book of the Bible, and also diligently searching for clues about the book's author, purpose, intended readers, themes and even tone. Holding to these basic biblical boundaries can help to safeguard you against wild and inaccurate interpretations of scripture study to show yourself approved unto God.