June 26, 2007

*insert inspirational title*

Well, our church started a Ladies Bible Study tonight, and me being a reflective person had lots of thoughts and am going to try and share them coherently. The problem I have lots of different thoughts flying around on different airplanes. But, here goes

The study is going to be structured from a book called Becoming a Titus 2 Woman by Martha Peace. The first lesson was about priorities. "What is our priority?--what consumes our time?" This sparked quite a discussion on balancing what consumes our time, even while we desire God to be our priority. Now, what some of us were saying in our own unique ways, is that it is possible for God to be a priority even through these earthly activities that take our time. I mentioned how I wish to be more disciplined by spending just a little thought and prayer on God in the mornings before I start the teaching day because I bet things would go a little bit easier. Other ladies shared their thoughts and experiences.

One lady shared her struggle about not wanting to do a structured Bible study after being raised in the church where it is constantly taught that we MUST have daily Bible reading and we must do these disciplines and those disciplines--she wanted us to let go of the guilt when we don't meet up to these standards that become very ingrained in us. We shouldn't feel guilty--it's all taken care of on the cross--and is it really a sin to have a grudging attitude? or to make someone else's life miserable as a result of said attitude?

I realize now she wasn't trying to preach a method of not structure, but not feeling guilt at the lack of structure as we might be communing with God in other things we do. I agreed with her in part, having gone through my own discovering in college that the spiritual disciplines are NOT the same for everyone. (One of the best books that helped me really understand this was Sacred Pathways--in addition to Paul's letters and understanding more about individual Christianity through those.) and while I agree that one should not feel guilty and concentrate time dwelling on this guilt, I don't think it's wrong to want that time and wish we could spend that time with God reading his Word in the day. I should let go of the guilty feeling, but I'm kind of driven by the guilty feeling in me to make things better. I want to spend time with God in meditation and prayer and reading his word and learning it because I know how much more "in tune" I seem to be with Him, and thus, how much more I see Him using me throughout my earthly life.

We also discussed a comment Peace made in her book about how before she was Christian, she strove for excellence in her nursing career as part of her feminist philosophy--but never really found her happiness in the success. One of the ladies was bothered by how Peace--to her reading--seemed to think striving for excellence was wrong. Others in the Bible study read it a bit differently. I myself connected with the comment in terms of --I strive for excellence in what I do, but I worry that I'm not striving for God's glory but rather my own. Again the discussion went to "let go of that worry" and "just be" (my wording).

I get what they're saying. But I still am concerned with the motives of my heart in my earthly activities. I guess the point they're trying to get across is "don't worry about that. don't feel guilty because God is working in your heart and he took care of everything on the Cross"

This is some different insight than I'm used too, so all comments are always welcome. This actually helped me understand things a bit better.
Now finally, I want to dedicated some verses to a couple of wonderful gals I know--Sunny, Ashley, Amanda, ... to list the ones that come immediately to my mind:

Matthew 6:25-33
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or what your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do now sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown in to the fire, will he not much more clothe you, o you of little faith? So do now worry, saying, 'what shall we eat?' or 'what shall we drink?' or 'what shall we wear?' for the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

That was actually read in The Message tonight, and I have to say, that has a good summary too--relating more about how the flowers grow and don't worry about their appearance and the birds just go about their business without worry about the future.--They do what God created them to do. They follow his plan of nature without worry or guilt.

Posted by Anna at June 26, 2007 09:12 PM | TrackBack