I've been on a journey. A faith journey. I seem to always be on this journey but it has been exciting to feel like I've been leaping and bounding down the path lately.
(Trust me, there have been times when someone had to drag me kicking and screaming... that's why I try to surround myself with great, support friends! They drag me down the right direction!)
This is what I've been learning lately. A big shout out to my Wednesday ladies Bible Study group for their support, encouragement, and love! We've been studying Ephesians (Precepts Bible Study). This is what I've been learning in that study and elsewhere in my walk:
1) God loves me.
2) God's promised me an inheritance since I'm His adopted child.
3) I did nothing to earn it. (See #1).
4) I love God, sort of like a young child loves her parent (see #5 and #6).
5) I want to please God.
6) I don't always please God. I don't always listen and obey.
7) God loves me anyways.
8) I'm trying to walk a life worthy of my calling (because I'm called by God, an heir!) (Eph. 4:1)
9) Ephesians 4:2 tells me how: "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." God wants me to love others the way He loves me: unconditionally.
10) Humble = something I'm working on... but simply means relying on God instead of myself.
11) If I can rely on God it will give me peace!
12) Ephesians speaks pretty clearly about Gentiles and Jews (which = everyone, since we all fit into one of those two groups) living in unity and peace. So I want to be a peacemaker.
11) I want to look back on my life (even now) and say that I remained faithful. I want to pour out my life as an offering to God. Obedient to the little things and for the big things.
12) God has unlimited resources and power that He can use (and uses for me even!)
13) God gives us different gifts to use (I can't compare myself to anyone else, but I need to make sure I am using my God given gifts to do #5 and #8).
14) I'm responsible to use my gifts to serve others. It will hopefully encourage others towards maturity in their own faith journeys and appeal to others to start the journey.
15) It's about love and grace. Loving others done right means it's not prideful, not judgemental, not indifferent, and does not repel. I don't need to be "right" (Besides, I'm not always right and it's so embarrassing when I think I am and I'm not!) I need to love others and offer grace (and hopefully receive lots of it too!).
16) Walking a life worthy of my calling (#8) is purposeful. It's not just when I want to be obedient. It's waking up every day and asking God what he wants from me. Listening and obeying.
17) For me, daily, this often includes being more intentional in my parenting. (This is harder than it sounds and I'm just starting to muddle my way in this area! The iPad is keeping my kids busy right now while I write this.... that's intentional right?)
18) I'm learning a lot about what God expects in my role as a parent: needing to model what it looks like to be in right relationship with God (a good part of this is serving others because I want my kids to think about others and be loving and serve!) as well as involving them more so I can work together with them, teaching them life skills, communication, compassion and a whole lot more, even though that task is going to take me an extra hour to get done with them "helping."
This blog has influenced me a lot lately too (and her books). Thanks to my brother for introducing me to Rachel Held Evans! :) Read the link below - I could have just not written this post since she says it so much better!
Her main point is that we all have to be a Christ-follower in our own way. So for those of you who think I'm amazing to head to Africa with my young family... I'm just being faithful to what God has called me to. And I hope this opportunity came because I've been trying to be faithful and obedient to Him in the "little things" in my daily life, here in Canada, even right now as I prepare to go! (Don't let that scare you - God's not sending everyone to Africa, even if you are faithful in the little things!)
http://rachelheldevans.com/blog/jesus-without-shane-claiborne
Here's a quote from this post:
"I can’t allow my desire to be a “radical” Christ-follower prevent me from being a faithful Christ-follower. And faithfulness tends to happen in small, unglamorous acts of obedience—a grudge let go, a relationship pursued, a meal provided, an offer to help. If I am faithful in these little things, I may be entrusted with bigger things down the road, so I must remain open to new possibilities."
1) God loves me.
2) God's promised me an inheritance since I'm His adopted child.
3) I did nothing to earn it. (See #1).
4) I love God, sort of like a young child loves her parent (see #5 and #6).
5) I want to please God.
6) I don't always please God. I don't always listen and obey.
7) God loves me anyways.
8) I'm trying to walk a life worthy of my calling (because I'm called by God, an heir!) (Eph. 4:1)
9) Ephesians 4:2 tells me how: "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." God wants me to love others the way He loves me: unconditionally.
10) Humble = something I'm working on... but simply means relying on God instead of myself.
11) If I can rely on God it will give me peace!
12) Ephesians speaks pretty clearly about Gentiles and Jews (which = everyone, since we all fit into one of those two groups) living in unity and peace. So I want to be a peacemaker.
11) I want to look back on my life (even now) and say that I remained faithful. I want to pour out my life as an offering to God. Obedient to the little things and for the big things.
12) God has unlimited resources and power that He can use (and uses for me even!)
13) God gives us different gifts to use (I can't compare myself to anyone else, but I need to make sure I am using my God given gifts to do #5 and #8).
14) I'm responsible to use my gifts to serve others. It will hopefully encourage others towards maturity in their own faith journeys and appeal to others to start the journey.
15) It's about love and grace. Loving others done right means it's not prideful, not judgemental, not indifferent, and does not repel. I don't need to be "right" (Besides, I'm not always right and it's so embarrassing when I think I am and I'm not!) I need to love others and offer grace (and hopefully receive lots of it too!).
16) Walking a life worthy of my calling (#8) is purposeful. It's not just when I want to be obedient. It's waking up every day and asking God what he wants from me. Listening and obeying.
17) For me, daily, this often includes being more intentional in my parenting. (This is harder than it sounds and I'm just starting to muddle my way in this area! The iPad is keeping my kids busy right now while I write this.... that's intentional right?)
18) I'm learning a lot about what God expects in my role as a parent: needing to model what it looks like to be in right relationship with God (a good part of this is serving others because I want my kids to think about others and be loving and serve!) as well as involving them more so I can work together with them, teaching them life skills, communication, compassion and a whole lot more, even though that task is going to take me an extra hour to get done with them "helping."
This blog has influenced me a lot lately too (and her books). Thanks to my brother for introducing me to Rachel Held Evans! :) Read the link below - I could have just not written this post since she says it so much better!
Her main point is that we all have to be a Christ-follower in our own way. So for those of you who think I'm amazing to head to Africa with my young family... I'm just being faithful to what God has called me to. And I hope this opportunity came because I've been trying to be faithful and obedient to Him in the "little things" in my daily life, here in Canada, even right now as I prepare to go! (Don't let that scare you - God's not sending everyone to Africa, even if you are faithful in the little things!)
http://rachelheldevans.com/blog/jesus-without-shane-claiborne
Here's a quote from this post:
"I can’t allow my desire to be a “radical” Christ-follower prevent me from being a faithful Christ-follower. And faithfulness tends to happen in small, unglamorous acts of obedience—a grudge let go, a relationship pursued, a meal provided, an offer to help. If I am faithful in these little things, I may be entrusted with bigger things down the road, so I must remain open to new possibilities."
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