I am so blessed to be involved in a Women's Bible Study at my church. We meet weekly on Tuesday mornings and have just begun a new study this past week. I have already gleaned so much that I thought I would share with you.
First of all I purchsed the Bible study on Sunday while at our regular service. The title of the study is "Living Beyond Yourself". As soon as I read the title I felt a shift in my inner chatter. You know the conversation you have with yourself throughout the day. Living Beyond Yourself. OK study over. I already learned a ton just from the title. Well our Pastor was teaching on the Holy Spirit and towards the end of the service I am looking at the Study Workbook at my feet while the Pastor says "If you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, then you are filled with self". I read the title again....Living beyond yourSELF. WOW. OK study over. I already learned a ton from the title....again....
So, I show up for the study. Mind you..this is a 20 week study-10 Lessons and we take 2 weeks for each lesson. Now if you have not done a Beth Moore study let me tell you she is a Texas firecracker who is passionate about God and amazing in her insight into the Word. She does a lot of research in Greek and Hebrew, travels to other countries to speak with highly educated people but God has really gifted her in the way she can really make a passage come alive and change your life.
So here are some of her comments from the Introductory lesson that got to me.
The filling and subsequent fruit of the Spirit won't just change your life. It will change your day. Think about that. He is available and concerned with the dailiness of your life. That's what takes us down. The dailiness of our lives.
My purpose is beyond me.
My circumstances are beyond me.
My unrelenting daily demands are beyond me.
Through the infiltrating power of the Holy Spirit I can
do things I couldn't
feel things I didn't
know things I wouldn't
The most miserable existance is someone who is living for "self".
Come out of the tomb of "self"/
Self absorbtion steals your joy, life, etc.
The world does not devote itself to making me happy.
My calling is going to be a stretch.
It is going to cost me.
It is going to cost me.
It is going to cost me.
She also told a story that really helped me put words to a common malady that strikes many in our household from time to time. I hope I am getting this correctly but her teenage daughter was away at camp serving as a leader. Apparently they are not a camping sort of family. They really like their hair dryers etc. This dear girl was told there would be bathrooms but they were shut down and she was tired of roughing it. One morning she woke up and said she was just feeling ugly and wanted to act ugly. But she knew she had to be an example to these other campers. So she went before the Lord, confessed and read the Word until she was able in His strength to go forth with the day.
Now we all laughed at the"feeling ugly and wanting to just act ugly". We all have times like that but I love the words and the responsibility of action. Often in our home we excuse our ugly behavior with being tired, hormones, low blood sugar, they deserve it....But these are just excuses. We are called to go before the Lord, confess and allow Him to strengthen us. We are not slaves to our emotions. We are responsible to live beyond our emotions and in His strength to live balanced, passionate lives for Him.
