Wednesday, June 29, 2011

A Woman's High Calling to Godliness : Study 1

A Woman's High Calling: 10 Essentials for Godly Living


Essential #1: Godliness

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness..."  Titus 2:3


"How are we to live our lives as women with a high calling? Our calling is to godly behavior, to sacred behavior, to holy behavior. Our conduct must compliment our high calling in Christ."

"Can you fathom any higher calling than godliness? Any more important essential for godly living? Can you imagine any more wonderful way to spend your life and your time and your days and your moments than to spend them in the Lord, immersed in Him, looking to Him, desiring Him and the riches (and the richness!) of His grace above all that this poor world offers? You and I are above all others most blessed to possess such a glorious calling!"


Elizabeth George starts out this chapter, this first essential, by detailing a trip to England that her and her husband, Jim, went on together to attend their church's European missions conference. This trip is such a profound illustration of godliness, godly behavior, that I simply must share the highlights of the visit.

They went to the Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England. She points out that the area of Kent has a rich Christian heritage dating back to the days of Saint Augustine and the Canterbury Cathedral is one of the finest cathedrals in England.

While her and her husband were walking through the cathedral, admiring the stunning architecture and furnishings, they became "quietly aware" of the people who served and worshiped in the cathedral. What brought these people to their attention was not any flashy displays, or loud voices of prayer, but rather their silent ways of movement and action that displayed a silent reverence for their surroundings. As she decribes:

"They moved reverently - never for a second forgetting that they were in a place of worship. They spoke little, if at all, and always in quiet tones. One could almost sense their awareness that they were in the presence of God. The already ethereal ambiance was further heightened by the sounds of a women's choir in rehearsal. Their voices and the strains of their hymns literally soared upward (and without the aid of a man-made audio system!) to the heights of the nave and the drifted down again, filling the 522 foot length of the cathedral with an inescapable sweetness. The women, singing without accompaniment as they practiced for the Evensong service to be held later that day, were nowhere in sight. In fact, we had to go searching for them. Peering through an iron gate, we caught a mere glimpse of them, all dressed alike in black skirts and white blouses, standing behind the aged wooden railings that marked out the choir loft, singing in unison to the Lord, quite oblivious to the many who sought to get a peek at them."

What a majestic picture of godliness, godly behavior. Mrs. George goes on to say that the visit to the Canterbury Cathedral was very spiritually uplifting. This was so not (only) because of the amazing architecture, but what contributed most to this experience for them were the people who served and worshiped in the cathedral. The reverence displayed in those who served also inspired the same attitude within them. She goes on to explain:

"Suddenly we found ourselves whispering. Why? They were quiet... therefore we were quiet. Without our noticing, our breakneck tourist pace slowed to a stroll. Why? Because they were moving silently, reverently, worshipfully (if there is such a word)... therefore we did, too. One couldn't help but pray in such a place. Again, why? Because the church attendants and choir seemed to be absorbed in worship and in the God they served... therefore we were, too. ... Somehow, the reverential behavior of others brought us to a fresh new awareness of God's presence."

Now, what does this experience have to do with US? Looking at the Scripture reference in Titus 2:3, we see the first of such 'pink passages' in the Bible, which states that women (aged women, likewise, but it is applicable to ALL women of God) should "be in behaviour as becometh holiness..." or should exhibit godly behavior. The high calling to godliness is the first and foremost calling in a woman of God's life.

In this, as the beginning, Elizabeth George issues a gentle warning:

"I must warn you - there's no tiptoeing into our calling. There's no warming up to the godly qualities that we'll be looking at in [these studies]. And there is no apprenticeship. No, God doesn't ease us into His summons on our ife. He instead commences His call right at the core, at the deepest (and highest!) level of our calling - and that is this first calling, a calling to Himself. Because what's inside our hearts affects our behavior, God asks that our relationship with Him be the catalyst that creates in us behavior befitting one who has a relationship with the living God. He wants our actions to be reverent, godly, worshipful, and holy."

Although Scripture addresses this verse directly to the older women in the Body of Christ, it is a high calling laid before each and every one of us, young and old. Why? Because it "points first to our spirit of worship and calls us to be reverent in all of our behavior."

And yes, it is a high calling indeed.

Next we will be learning about godliness, what it means, the Greek root words from whence it comes, and how it can be applied to daily life.


Blessings!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Grace and Mercy Undeserved

Lord, Lord, I'm trusting You
In everything I do,
With every step I take,
As every choice I make.

Your promises echo loud and clear
Assuring that you hold me dear,
Timeless as generations pass
That one day I'll be home at last.

You can see the days yet come,
You can hear the song yet sung.
In Your hand I'll always be;
Your faithfulness soon to see.

I have your Word I'll never beg
As I pray for daily bread.
When the future is unclear
I know in You I shall not fear.

This world it seeks to stifle me,
For what I have they can never be.
But from my lips praise still sings
With hope they too can know You're King.

Guide my hand, still my heart.
To my children, Your Word impart.
Fill me, stay me, as You have made me,
And as You would bless it, let all my days be.

Your glory, Your grace;
From all lips: praise.

All is perfect through Your blood
For in myself, I am no good.
Grace and mercy undeserved
Brought me peace I had never heard.

In You alone I put my trust,
For You alone are good and just.
Gracious to redeem my sins;
In your presence, every knee bends.

That love that made a way for me
Cost You everything on Calvary.
Then on that third day You rose again
Declaring victory over death and sin.

Into your hands I place my soul,
For You alone have made me whole.
Help me, Lord, as I pilgrim through,
Til that day I may come home to You.

"What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus."





 

Friday, June 24, 2011

A Woman's High Calling Study ~ Coming Soon

I am embarking on a study of what it means to be a woman of God, and how to live it out. I will be using the book A Woman's High Calling: 10 Essentials for Godly Living by Elizabeth George as my study guide, and I invite you all to follow along. I have read this book time and time again and each time found great inspiration and encouragement to follow my high calling as God would have me do, so I am now putting my study in print for future reference, as well as perhaps inspiration and encouragement to any ladies like me who are seeking the same in their life. Namely, the will of God.



A quick note: the topics that will be covered in this study include our high calling to

1: Godliness
2: Godly Speech
3: Personal Discipline
4: Encouraging Others
5: Marriage + Loving our husband
6: Family + Loving our family
7: Wisdom
8: Purity
9: Home
10: Goodness

Postings will be on Mondays and Thursdays of each week beginning Monday, June 27th. Mondays will be the initial posting, and Thursdays will be the follow-up of each essential and how it can be applied to daily life.

I am sure that we have all prayed a prayer for god to help us be a godly woman. I know I have for sure, many times over. Author Elizabeth George states that while a worthy prayer, there is one problem: it is vague. She says "therefore over the years I have begun not only to pray to be a godly woman but also to ask, 'What does a godly woman do? How does she act? What is it about her that marks her out as a godly woman?' "

With those questions to direct us, we will be setting out to discover our high calling in Christ and find out what it means to be a godly woman. This study is about what the author calls the 'pink passages' of the Bible, or those that apply directly to us as women of God.

As Mrs. George states in her forward, I will echo it to myself and to my readers who are up for the task of coming along on this journey:

"So, do you want to grow in knowledge and grace? Do you want to learn more about being 'a godly woman'? Do you want to develop a good set of worthwhile lifetime goals? Do you want to move toward fulfilling a life-long dream of becoming God's kind of woman?"

Then let us do so in all eagerness, honesty, humility, and with all that we have. This is my heart's prayer.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The storms of life

God never promised to take away the storms, only to see us through them. 
 "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." Psalm 37:25
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Philippians 1:6
No matter what you are facing, no matter what you are going through, God is bigger, and greater, and still a loving God. If you are in the center of His Will, and doing the best you can with what you have, and with a joyful heart, God will provide the rest, but on His terms. He never promised to provide in accordance to the world's standards, but to His. According to the Bible, if we have food and raiment, we are blessed, and how true that is. Sow contentment, reap joy in the Lord, for He is above our circumstances, and we are not of this world. 
ALL of this, every BIT of it is temporary. It will ALL pass away one day. Make sure your value and hope is in the eternal, not the temporal of this world. Fix your eyes on God and follow His Word, and you will be blessed beyond all measure. And never stop believing that God can and that God will. 
"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11:24
Never lose hope, for we have been given a Hope that has overcome the world. Be blessed, and bless the Lord. ♥
 "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name." Psalm 103:1