praying for myself to develop MORE of these qualities. LORD help me grow into these Characteristics of a God-fearing woman. Create a gentle and quiet spirit within me.
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@sheseekstruthjournal
praying for myself to develop MORE of these qualities. LORD help me grow into these Characteristics of a God-fearing woman. Create a gentle and quiet spirit within me.
Growth 2018: Entry 1
03.16.18
Set BOUNDARIES. know your limitations. Squashed a certain conflict with a close friend and realized it was a boundary issue of our friendship. We understand now, and she knows my anxiety/depression. And now we decided to set limits and ‘fences’ between us that we won’t cross over anymore. Praying for my heart to LEARN and realize I need to set boundaries not just for our relationship, but my other relationships: both personal and professional.
Screenshot: from Townsend’s Boundaries book. First Chapter was about a boundaryless life, that I HIGHLY identified with:
Praise the LORD for friends like her, who set me straight. She may not be spiritual as “mature as me” but she understands her own psyche better than I understand my own. So because of our confrontation last night, we were able to resolve the conflict and be constructive about each other’s relationship. She told me I need to be more AWARE of boundaries and not cross them when I do see them being put up. Second, desire for change and growth and don’t use my faith as a crutch to desire no growth.
Honestly, she alleviated/diffused my feeling of anxiousness concerning the “talk” and I’m so glad that the Lord gave us BOTH wisdom, understanding, meekness, and grace to really have a HEART to HEART conversation.
Since we have similar personalities in terms of “STRONG PRESENCE”, I had to really be TOLD to bite down my tongue. She told me that I should learn to let other’s own the conversation and not be on DEFENSE mode when you seek people out to confront them or resolve things. And I 100% agree because that is my struggle and pride kicking in as a SINNER.
Although she man valid and sound points, at the end of the day, she still ‘her’ and I’m still ‘me’. We are still different people and our response to certain actions will be received/delivered with different responses and intentions. So instead of trying to ‘appease’ her by being malambing, I’m no longer going to approach her or draw to her. I’ll let her come to me when she’s ready.
We are now just giving each other space. In this season of life, I totally understand. I’m not affected by not seeing her since we haven’t spoken in 4 weeks. So it goes to show that when we do set up boundaries it releases a lot of unnecessary burdens off my heart.
fin.
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
Psalm 51:12 (via everlastingjesus)
God: Do you trust Me?
God: Then, relax in my sovereignty
05.12.16-"Deep Cries Out"
Amidst all these trials, rebukes, reproaches, and edification in both my personal and spiritual life, I cry the same cry King David has for a clean and renewed spirit in Psalm 51:12, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit." -Amen.
05.12.16-Surrender and Self-Sacrifice
Serving in ministry isn't just a chore, it's a commitment in both the elements of Surrender and Self-Sacrifice. Today, I was rebuked by my ministry leader concerning both these areas. When we commit to serving the Lord, we need to come to an understanding that we need to surrender our own personal agendas that may take the place of the time need to commit to service as well as sacrificing our time and energy. Being called to serve is not a matter of self glorification or an area of life where we can pick and choose what is comfortable with us, but rather practice a sacrificial attitude. Desiring to realign my heart upon the Lord's will for me in ministry for both college and kids ministry, I stumbled upon this article that brought my attention to many challenges I face in overcoming "comfortable Christianity" in terms of service and even leadership: https://bible.org/seriespage/mark-9-surrender-and-self-sacrifice If I voluntarily gave my life for ministry in a particular commitment, I should constantly reevaluate my priorities and constantly check my heart if the Lord is truly my Lord of my entire life -will I give everything for his sake? Including my time VOLUNTARILY for the glory and gain of my Heavenly Father, whom all the glory is due? "The bottom line is this: Christ voluntarily emptied Himself of anything and everything that stood in the way of the glory and gain of His Father through Him." Ministry isn't a chore or a job, but a form of Worship, so what then? Is my worship worthy -and blameless enough to be lifted to Lord...I'm afraid that the answer to the question lately has been a "No". Lord forgive because I fall short of your glory.
Jesus understands that our flesh is contaminated by sin and extremely weak when it comes to spiritual things. But He also encourages us to seek His strength so that we may live for Him and not succumb to our flesh. Knowing that our flesh is not able to do what our spirit desires, Jesus encourages us to pray -
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
“Set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth” (Colossians 3:2, AMP)
Have you ever been laying in bed in the morning and out of nowhere you’re reminded of all the mistakes you made yesterday and all the problems you have in your future? That’s the enemy trying to set your mind for a negative, defeated, lousy day, but you don’t have to fall into that trap.
The Scripture says, “Set your mind and keep it set on the higher things.” This tells us that we have to be proactive. We have to stay on the offensive. When you get up in the morning, have the attitude that David did in the Psalms and say, “This is another day the Lord has made! No matter how I feel, no matter what the economy looks like, no matter what the medical report says, I am choosing to rejoice. I am choosing to be happy this day.” You know what you’re really saying? You’re saying, “I’m not going to let other people steal my joy today. I’m not going to let disappointments and setbacks discourage me. I’m not going to focus on my problems and my mistakes. I’m making up my mind to embrace everything the Lord has in store for me!”
SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A DYING CHURCH
An post on Facebook by one of the pastors of the Church outreaches in the Philippines that I found interesting: I found what I call “seven sins” that characterize dying churches. These issues are not mutually exclusive; they are often directly related to each other. Rather than being a source of discouragement, I pray that my elucidation of these seven sins will be a tool to help you avoid the pitfalls that other church leaders have experienced. Sin #1: Doctrine Dilution One of our consultants sat in a Bible study class of a church that had brought in our team for a long-term consultation relationship. He had been told that the class included some of the church’s strongest leaders. Much to his surprise, the entire Bible study was a debate on whether or not a non-Christian might go to heaven. After much argument, the conclusion was that God would indeed allow such a person into heaven. When such cardinal truths as the doctrine of exclusivity become issues of doubt, a church is in trouble. There’s little motivation for outreach and evangelism if other paths and other religions are equal to Christianity. Ironically, in our survey of unchurched persons across America, we found that these non-Christians were much less likely to attend churches with weak doctrinal beliefs than those with strong ones. “Why should I waste my time in a place that does not have much certainty of belief,” Amy, a 29-year-old unchurched person from Arizona, told us. “I can find plenty of uncertainty in the world.” Sin #2: Loss of Evangelistic Passion It is no surprise that declining and dying churches have little evangelistic passion. In my January/February ’05 Outreach column, I highlighted one of the major reasons for evangelistic apathy: Many senior pastors either don’t have or have lost their evangelistic passion. Congregations tend to follow the passions and visions of those in key leadership positions, particularly the pastor. Sin #3: Failure to Be Relevant Unfortunately, many churches in America are out of touch with the changing trends and values of today’s culture. Some churches, for certain, abandon many of the cardinal truths of the faith in their quest to be relevant to the community they serve. But even more churches are woefully unaware of the realities, hopes, and pains of those around us. Failure to be true to doctrines of the Christian faith leads to apostasy. Failure to understand the world in which we live and serve leads to irrelevancy. Sin #4: Few Outwardly-Focused Ministries In a recent survey of churches across America, we found that nearly 95% of the churches’ ministries were for the members alone. Indeed, many churches had no ministries for those outside the congregation. Many churches seem to exist only for themselves. While there certainly should be ministry available for church members, often the balance between external and internal ministries is heavily skewed toward internal. When churches seek to care and minister only to their own, it’s a likely sign that decline is in motion and that death may be imminent. Sin #5: Conflict over Personal Preferences Some of the more vicious internal battles in congregations today are not fights over defending the great truths of the Christian faith. Instead, members have conflict over their preferred worship style, the way a room is painted or carpeted, and the type of pulpit the preacher uses. Battles like these are sure signs that members are more concerned about their needs than the needs of the hurting and unchurched people who live and work next to them. Sin #6: The Priority of Comfort A few years ago, my youngest son, Jess, was a high school senior on the football team. Because he gave so much of himself in the Friday night game, he often slept late on Saturdays. Around noon, he’d trudge down the stairs, turn on the television in the family room, and collapse on the sofa. One Saturday, I passed him as his extended body contorted on the sofa and noticed that my football player son was watching HGTV. Curious, I asked Jess why he was watching a home and gardening show. His response was classic—“’cause the remote is broken.” Many churches are in definitive patterns of decline because church members simply will not move beyond their couches of comfort. It’s much easier to do things the way we’ve always done them, rather than to get uncomfortable in the world outside the walls of the church. Sin #7: Biblical Illiteracy Only 3% of churches in America have a planned method of instructing their members to learn the Bible in its entirety. While studying the Bible shouldn’t be limited to a church setting, it’s imperative that churches take the lead in these types of endeavors. When only three of 100 churches even attempt to provide a way for their members to understand Genesis to Revelation, biblical illiteracy is likely to occur. And biblical illiteracy means that our churches may not be obedient to the calls of Scripture because they don’t know what the Bible says. Lights in the darkness? Our research shows that many churches in America are sick, declining, and dying. Still, I remain an obnoxious optimist about the American Church. I’ve seen many churches reject the darkness of these seven sins and do something about their decline. They’re truly lights in the darkness. I recently concluded a one-year consultation with a church that had seen a reversal of almost all the negative trends in its congregation. The pastor summed up the experience well: “We were not lacking in resources or know-how; we were just lacking in obedience. When we made a decision that mediocrity and complacency would not be acceptable, God began to bless us. It is just that simple.”
05.09.16-"Given Grace despite Trials" Sometimes we are given trials and circumstances that we my not want to face. Struggles we feel as if they are too heavy to carry alone. Such circumstances in my case would be financial instability, being unable to graduated this year, lacking purity and holiness in a relationship that God has given to practice patience and self-control, wanting discipline and motivation to finish the school year strong, and my desire to PURUSE GOD ABOVE everything else. But a sister if mine reminded me that despite our trials, we would never discover God's wonderful and sweet mercy and grace. In all these trials, I pray that I choose CHRIST alone and it draws me closer and closer to him. "...Though we would not choose some of or circumstances... Let's choose Him...over and over again..Let's choose Him."