The Pathway to Love
Sisters and Seekers,
I logged onto the blog today after a long absence-I am now helping write for a local women's ministry and in this season of life, don't get to my blog as much as I want to. Saw I had 18 readers from Israel this week! Welcome and hope we can connect! As always feel free to comment or send me a message...seeing women from all over the world access this content is such a blessing to me!
So why the sudden break from my hiatus? This teacher/mom/writer/daughter of God is home for day 3 of an unexpected winter storm. Where I live in the Pacific Northwest, we typically get snow on our mountains and rain in the lowlands. This winter has been a bit different. We were getting 1-2 feet of snow over a few days time and the community services that treat our roads are just not ready to handle it. That, along with freezing temps and meandering hills make the roads treacherous. God has given me the gift of slowing down and the gift of practicing my patience. I write that a bit tongue-in-cheek as I know I should be grateful to be stuck inside with two extraverted teenagers but I'll be honest--they are driving me crazy! It's brought me to prayer, I'll say that much.
This morning I was asking the Spirit to fill this home and just take over. I myself get a little antsy when I'm not at work for long, unexpected stretches and then to be homebound is a lot for this active lady. My irritation seems to build and was needing a fresh word from the Lord to face another day at home. We've played games, made cookies, played in the snow...how else can I entertain these kids without thrusting electronics in front of them? I'll admit that I did...so know that I'm keep it real! 😃
During my morning devotional time God gave me the gift of this verse as an answer to my prayer to once again love these kids-knowing bickering, complaining, and getting on each others nerves will likely fill my day today. Don'g get me wrong, I love them...with an agape, always there kind of love but I want to love them with the phileo affectionate kind. Here's what I read:
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, though knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virute, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self control with steadfastness, and steadfastness, with godlinesss, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful I the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:3-8
Wow right! I needed this reminder today. For we are needing power that comes from beyond ourselves. I need the divine touch that combines thoughts, will, feelings, and choices with His type of godliness, a nature that is fully surrendered to the Father. He doesn't want us to settle for less because He revealed Himself to us and calls us to excellence. So don't quit! Even when your at home praying for rain...maybe your stuck in your life in a different place than with your kids on your very last nerve...no matter what the situation, He calls us higher! For His glory not our own! You may think that no one sees or knows where you are at or can acknowledge the effort you put in but He does, always.
This passage declares that moving forward in the Lord is a promise, that He is always at work so we become partakers of this divine nature. That's a fancy way to say we can be more like Him. What an encouragement to know that He is committed to working within me, when I feel like it or not. So how do I participate? There is a roadmap listed for me that builds upon itself.
Start with faith. Do you believe in His power to change you? Add to that virtue; not a word we use often. It's a moral excellence, a purity, a virtuous course. This doesn't mean being perfect: Christ's life gifted us moral perfection. Yet is it a desire to live free from intentional, habitual sin. When is the last time reflected and confessed? Is there an area you've allowed darkness to fester and grow? Add to this knowledge. Knowledge of God as revealed through His word is a great place to start. Get into your bible today, put on a podcast where you hear His word taught, open up that Bible Study you've been meaning to begin. Next consider self control. I've been practicing the Examen each night as a new way of communing with God, a prayer that guides reflection at the end of our day on how much of it was led by the Spirit of God as evidenced by the fruits of the Spirit. Self control is one of those fruits. How much of your time is spent each day laying aside your flesh, the part of your past nature that fights against the life in God you want to live, and instead guided by our Wise Counselor and the characteristics that bring newness of life? In addition, Peter says to build upon your self control with steadfastness, a perseverance, one who is not swayed from their purpose, even when faced with trials or suffering--it is an enduring, a waiting that is sustained by the inner reserves we have built up in our life in God. That is right where I am today my friends. Do I have what it takes to continue to desire to grow when I am challenged? The decision to continue grows godliness, a life characterized by holiness, a righteousness that has been developed over many small choices, a surrounding of our will over time. It doesn't happen in a moment, so don't give up. Lastly, I notice this trait leads to brotherly affection which blossoms into full-blown love.
This is the path, the answer to strength, the way that builds up and leads to victorious living. So I challenge you to take heart, remembering that our life of faith is a process and we are all at different places. Remember God promises to develop you into the women He wants you to be and will use all things in your life to get you there! He says if you keep these things in mind and choose them with intention, you will progress! I suggest taking time to day to prayerfully go through this verse and ask God where you are at in your journey with Him and what your next step are. For the steps of a [woman] are established by the Lord, when [she] delights in His way (Psalm 37:23).
I logged onto the blog today after a long absence-I am now helping write for a local women's ministry and in this season of life, don't get to my blog as much as I want to. Saw I had 18 readers from Israel this week! Welcome and hope we can connect! As always feel free to comment or send me a message...seeing women from all over the world access this content is such a blessing to me!
So why the sudden break from my hiatus? This teacher/mom/writer/daughter of God is home for day 3 of an unexpected winter storm. Where I live in the Pacific Northwest, we typically get snow on our mountains and rain in the lowlands. This winter has been a bit different. We were getting 1-2 feet of snow over a few days time and the community services that treat our roads are just not ready to handle it. That, along with freezing temps and meandering hills make the roads treacherous. God has given me the gift of slowing down and the gift of practicing my patience. I write that a bit tongue-in-cheek as I know I should be grateful to be stuck inside with two extraverted teenagers but I'll be honest--they are driving me crazy! It's brought me to prayer, I'll say that much.
This morning I was asking the Spirit to fill this home and just take over. I myself get a little antsy when I'm not at work for long, unexpected stretches and then to be homebound is a lot for this active lady. My irritation seems to build and was needing a fresh word from the Lord to face another day at home. We've played games, made cookies, played in the snow...how else can I entertain these kids without thrusting electronics in front of them? I'll admit that I did...so know that I'm keep it real! 😃
During my morning devotional time God gave me the gift of this verse as an answer to my prayer to once again love these kids-knowing bickering, complaining, and getting on each others nerves will likely fill my day today. Don'g get me wrong, I love them...with an agape, always there kind of love but I want to love them with the phileo affectionate kind. Here's what I read:
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, though knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virute, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self control with steadfastness, and steadfastness, with godlinesss, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful I the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:3-8
Wow right! I needed this reminder today. For we are needing power that comes from beyond ourselves. I need the divine touch that combines thoughts, will, feelings, and choices with His type of godliness, a nature that is fully surrendered to the Father. He doesn't want us to settle for less because He revealed Himself to us and calls us to excellence. So don't quit! Even when your at home praying for rain...maybe your stuck in your life in a different place than with your kids on your very last nerve...no matter what the situation, He calls us higher! For His glory not our own! You may think that no one sees or knows where you are at or can acknowledge the effort you put in but He does, always.
This passage declares that moving forward in the Lord is a promise, that He is always at work so we become partakers of this divine nature. That's a fancy way to say we can be more like Him. What an encouragement to know that He is committed to working within me, when I feel like it or not. So how do I participate? There is a roadmap listed for me that builds upon itself.
Start with faith. Do you believe in His power to change you? Add to that virtue; not a word we use often. It's a moral excellence, a purity, a virtuous course. This doesn't mean being perfect: Christ's life gifted us moral perfection. Yet is it a desire to live free from intentional, habitual sin. When is the last time reflected and confessed? Is there an area you've allowed darkness to fester and grow? Add to this knowledge. Knowledge of God as revealed through His word is a great place to start. Get into your bible today, put on a podcast where you hear His word taught, open up that Bible Study you've been meaning to begin. Next consider self control. I've been practicing the Examen each night as a new way of communing with God, a prayer that guides reflection at the end of our day on how much of it was led by the Spirit of God as evidenced by the fruits of the Spirit. Self control is one of those fruits. How much of your time is spent each day laying aside your flesh, the part of your past nature that fights against the life in God you want to live, and instead guided by our Wise Counselor and the characteristics that bring newness of life? In addition, Peter says to build upon your self control with steadfastness, a perseverance, one who is not swayed from their purpose, even when faced with trials or suffering--it is an enduring, a waiting that is sustained by the inner reserves we have built up in our life in God. That is right where I am today my friends. Do I have what it takes to continue to desire to grow when I am challenged? The decision to continue grows godliness, a life characterized by holiness, a righteousness that has been developed over many small choices, a surrounding of our will over time. It doesn't happen in a moment, so don't give up. Lastly, I notice this trait leads to brotherly affection which blossoms into full-blown love.
This is the path, the answer to strength, the way that builds up and leads to victorious living. So I challenge you to take heart, remembering that our life of faith is a process and we are all at different places. Remember God promises to develop you into the women He wants you to be and will use all things in your life to get you there! He says if you keep these things in mind and choose them with intention, you will progress! I suggest taking time to day to prayerfully go through this verse and ask God where you are at in your journey with Him and what your next step are. For the steps of a [woman] are established by the Lord, when [she] delights in His way (Psalm 37:23).
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