2 A Woman After God's Own Heart

Greetings fellow sojourners!  I hope everyone is having a nice day so far.  I have mentioned before on the blog that I am in a year long study at my church called Esther's Women.  The study is comprised of a group of  ten women and we meet once a month to discuss a book that we were assigned to read.  The purpose of Esther's Women is for us to commit to one year to the development of our leadership potential and Christian character formation.  I can already tell that this group is helping me to refine my leadership skills and is enabling me to have a deeper relationship with Christ.  I have enjoyed all of the books we have read, but this month I particularly enjoyed our book, "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George.  I had first read this book when Raleigh and I were engaged but I really enjoyed reading it again from the perspective of a wife and mother.  It offers practical tips on building your ministry, taking care of your home, and supporting your family as a Christian woman.

I know some of you might say, "Well, I am not a minister, so I don't really need this book for a ministry."  My answer to you is, "Yes you do!"  We all have a ministry whether we realize it or not.  How we act in our daily lives directly reflects our relationship with the Lord.  People are watching you and me constantly to see how we react to conflict, trials, and even joyful occasions.  Do we rely on God's strength and give him the glory?  Or, do we complain when times get tough and brag on ourselves when something is great?  Elizabeth writes, "We want what other people see of our lives - the public portion - to stir up this kind of awe and wonder.  We want our strength in public to be explained by what goes on in private between us and God."  So, how do we draw near to God's heart?  Here are three steps:

1. Develop a habit of drawing near to God. Only through routine, regular exposure to God's Word can you and I draw out the nutrition needed to grow hearts of faith.  We have to be firm with ourselves and aim for habitual, scheduled time with God whether we feel like it or not, whether it seems like the best use of my time or not.
2. Design a personal time for drawing near to God. As women we're used to designing, planning, and scheduling the events of life.  We know how to pull off parties, projects at work, weddings, and retreats.  When it comes to planning, your quiet time should be no different - especially considering its eternal value.  Plan out when, where, and whatever aids you need to have an intimate moment with God.
3. Dream of being a woman after God's heart. Motivation is key when it comes to nurturing a heart of devotion, and dreaming helps motivate us.  As a wake-up call to the seriousness of daily life and to find fresh urgency about your walk with the Lord, describe the woman you want to be spiritually in one year.

The next area in the book that captured me was about having a heart that creates order from chaos.  If any of you are like me, cleaning my home is seen as a chore rather than an enjoyment.  1 Timothy 5:14 states, "I will therefore that the younger women...guide the house."  How do we find time to manage our home with work, kids, husbands, and other activities?  Elizabeth tells us to:

1. First, understand that home management is God's best for us.  Home management is His plan, His way.  It's His good and acceptable and perfect will for us (Romans 12:2).
2. Second, decide to take home management seriously.  If we manage our homes effectively, we will have time to be involved in church ministry.
3. Third, live as though you will be accountable for the condition of your home and the use of your time...because you will!  How would the Lord - and your family - rate your service, your meals, and your management?

Finally, one of the most helpful parts of the book was about caring for my family and myself.  Elizabeth writes, "Your husband is your life mate.  Whatever he is like, he is God's good and perfect gift to you, part of God's plan for your personal fulfillment and, more important, for your spiritual development.  Your Christian character becomes evident each and every time you choose from your heart to bend, to yield, to honor, to submit, to follow your husband.  It's one way that you, as a woman after God's own heart, honor God."  In regards to being a mother, she writes that we are the Number One influence in our children's lives and we should treat them as people that we want to be with, play with, and people that should be our highest human priority after our husbands.  In order for us to practice our priorities, she tells us how to assign numbers to our priorities.

1. God
2. Your husband
3. Your children
4. Your home
5. Your spiritual growth
6. Your ministry activities
7. Other activities

During your quiet time, ask God to show you how you can manage these priorities and what he wants you to do today for each of these priorities.  If you follow these steps of planning, praying, and scheduling, you soon discover how comforting it is to get up from your time of prayer with a clear plan for your day.

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.  Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the word of God."

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

***All notes are from "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George

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