Thursday, January 7, 2010

Chapter 1..............Growing in the Lord

One of my goals this year is to be a better wife and mother.  I've started reading A Wife After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George  again.  So I thought I would share it with ya'll.   I hope to cover a chapter a week, but we will see how it goes.    I've also linked the scripture to Bible Gateway.com  Whether you are married, or hoping to be married in the future.  I feel this book will help us if we truly obey and listen to what God is telling us through it.                          The first thing we have to do each and every day is to put the Lord first.  For months after my divorce, eight years ago.   I wondered if there was something more I could have done.  Had I not prayed hard enough or forgiven enough.  But we and God can only do so much.   The person we're praying for has to be willing to change.  God's not going to force himself on anyone.  We decide, whether the things of the Lord are really that important to us..or not.  We decide whether we schedule in the time it takes to grow, to meet with God regularly, to stop, look, and listen to Him by reading our Bibles.....or not.    We grow by putting God first.  That's how spiritual growth occurs.  The most tried and true way to put God first is by reading His word daily and obeying.  Also by spending time with Him through prayer.  My biggest fault is venting to everyone else instead of God. 
Step #1  Discover through reading the Bible what God says about your life and how He wants you to live it.   By reading His word we learn more about Him and His standards for righteousness.

Step#2  Discern through studying the Bible the meaning and implications of what you are reading.  Praying and seeking God to understand what He has said in His word.

Step#3  Through heartfelt obedience what we have read and learned, discovered and discerned.  This is where we put our knowledge into action into our lives.

How is your heart?  Is it strong in faith....or weak?  A woman and a wife after God's own heart is someone who follows after Him and close behind Him.   (Psalms 63:8)  The awareness of weak or sinful areas in our walk with God can be the beginning of even greater growth.  
Are you satisfied with your current condition, spiritual maturity, and rate of growth?  If so, you will grow no more.   If not, if there is a holy desire to grow in the Lord, to know God in a deeper, more intimate way, to be a woman after His heart, to strive toward His standards, to please Him, to be more Christlike, to identify, attack, and triumph over ungodly conduct and practices ........then yours is the soft, responsive-to-God heart that will grow in the Lord.

First is commitment, there is a commitment section throughout the book.  In which it will ask us to determine to grow, to determine to move out, to determine to take action, to determine to do the "putting off and putting on" of the practices and attitudes God calls us to , to determine to pay the price to follow after God...........to put Him first, whatever that cost may be and however high it may soar, no matter what.

Second, we are to write in our own way, in our own words, and from our heart, our personal commitment to God.  Make a commitment------a decision-----and determine to grow into the woman------and wife-----you yearn to be-----a woman after God's own heart, one who will do all His will.  Acts 13:22
There is also a Heart Response at the end of each chapter.  It's little things that make a big difference..

1.  Read your Bible every day.
Something is better than nothing.  Here are her suggestions of our Bible reading to go along with the book.

Day 1...............................Genesis 1
Day 2................................Genesis 2
Day 3................................Genesis 3
Day 4 ............................Ephesians 5
Day 5............................Colossians 3

Then go back and begin at Genesis 4 and finish the book of Genesis.

2.  Pray for your husband three times every day.
Pray before he wakes up, at noon, and right before he comes home. 

3.  Plan to go to church this week.
If your a little rusty on your church attendance, or haven't been going at all.  Place this all-imporant date on your calendar. 

4.  Sign up for a Bible class or Bible study.  Another great way of experiencing the joy of growing in the Lord.

5.  Purchase or borrow a Christian book on any topic.  As you learn from others sharing their knowledge and their passion for God and His son, you too will grow in knowledge.



10 comments:

  1. Thena,

    These are some valuable tips and I know that will help not only women who have gone through this journey already but ones in the midst of it and those wanting to keep their marriages intact. Love this!

    Love and Hugs ~ Kat

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  2. This is one of my all time favorite books. It really opened my eyes in so many areas of my life. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did. I'm an Elizabeth Georger book fanatic:)((hugs))

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  3. I'm going to be borrowing this from a friend of mine. After reading this, I'm excited to get started on it.

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  4. Great tips!

    By the way, your blog is perfect. So don't doubt that ever. You are right--friends and encouragement.

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  5. From the looks of it, you are preparing yourself for quite a wild year in the Lord! I'm doing the "butterfly experience" this month. Can't wait to get out of this cocoon!

    Blessings!

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  6. I am going to have to buy this book! This is the second review I have read on it and it is getting some great reviews!

    Thanks for sharing!

    -Alisa Hope

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  7. I just wanted to say hello. That book does look good. Thanks for sharing.

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  8. I really like how you are going about this. I also like your new button. Just grabbed and going to update my blogroll right now.

    p.s. Your blog is really growing - I see a European commentor above. :0)

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  9. Words of widom...putting the Lord in the center of your marriage makes for a wonderful union. Praying together is a bond stronger then cement. Its those little things that mean everything in a relationship. Yep...we are here in Brunswick now and are wondering where the warm weather is!!!! Tuesday is suppose to be the rebound day....back in the 60's ...yay! Stay warm Thena

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