So me and my homegirls are in a Bible Study by Angela Thomas called Stronger and it has been so good. I’m drawn to Angela’s style of teaching and her homework and I think it’s because of who she is mindful of when writing. She always writes/speaks with the woman in mind who doesn’t know Jesus, those who are new to the faith and those who have been in faith for a long time. That’s not always easy to do but she does it so very well and it’s the thing that keeps me coming back to her for Bible Studies with both new and old in the faith friends.
This week we looked at being like Christ and how we might think he lived a “balanced life” yet life all around Jesus was not balanced.
Angela says, “The ministry of Jesus was full of overwhelming crowds, inconsistent disciples, judgmental, ever-present Pharisees, loneliness, and temptation. But with all the demands of His day, Jesus lived with a consistent calm and wisdom. He led with his inner life. Arranging external order was not His ambition. Living in obedience to the Father was the aim of his whole life.
When a balanced life becomes our quest, we are missing the message of Scripture. The ambition of the Christian life is not balancing our things. The goal for the Christ follower is Christlikeness.”
Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
I felt like this lesson let me off the hook and gave me some breathing room with my busy life. I’m still evaluating what I might need to let go of in order to maintain an inner life that can remain calm and wise. When I take on too much stuff I get frazzled and frustrated with myself and others. It’s not that a perfect balance has to be found but making sure my Yes-es are out of obedience to God and not just flying through life taking on the next big project.
I love how studying God’s word meets us right where we are in life. His word really is alive and active. I won’t ever stop saying it because it’s so true. When we read God’s word to know him more we will see God use his word in our life. Things come to life. Light bulbs go off. Not all at once and not every time we sit down to read. But you just watch it……God will reveal himself to you as you open his word.
What is God teaching you right now? I’d love to hear in the comments.
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