"How do we react to failure? Do we immediately start making allowances or blaming others or refusing to try again? Or do we try to understand what the Lord could have been teaching us through our failure. Could the lesson be humility? Could it be perseverance? Could it be both?"
"...the way we react to those trials is important, not only because we ought to be striving to glorify God, even in the "little things," but because we're also developing character that's going to help us tackle those "bigger things."
A wonderful young lady, Jasmine, has posted this helpful article on her blog, here.
I would have to say that my greatest fear in life is the fear of failure. I am gripped by this fear so badly at times, that, instead of using my failure as a step to success, I never try again. There have been many things in my life that I have never even attempted, just because I didn't want to fail. The more things I have put off or not pursued because of my fear have caused me to realize that:
The greatest failure in life is not even trying!
When we are doing things for the Lord, our concern is whether or not we are rightly serving Him; not whether or not we fail. If something does not go the way we anticipate, it is not because we have failed or God failed us, but that the lessons we learn through so called "failure" are greater than the lessons we would learn through succuss.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sample Apron
"She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
"Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come."
~Proverbs 31:25
~Proverbs 31:25
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Stuck in the Prayer Closet
So often I struggled with keeping the Lord in the central position of my life. I would wake up in the morning and just spend time with the Lord and really draw close to Him. I would read my Bible, pray, and then get up to start my day. I always asked the Lord in my prayers to help me do His will. I would go along my merry way,
until...
well, something would always happen. One of the kids would wake up grumpy, or I remembered all the stuff I had to do, or something terrible would happen to disrupt my plans, my agenda.
I always prayed, "Lord, help me get the things done that I need to get done today." Not realizing that statement alone said it all. I really thought that I was doing God's will, (remember I said that's what I desired to do in my morning prayer?); but I soon began to realize that God was still in the prayer closet. See, when I got up in the morning I really wanted God's will for my life. I would listen and hear His will. Yet, I didn't realize that instead of taking God with me throughout the day, I in essence said "Okay God, you want me to do this today? All right, I can handle that, you just sit tight and I'll see you tonight-hopefully." I would take His will and run with it. I did things from Him and for Him, but not with Him.
So many times we can get with the Lord, hear His will, and then go out and get caught up in the day. We ask God to help us do His will, then we go out and do our own, in our timing, our way.
At night after I was worn out with all that I had to do, I would find God at my bedside still waiting for me since the morning.
I would like to challenge you, as well as myself, to focus on the Lord throughout the day. Don't leave God stuck in the prayer closet. Put down your agenda and focus on His agenda, in His timing. Often, we are doing God's will, but not in the timing or way that He intended, sometimes He wants us to drop everything and be flexible enough to do something else for that day. We cannot be effective in doing God's will if we are not doing His will, through Him. Keep the Lord at the center of your thoughts. When you find yourself veering away, stop and refocus on the Lord. Let us become virtuous maidens whose hearts are continually on the Lord!
until...
well, something would always happen. One of the kids would wake up grumpy, or I remembered all the stuff I had to do, or something terrible would happen to disrupt my plans, my agenda.
I always prayed, "Lord, help me get the things done that I need to get done today." Not realizing that statement alone said it all. I really thought that I was doing God's will, (remember I said that's what I desired to do in my morning prayer?); but I soon began to realize that God was still in the prayer closet. See, when I got up in the morning I really wanted God's will for my life. I would listen and hear His will. Yet, I didn't realize that instead of taking God with me throughout the day, I in essence said "Okay God, you want me to do this today? All right, I can handle that, you just sit tight and I'll see you tonight-hopefully." I would take His will and run with it. I did things from Him and for Him, but not with Him.
So many times we can get with the Lord, hear His will, and then go out and get caught up in the day. We ask God to help us do His will, then we go out and do our own, in our timing, our way.
At night after I was worn out with all that I had to do, I would find God at my bedside still waiting for me since the morning.
I would like to challenge you, as well as myself, to focus on the Lord throughout the day. Don't leave God stuck in the prayer closet. Put down your agenda and focus on His agenda, in His timing. Often, we are doing God's will, but not in the timing or way that He intended, sometimes He wants us to drop everything and be flexible enough to do something else for that day. We cannot be effective in doing God's will if we are not doing His will, through Him. Keep the Lord at the center of your thoughts. When you find yourself veering away, stop and refocus on the Lord. Let us become virtuous maidens whose hearts are continually on the Lord!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Do You Belong?
The question looming in most people's minds is not who they are, but who's they are.
We long to know that we belong to someone or to something.
Whenever we meet someone we're always asked what we are associated with:
"What school do you go to"," what job do you have", "where are you from", "what do you do", and the list goes on.
Everyone is searching for something to "belong" to.
I searched for most my life to find that place of belonging. I tried belonging to different people groups, to hobbies, to stations in life; all trying to just belong.
I found my freedom when I realized that- I belong to Christ! He wants me, He loves me. It's like He has taken me and stamped me with this "seal of ownership"; I'm His.
I belong
I don't need to search any further; I know who's I am and that's all that matters. I carry that "seal of ownership" as a daughter of the King of Kings and it sets me apart. It causes me to be vastly contented; knowing that I belong to someone. I can have the quiet strength of the virtuous woman; knowing who and who's I am and finding joy in that.
We long to know that we belong to someone or to something.
Whenever we meet someone we're always asked what we are associated with:
"What school do you go to"," what job do you have", "where are you from", "what do you do", and the list goes on.
Everyone is searching for something to "belong" to.
I searched for most my life to find that place of belonging. I tried belonging to different people groups, to hobbies, to stations in life; all trying to just belong.
I found my freedom when I realized that- I belong to Christ! He wants me, He loves me. It's like He has taken me and stamped me with this "seal of ownership"; I'm His.
I belong
I don't need to search any further; I know who's I am and that's all that matters. I carry that "seal of ownership" as a daughter of the King of Kings and it sets me apart. It causes me to be vastly contented; knowing that I belong to someone. I can have the quiet strength of the virtuous woman; knowing who and who's I am and finding joy in that.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
What is a “Maiden of Virtue”?
The Hebrew form of virtue means “of strength”, and maiden is an unmarried woman.
So, a “Maiden of Virtue” is an unmarried young lady that possesses power and strength.
What does a “Maiden of Virtue” look like?
She is not a perfect model of:
· Beauty,
· Poise and elegance, or
· Charm
Rather, she is a young lady that relies on the Lord in everything. The strength that she possesses is not a physical aptitude; but a quiet, inner strength that comes from the Lord, to do what is right. Her beauty is not an outward beauty; but an inward beauty of holiness before the Lord.
She is not a perfect housekeeper, chef, or seamstress. She is a servant. She does all that she can to glory of the Lord and she does everything to the best of her ability. She seeks to serve her Master by, serving others, helping others, and doing all things with joy.
In Proverbs 31:13 – the virtuous woman “worketh willingly with her hands”
“willingly” in the Hebrew, denotes pleasure and is a cheerful service.
When I would read Proverbs 31, I would get discouraged because I felt that I was not “perfect” enough. But, the Lord has shown me that He does not want me to be perfect, He wants me to be willing; willing to just serve Him.
"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." ~ Proverbs 31:10
So, a “Maiden of Virtue” is an unmarried young lady that possesses power and strength.
What does a “Maiden of Virtue” look like?
She is not a perfect model of:
· Beauty,
· Poise and elegance, or
· Charm
Rather, she is a young lady that relies on the Lord in everything. The strength that she possesses is not a physical aptitude; but a quiet, inner strength that comes from the Lord, to do what is right. Her beauty is not an outward beauty; but an inward beauty of holiness before the Lord.
She is not a perfect housekeeper, chef, or seamstress. She is a servant. She does all that she can to glory of the Lord and she does everything to the best of her ability. She seeks to serve her Master by, serving others, helping others, and doing all things with joy.
In Proverbs 31:13 – the virtuous woman “worketh willingly with her hands”
“willingly” in the Hebrew, denotes pleasure and is a cheerful service.
When I would read Proverbs 31, I would get discouraged because I felt that I was not “perfect” enough. But, the Lord has shown me that He does not want me to be perfect, He wants me to be willing; willing to just serve Him.
"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." ~ Proverbs 31:10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)