Faith Archives – Page 12 of 36

What Root Are You Tripping Over?

06.04.2019 by Tracy Stella //

The FACETS of Faith team is excited to share what God placed on our hearts for this month’s topic. Why? Because we believe God’s kids are going to get some freedom! That’s our prayer: freedom and fullness of life for all who read and engage with what God inspired us to write. Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule. Snuggle up. Settle in. And let’s see what He has to say to us all. He’s given Kim, Jen, and our guest writer a voice in this as well. Can’t wait to see what God has to say through them too!

Life is full of moments, some of them defining. Choosing to forgive is one of them. I know forgiveness is complicated and getting to that place isn’t always easy. Forgiveness has its roots in love. Our lives are better for it. When we invest ourselves in the conscious choice to choose love, we win.

We can’t choose love if we don’t know who He is. Love is sacrificial like Jesus.

“If you have experienced the power of love and forgiveness in your life, you’ll probably give away a lot of both. …. We can reflect the angst we felt or the grace we’ve received.”1

At this point in my life, I’ve experienced God’s love in profound and deep ways. That wasn’t always the case. I didn’t always know His love for me. It was always there waiting. It just took me awhile to be ready to receive it. I pray you have encountered this love, a well so deep, a knowing so intimate and personal, and safe. Jesus, He’s safe. (I feel like someone needs to know that right here, right now.) If that’s you, you need to know Jesus is SAFE. I get that. And He is!

I’ve experienced deep violations in my life. Maybe you have too. The ones they write trauma recovery books about. If that’s you, I pray you open your heart to the safety who is Jesus. Let Him into your life. I promise, sweet one, He is safe, true, loving and kind. In fact, I just read this today. Perhaps, it’s for you.

The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.─Psalm 145:9

Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous─how well I know it.─Psalm 139:14

God made you. He thinks you’re marvelous! And He has compassion for you. He’s not looking at your situation through blind eyes. He knows you. He knows what hurts you. He knows what He has for you, and it’s so much greater than unforgiveness. He knows it will be hard, but He’s not asking you to do anything He wasn’t willing to do Himself.

Jesus forgave many who betrayed Him, belittled Him, and took advantage of Him when all He wanted to do was make this world and the people in it better, good.

Yes, He’s God. But He was also fully man. I’m grateful for that truth, because it helps me to know He understands. He understands, sweet one!

Forgiveness Frees Us from Tripping Over Pride’s Root

Unforgiveness has its roots in pride. How’s that, you ask?

If I choose not to forgive, it’s as if I’m saying my problem is bigger than my God. It’s as if I’m saying my thoughts are higher than His thoughts. It’s as if I’m saying I know more about what’s good for me than God does. The problem, the violation wasn’t good, but where God desires to bring us is good.

He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.─Psalm 18:19 NIV

Forgiveness is the spacious place God desires to bring us to. It’s a peaceful place, one where we can breathe freely. Fully.

Does God have great grace for us on our journey toward forgiveness? You bet He does! And when we need to travel that path again, He’ll walk with us. Sometimes, it’s not as simple as merely saying, “I forgive you.” But it’s a good place to start.

Forgiveness is like a decadent wedding cake. There are many layers to it. God gets that, because He gets us. All He’s asking for us to do is bite into it. His promise is that we’ll taste His goodness when we do.

The thing that happened to us isn’t good, but God is. His desire is to set captives free. Forgiveness is a giant key that opens the door to our freedom.

Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.─Proverbs 16:18 NASB

Pride trips us up with a knotted root of unforgiveness.

On the other hand, forgiveness elevates us.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive any complaint you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.─Colossians 3:12-13 BSB

If you have accepted Christ into your heart, you ARE one of His elect, holy and beloved. Stop right there. You are holy. You are beloved.

From that position, clothe yourself with compassion and humility.

Forgive ANY complaint you have against one another.

Any.

(I know. I know. Sometimes, that’s hard. Don’t do it in your own strength. Do it in HIS.)

I’m forever taking the pressure off myself. There’s just too much in the world. A lot could weigh us down. We can’t get to where God is taking us if we let that happen. Choose to seek Him as you take a bite out of unforgiveness. Here’s a prayer to start:

Lord, You know my heart and You know every act committed against me. You also know the things I have done to hurt others. Thank You for Your gift of forgiveness to me, so that I don’t need to wear the weight of that burden. Help me, instead, Lord to put on your righteousness and holiness. Clothe me in Your love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. I can forgive if you help me to get there, Lord. Please bring me to that spacious place. Help me to bask in Your love and peace as I do so, Lord. In Jesus’ precious name, amen!

Forgiveness Frees Us to Receive God’s Abundance

When God knows He can trust us to forgive, He can trust us with more.

To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.─Matthew 13:12 NLT

Joseph comes to mind. He was deeply betrayed by his brothers. He was put in a well and left for dead, all because they were jealous and annoyed with their baby brother who had a God-given dream and needed some growing up to do as to how he shared it. He suffered and was estranged from his family, even his brother Ben (because I like to imagine Joseph called him that versus Benjamin). I drop syllables on people’s names whom I’m close to. Jennifer becomes Jen. Samuel becomes Sam. So in my mind, Benjamin is Ben to Joseph.

Joseph also lost time with his father who deeply loved him. He didn’t get to make the memories with his father that his other siblings did.

We’d understand if Joseph let a bitter root of unforgiveness take over like vines that cling to a brick façade. The vines eventually tear down the structure by weakening it.

Have you ever seen a home unattended to? After awhile things deteriorate. Go back decades later and its almost unrecognizable. Overgrown and in disrepair, its former beauty and purpose hidden.

That’s what can happen to people once happy, who get wounded by other broken people when we choose not to live in the freedom of forgiveness.

Talk about clothing himself in kindness, Joseph did that!

He could have turned his brothers away when they needed food. Instead he used wisdom to test their heart. And he blessed them greatly.

Notice what I wrote above. Joseph tested their motives. Sometimes, people still aren’t safe for us. Forgive them and move on.

But sometimes it’s safe to let people stay (or to let them back in). Pray on this. Ask for God’s wisdom and discernment. And if you’ve never read the story of Joseph, I encourage you to do so. If you have, maybe God is calling you to read it again. This time through the lens of forgiveness.

Joseph rose above circumstances and was given a position of honor and authority. Nothing could thwart God’s plan for Joseph’s life. To fulfill His plan for Joseph, it did require his obedience.

Remember, when God knows He can trust us with a little, He’ll give us more. I’m not saying it will be easy, but start with small acts toward forgiveness.

Practically, what does that look like?

First, ask God to fill you with His love. It’s only out of His overflow that we can sacrificially love. Not out of a place of lack, but of much love.

Second, you could go back up and pray the prayer if you didn’t earlier.

Third, you could ask God for His wisdom and discernment as to whom is safe for you and who is not.

Fourth, pray for the person, especially if he or she is still living. No one is beyond God’s reach. No one.

Fifth, remember, just because we’re supposed to forgive those who trespass against us doesn’t mean we give them full access to tramp upon our hearts. God will show you who and how much access to give.

Lastly, ask God if there is a tangible way you can demonstrate forgiveness.

Maybe there is an act of “releasing” that you can do, ceremonially, that releases that person or circumstance to God. Like planting a flower (a bulb) that symbolizes forgiveness coming up from the darkness. In the future, whenever you see the flower come up each spring, you’ll be reminded of the fresh renewal forgiveness brings.

Maybe it’s placing lights along your sidewalk as a reminder that God’s path is well lit and He’s leading you on a journey toward forgiveness. Every time you see the light, be reminded of Christ’s light and love for you as He leads you on the narrow path. But the path of forgiveness leads to goodness, peace, and truth. The one that leads you to Him.

For me I have another bite of wedding cake God is calling me to take. It’s an easier bite than those I took earlier. The lump in my throat from the pain of the situation made the first bites of forgiveness hard to swallow. That’s how it often is, but if we choose to chew the pain and let Christ help us, we’ll live vibrantly again. Fully. Wholly. Completely.

I don’t want to live a half-eaten life. I don’t only want the leftovers. I want a full plate of God’s goodness. So I’ll chew, even when it’s hard.

The person I’m feeling called to bless didn’t directly hurt me, but a shared circumstance did (kind of – it’s complicated – it’s life, after all). I’ve felt led to pray for this person, so I have. And now I am feeling led to bless the person, which I will do. I’ve been praying about how God would want me to bless this person. He’s given me a few ideas, and we’re still working out the details.

He just kind of dropped the idea in my brain yesterday while I was out on a motorcycle ride. (Because that’s one of the spacious places He brings me to where I find peace. The open road, the more winding the better.)

I cried a little underneath my helmet, not because I’m mad or upset anymore. I cried at God’s goodness. I knew I would never have been able to easily accept His idea to bless a person involved with a circumstance that had wounded me deeply if it hadn’t been for Him. They were kind of celebratory tears of sorts. The deep pain had turned to a “small scar”.

What happened didn’t go away, but the excruciating pain had. In its place was God’s love and peace and the ability to bless.

If that’s not a spacious place, I don’t know what is.

Forgiveness Frees Us to Take Up Great Causes

There’s a song by Francesca Battistelli that keeps going through my brain. The lyric is this:

“It’s your life–what you gonna do? The world is watching you
Every day the choices you make
Say what you are and who your heart beats for
It’s an open door”2

I want to win. Don’t you?

One of the ways we win is when we take our deepest tragedies and turn them into triumphs.

I think of the mom who lost her son in a terrible tragedy. MADD was started because a mom chose to do something worthy and worthwhile with her pain. She chose to invest in forgiveness and used that horrific event as a platform to make the world a better place.

I want that for us. I want each of us to have the courage to take some of the darkest moments of our lives and turn them into something beautiful with Christ’s help. That is my prayer for all who are reading this.

How that looks for you will be dramatically different than how it looks for me. We don’t need any copycats. We are all originals, made in God’s image, but with a specific plan and purpose. I pray God shows you what that is and how to take the dark moments of your life and turn them into something beautiful. Only He has the power to do that, to transform our thinking (and our theology). Forgive. Love. Live. Go on vacation from the enemy’s tricks and choose God’s way.

If you’ve ever been to Hawaii, you know how breathtaking it is. I’ve visited the island of Kawaii a few times. It’s nothing short of paradise. (And it always reminds me of Fantasy Island since the opening scene was shot there.) You may already know this, but for those of you who don’t, the islands were formed from volcanic eruptions. From something cataclysmic, beauty emerged. When the lava cooled, it left something to build upon.

“Somewhere along the way, a lot of us misplaced our childlike imaginations and stopped believing we could either get around the lava or build something beautiful on top of it when it cooled. We began to question what was possible and what we’re actually capable of. We ran and fell, or tried and failed, or risked and lost. … Don’t let what’s happened in your past stop you from moving forward with your future. Give it some time. We can find our way around the lava where it flowed and build something beautiful on it when it cools. … We don’t need to run from the lava anymore, but instead imagine what it might become in time.”1

Isn’t that beautiful? I’ve been very touched by the book Love Lives Here. If you’re looking for your next book, this is a good one!

There was a dream I had. It got scorched. I could relate to the lava metaphor. It was like I had something – a dream God had given me – and it was burned to the ground. All that was left were ashes and a broken heart. The lava flowed and consumed it. It oozed and clung, ember red, everything up in flames. Then fear that hadn’t been there before set in. Fear interfered like an intruder. The scars limited my mobility. My imagination wasn’t able to stretch as far as it once had.

But rather than letting the lava scare me, I feel God calling me to rebuild upon the ashes. To let any little embers remaining spark something good and beautiful, something purposeful.

God is calling me to imagine again.

I wrote in my journal, “Lord, if I imagined, what? What then?”

As I did so, tears quickly slipped down my face. They poured. Not anything like lava. Like a rush.

“What then? I do not know. I don’t know how. I don’t know when. I don’t know even if I can. What, Lord? What then? What do You have to say about this? What does the still, small voice say?”

And do you know what? He “spoke”. He cast vision afresh. He knows I’m afraid. I don’t want to get hurt again. I wasn’t afraid the first time, but sometimes the second time around makes our knees knock a bit. (At least mine.)

It takes more courage to do something twice.

We know more. We know the cost. We’re definitely counting it.

Without forgiveness, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. God helped me to forgive. He helped me to heal. And He’s helping me to rise up out of the ashes. There’s still some ash, but I see hibiscus rising up out of the ground. The colors are bright and their smell is sweet.

We’re back to where we started.

Let’s pick up our feet and step over the tangled root of unforgiveness. God’s got places He wants to take us to.

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

1 Goff, Maria. Love Lives Here: Finding What You Need In A World Telling You What You Want. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2017.

2 Battistelli, Francesca. “It’s Your Life,” track #4 on My Paper Heart. Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, 2008.

Woman.of.God

05.28.2019 by Mackenzie Carter //

Welcome to FACETS and spring (for real)! I (Tracy) can’t wait to introduce you to Mackenzie Carter as she shares her writing and communication gift with us. Truth be told, as I read her piece ahead of time, it moved me. A lot! I pray God touches your heart through it at least as much as He moved mine. Rhema. A good word, fresh and in season for all God’s girls.

I wish I could say that I am an expert on this subject, that I have steadily walked this out with beautiful grace and dignity, but that would not be true.

I stumble and fall – quite literally

all. the. time.

I have allowed myself to be tossed about with emotions and questions throughout the last twenty-two years of following Christ. I have struggled with shame. I often feel I am not deep enough, a bit quirky, and maybe a little too loud and excited for most. Questions often fill my mind – Am I ok? Do I belong? Who am I?

What would I want preached to myself during all those times that I question or stumble?

Fellow women of God, maybe you need to hear this too.

Quit trying to earn everyone’s love.

Jesus loves you. The King of the Universe. Live your life falling more and more in love with Him.

Though sometimes it may feel this way, God is not mad at you. He doesn’t pace back and forth in heaven frustrated as He thinks about you. He is not the voice of the critic in your head. It is quite the contrary. When God thinks about you and I, a smile warms His face. A love that can never be squandered fills His heart for you. His thoughts about you are kind. His plans for you are good.

When Jesus died on the cross – you were on His mind. His blood covers you. He breaks strongholds. Fear and shame flee at the sound of His Name. You have been made into a new creation. There has never been a day that He has left you alone. He delights in YOU and I. He is proud of you. He will be faithful through all your years. In the midst of insecurity and doubt, you are held, known, seen, and loved.

Anchor yourself in the Word of God. It is your steady in a world of turbulence.

Being a woman of God inherently means knowing Whose you belong to and Who defines you. Honestly, it is way too easy to look around, desperately trying to find affirmation from likes and hearts on social media, peers, what group we belong to, or our titles. You are a woman of God – OF GOD – not of the world, not of Insta or Facebook. Our worth – the meaning of our lives can only come from one place if we are to be truly satisfied. That place is Jesus. The faithful One. The One who invites us to follow Him and find our identity in Him.

My friend, we were meant to live an abundant life of abiding in Jesus. That is where true joy and satisfaction are found. We are daughters of the King. We are women of the Word – the unchanging, never wavering Word of God. Culture shifts, the trends change, but the Word of God remains the same. It is this – the Word of God that defines who we are as a women of God.

Take hold of the Word – read it, believe it, and live it out.

Follow the ancient paths.

Remember the ones who have gone before who lived solely for Jesus – the Elizabeth Elliot’s, the Mother Theresa’s, and the Amy Carmichael’s. Remember the mentors who simply showed you Jesus. This world is trying so hard to suck you into the vortex of comparison and self-focus. Don’t you give in. You were meant to live a counter-cultural life.

Therefore, I urge you, sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 12:1-2

Live a life worthy of the One who called you. Live every moment as a continual act of worship unto God. Be the one to go against the grain. Don’t worry so much about being “on trend”. Trends are here today and gone tomorrow. Become the woman you would want to sit across the table from in twenty years. Faithful, shining with beauty from within, holy, full of grace and mercy, kindness on your lips, wise from the Word of God being hidden in your heart, and closer to Jesus than ever.

Run together with other women.

You are not alone as you walk this road. I know this can be so hard sometimes. I know you have been hurt and betrayed. I know it feels like sometimes going it alone would be easier.

My friend, you were never meant to be an island. It sure can feel like it though, can’t it? All of us trying so hard to accomplish it all, achieve it all, look and feel the best doing all the things.

We were meant to run together. We were meant to encourage each other in the hardships, to be honest and open with one another, and to cheer wildly as we see our fellow sisters move forward. Y’all, this life is not easy, so lend a hand. We are not in competition! We were made to celebrate one another.

“If we don’t open up, we will miss out on other women’s wisdom and perspective. We might even walk around with a bunch of burdens we shouldn’t be trying to carry alone.” ~ Sophie Hudson, Giddy Up, Eunice

Always trying to get ahead may be stifling your progress.

Bloom where you are planted.

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. Proverbs 31:25

I know it is easy to want to look ahead and see what is coming. Maybe it seems impossible to know how it is all going to work out. Perhaps you are wondering if you missed it? Maybe you thought you would be somewhere completely different by now.

Be still.

Wait.

Don’t rush over the present – the very gift Jesus gave you today.

You have everything you need for today.

The truth is, God holds what is yours. You are on your way, sister! God has an appointed time for everything. Stay in it, friend.

Run the race that is all your own.

Follow Jesus. Obey His lead. Allow His sanctification process to take place. His timing is perfect and His way is right. He is faithfully leading you.

God is using everything for your good.

There is miraculous joy to be found in the journey, in the process – right here and now. Look around and really see all that surrounds you. Live to the full right now.

Trust Him with it.

Woman of God, you have been called to live out the purpose set before you.

Build your house

“A wise woman builds her house; a foolish woman tears hers down with her own hands!” Proverbs 14:1

Every time I come across this verse, it stops me in my tracks. I start pondering how am I building up my house-with words and attitude. How I am spending my time? What I am pouring into my children? How I am praying for my family? How am I loving my husband? Am I making it count?

In Finding Your Purpose as a Mom by Donna Otto, she says that our homes are holy ground. Just like Moses took off his shoes at the burning bush, we are to take off our shoes as we come into our homes because of the great work God is doing in our midst.

I want to be a part of it. I don’t want to miss it.

If you are married, rock your marriage. You are the only one who can be your husband’s wife. Love him, encourage him, allow God to show you the joy and beauty of submission, be his teammate, and have fun!

If you have children, you are the only one who can be their momma. Take the time and trouble to shepherd them, train them up, listen well, spend time with them, enjoy them at every stage. You are raising the next generation of warriors for Christ. Teach them about Jesus. This is the most important calling of your life.

Woman of God

You are here on purpose for such a time as this. You have been called to pick up your cross daily and follow Him. We are called to seek first the Kingdom of God. Though this life is not about us, we get to take part in an incredible story – a beautiful tapestry of God’s faithfulness. This life is for God’s glory.

Live for God. Obey Him. Trust Him. Love ferociously. Bring the Kingdom of God in your sphere of influence.

… Wasn’t that great? So many nuggets to ponder!

Add your voice to the conversation at FACETS of Faith’s Facebook page or sign up to receive our weekly blog post and comment to share what God is doing in your life as it relates to each topic.

Want to know more about Swordgirl Conference? Click Mackenzie’s bio link above to be directed to the Swordgirl conference web site.

The Woman of God: Who is She?

05.14.2019 by Jennifer Howe //

Hello, friend, we’re so glad you’re here! If you drop in faithfully, we are thankful. If you’re new, welcome! The Facets team select a topic each month and explore it from our individual perspectives. We love to invite guests to share, too. This month we’re wondering what it means to be a woman of God. Tracy shared here last week, Kim is up next week, and we are excited to introduce a lovely new friend the fourth week of the month. Join us on Tuesdays when new posts go live. We hope you’ll enjoy!

When I (Jennifer) began the dive into what it means to be a woman of God, I wondered what I could possibly say. I considered the culture I live in, the polarization “Christian” values cause when they include more of what a Christian woman is against than what she is for. In a culture of superhero fanaticism, women tend to want to be Wonder Woman or at least land squarely in a successful position in the home, the marketplace, and in society at large. The conversation about these things is full of “fightin’ words.” (That makes me sad.) Who is this woman of God?

When the topic is broached with some, one of a few things happens:

“It’s all about the Proverbs 31 woman—she’s crazy-busy,” one quips.
“A submissive spirit—she’s totally got to have a submissive spirit,” another suggests.
“Don’t forget Titus 2—the godly woman shares wisdom,” a mature woman reminds us.
“She’s a stay-at-home mom and homeschools, obviously,” someone says.

Ask another group how a woman of God appears, and strong (sometimes negative) words surface.

“Women can not only run a household, they can run the world!”
“Submission is archaic. Don’t you dare say the S-word!” has an edgy tone.
“Women should never leave their dreams and education in the dust!”
“Women should be able to do everything in the church.”

Who is She?
The views above represent competing slants from differing perspectives. There’s nothing wrong with different views, but acknowledge they originate somewhere. The question is—where do they come from? To identify a woman of God, I start with God, the Creator of the woman, and highlight traits specific to the created woman who aligns herself with her Creator. Her identity and lifestyle are colored by choosing and committing to a relationship with God.

Created by God
This woman (actually every one of us, male and female) has been created by God. Life never accidentally appears and thrives.

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 ESV

The Creator, the Designer of the universe and everything in it, has her individual biology, purpose, and personality in mind. I imagine an artist taking every color and brushstroke into account: hair and eye colors, skin tone, and height. Will silver glitter and diamonds make this one smile, or will pink ribbons and bows bring joy? Will deep thoughts and logic ignite this one, or will boisterous conversations fill her up? Is she a performer, a watcher, a writer, a reader? The details matter because she is precious; she is His masterpiece and made in His image.

That she is created by God is not in question. Whether she will choose Him, that’s the unknown—for us, not for the God who loves His creations and also knows all things.

Loving God and Others
The woman of God makes one choice starkly contrasting other women’s choices: she chooses God. Being created by God reveals the Creator’s fingerprints in some way, but choosing to love Him is entirely different. A woman of God wants to know the mind, heart, and ways of God—not merely as an intellectual endeavor but as a lifestyle to honor the One she loves.

When she comes across a command from God, she doesn’t just consent with a head nod; she puts forth the effort to hear and do the thing.

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27 ESV

…those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 1 John 2:5,6 NLT

Loving God yields a life others can identify as reflecting the truth, love, and power of God. It also reveals a heart that loves others well, whether they are followers of God or not. The woman of God loves “enemies” well.

Serving God and Others
Serving God is where the rubber meets the road in the Christian life. We begin to know the heart, mind, will, and ways of God on Bible pages, but it’s more than an academic exercise.

So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. James 1:21-23 NLT

The woman of God is careful to read the truth of God, hiding it in her heart so it transforms her deeply and permanently (Psalm 119:11). She won’t attain perfection this side of eternity, and she knows it. It’s sobering, but she balances it with this—

For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands 1 Peter 3:5 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 ESV

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 ESV

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12 ESV

But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13 ESV

Yes, the S-word is up there. It’s from love and honor, not a shameful position. She is beautiful because she loves God and, therefore, loves others. When the woman of God knows the love of God, she lavishes that on others.

I won’t lie. Loving God can feel like a thing I should muster and keep, but the real deal is different. I can’t manage heart transformation; it’s not a behavioral management thing. (I tried.) The woman of God I genuinely want to be is formed by the hand and heart of God. It starts with my created physical being, but new life becomes real in my spiritual being—by first identifying with Jesus’ suffering on the cross and then knowing and doing what the Word of God says. I’m definitely a work in progress, friend!

A Woman of the Word
The woman of God is a woman of the Word—the Word she has read and knows—not what she thinks it says or what others say it says. That takes time. Reading and studying the Bible (two very different things) change the mind and heart, and receiving the Word saves the soul (James 1:21).

Now the question is—who wants to be a woman of God? (I’m the little woman raising her hand and jumping up and down in four-inch heels.) We don’t come to our Daddy-God cleaned up and ready to go. We come as we are and ask Jesus to cover us and the Spirit to completely change us.

Beautiful friend, each of us is a masterpiece. Can you identify the beautiful, golden God threads woven throughout your identity? Count them. There may be more than you thought.

Do you want to be a woman of God or are you on the road? What does that mean to you now? What is your first step or your next step?

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic in the comments below or at our Facebook page. If you think someone you know could benefit from reading the Facets blog, please share!