I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
C. S. Lewis
Gathering my closest local friends for a time to study the word and discuss different issues has been one of the pleasures of my summer. Meeting weekly over tea and coffee and snacks and sharing, and then 2 hours in the word, deeply studying what He has left for us to know and understand. I want to grow in truth, knowledge, thinking clearly and well until I see Jesus face to face.
He said to, “Love the Lord your God with your heart, (center of our emotions, dreams, all that we value), your mind, (thinking, developing convictions, understanding truth, walking in wisdom), and all your strength– (with all of our power, energy, strength, devotion.)
Our Bible study this week was from a number of passages about God’s word, wisdom, counsel of men, and Jesus as the word and as the word incarnate. Christianity is not just a work to be done–but it is the truth through which we may come to see all of life as it really is–it is the grid through which we will view all of life’s issues–and when we walk as women who have been stewards of our brains–women who think well and clearly, we will then be teachers and leaders of truth and conviction.
Yet, I have talked to countless women, (even this week after my Bible study), where women say the same thing. “I don’t meet many women who know how to think Biblically or who really walk in their personal convictions of God’s truth and wisdom being the foundation of their lives. I haven’t been able to find a mentor whose life is worth following, when I look around me. That is why I love this Bible study group–we push each other to think well and to live by our convictions developed in His light.”
And how ironic that this is the week that in the last two days, I have had 640 comments from women who talk about needing a mentor–someone to lead them in truth and wisdom.
No matter what else you are doing, you cannot please God and become closer with Him and understand His ways–so that they will be a light to your path–if you are not studying His word, reading wise people, thinking Biblical true thoughts.
So many women and men I see in this generation want to rely on someone else to tell them what to do–and the thing is, you can almost find any book or authority to give you permission to do whatever you want to do–
But what does God require of you? How does God want you to live your life? What lies of men does He want you to avoid because you have learned how to think Biblically because you are a seasoned student of His word.
Each of us must take responsibility for our minds because it is what Jesus said was the essence of the commandments–to love the Lord our God with all of our mind.
And this is one of the best gifts I gave to our children–not to trust in the words of men, not to follow the crowd–whichever crowd they are surrounded by, –but to fill their minds with truth, to wrestle mentally with what is true, to measure life by His wisdom and insight and as C.S. Lewis says, “by it, (the truth, wisdom, insight, commandments, stories) I see everything else in its light.
So, today, make a plan for your mind–choose a course of Bible study, and plan a time every day to do it.
Find books and authors who have truly walked with God and can lead you to think clearly, (C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, and many others)
Ask at least one friend to meet with you and to study and discuss together God’s word.
Learning to think clearly and Biblically, in order to be able to fight the formulas and ways of other men takes practice and investment of time—and it is the one way all children need to grow–to learn to think well, to learn to see the fallacies, false doctrine and rules that are man made and not in scripture–it requires thinking and being a steward of the word.
They need to see you doing it and be learning from you for them to learn how to be excellent in these skills, but oh how the world longs for purveyors of truth who know how to think.
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Remember to order Mom Walk and Journey’s of Faithfulness for 25% off this week, ending Monday, and enter into the giveaway for books, and for a 40 minute mentoring session! Right here.
Have a blessed day and enjoy reading and thinking!
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14
I love when Bill Johnson said that we need to be so full and overflowing with the Holy Spirit that when people encounter us they encounter Jesus.
Today I will acknowledge His sweet aroma in every place. Recognize that in that difficult place or glorious place that the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him is right there in your midst. Our minds need to be renewed to always seek where He is moving where you are; EVERYWHERE you are.
I couldn’t agree more! As someone who was in church her whole life and finally at 30 years-old learned to seek God in His Word simply to know Him, I know what you’ve written here to be true. We need to rid ourselves of sin, crave His Word, and grow up in our salvation (1 Peter 2: 1 – 3). Our call is to challenge and love those around us to take the same journey. He is our reward!
best post you have written so far, in my opinion! you exhort us all to get in the Word, and the Word is our best “how-to” guide to become women of wisdom and holiness.
Oh, this is such a timely word, Sally! Thank you so much for faithfully encouraging and sharing your heart in this space.
I’m glad you mentioned getting together with at least one friend. A friend tried a few times to start a small group and as the weeks went on, it fizzled out. We decided to take a break for the summer, but now I’m thinking the two of us can still meet up. There’s no reason to give up just because we may be the only attenders.
I often get together with dear sisters in the Lord to share and pray, but you have spurred me on to intentionally find someone to study the Word with on a regular basis. Thank you for this encouragement!
I’ve told myself and prayed how I’d really love a mentor. At this point that hasn’t happened and I feel prompted to instead go out and BE one for someone else. HOW do I do this?! I’m not a big “talker” so this idea scares me.
This is so true! I wish there were more women who were truly desiring to live for God above all else (their looks, how much they weight, the newest electronic gadgets, and how to appear successful). The church and the sanctity of the home would be much better off!
Megan @ wwwsunshinethroughthewindows.blogspot.com
Oh this is so true! And it is the absolutely BEST investment of your time you will ever make!
Great post and I’ve always loved that Lewis quote!!!
Sally,
I LOVE our group! You are doing a fantastic job drawing us closer to God and to each other. I wish that all of the sweet moms who wrote about needing a mentor could have someone in their life like you. You bless me in more ways than I could ever say!
Xxoo Deb
I’m so glad you still have your group, still meeting. The world and a thousand distractions seem to break up such groups so readily today… And I miss mine. But there is one woman who was saying we ought to get together, and “I NEED it!”
And she is a real beginner in the things of God, so maybe she needs mentoring to get her own path going. But the message of this post is so true and so needed, I’d like to plaster it up on a billboard! (And I don’t even like billboards.) We all need to go to HIM, look intently into His word, learn from HIM in all He gives us there… We CAN grow without a human mentor, but we CANNOT grow without HIM.
So glad you wrote this.
Something about this post spoke to me so much…I need to be spoken bold to. I needed to read the practical ways I am to read His Word, and why I must be in His Word, and what I derive from that growth.
Thank you, thank you!!