Amy Carmichael

"a confession of love"

My vow.
Whatsoever Thou sayest unto me, by Thy grace I will do it.

My constraint.
Thy love, O Christ, my Lord.

My Confidence.
Thou art able to keep that which I have committed unto Thee.

My Joy.
To do Thy will, O God.

My Discipline.
That which I would not choose, but which Thy love appoints.

My Prayer.
Conform my will to Thine.

My Motto.
Love to live, live to love.

My Portion.
The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.

Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee as Thou deservest; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do Thy will, O Lord our God.

1 Corinthians 10

(We must not) grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the Destroyer (verse 10).

Grumbling is one of a variety of sins mentioned in this chapter, including idolatry, sexual immorality, and putting Christ to the test. To us, these all seem so much worse than grumbling. I mean seriously! Grumbling or idolatry – no brainer.

But the thing is, all these things are different manifestations of the same basic sin – rebellion against our creator. Grumbling is just as much rebellion as the other sins, for it expresses a desire that God would do differently by you than what He has done.

I grumble and complain a LOT, even though I am actually well done by. I have plenty of food, clean water, clothing, shelter, electricity, and a job so that I might continue to have all these things. I have God’s Word, I have the Holy Spirit, and I have eternal life. I have been incredibly blessed by God! Yet I grumble far too much even for someone lacking these things.

Grumbling is something that I need to work on. The words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart need to be much more on positive things, rather than on negative lines. I have so much to be thankful for, that grumbling cannot be justified even in human terms, let alone in heavenly terms.

LORD, cleanse me from any grumbling spirit, that I might glorify Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Corinthians 8

This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (from verse 1)

Knowledge is important. It is vital that we know out Bibles in order that we will not be deceived by the enemy, and in order that we will know what God has planned for us. But knowledge of any type, separated from love, only serves to make us proud about our accomplishments. Nowadays, when it is not so fashionable to possess biblical knowledge, other types of knowledge (such as scientific, academic, sports or even pop-culture) are just as likely to puff someone up with pride.

The antidote for the puffed-up-ness that knowledge can bring is not a lack of knowledge, but an addition of love. Lack of knowledge can destroy you, and a lack of love and castroy our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Am I filled with love? It is a difficult question to answer honestly. After all, our hearts will deceive us. We will often think that we have love, when really we don’t, and think that we lack love when we often have it. The sign of love is clear from this verse: love builds up. Am I building up the people around me? Am I helping them grow up into Him? Or am I stumbling them? For me, I think it is a little of both. Thankfully, Christ is changing me, and I am becoming more and more filled with love day by day.

More From Katie Davis

The first 2:55 minutes are the same as the previous video posted, but after that there is an interview with her, which is really interesting.

Catalyst Atlanta 2011 | Katie Davis from Catalyst on Vimeo.

1 Corinthians 7

And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit (from verse 34)

Singleness is a gift from God so that we can, whether temporarily or permanently, serve God as the only passion in our lives. Marrieds have to care for each other, and parents for their children, but singles are freer to do things, sometimes crazy-seeming things, for the Lord.

I know I have not always valued this gift. I would rather have a husband and children than almost anything else. But for now at least, that is not what God has called me to. He has called me to be single (for now at least) and to serve Him in that.

Valuing this gift of God means making the most of my time. It means going out of my way to bless others, especially those who otherwise would be ignored or despised, like the very poor and their children, those who are sick, those who are ugly or even deformed. It means sacrificing myself for the image of Christ in those who, humanly speaking, I do not care about. It means focussing on Jesus, and giving my all for Him, every single day, even when I would prefer not to. Then I will be using this gift of God to the level that Christ wants me to.

Katie Davis

God was showing me His heart and His Word in new ways right there in the life I was living through the children I was serving. Armed with this new sense of who He is and who I was as His servant, I continued trying to give myself away in every circumstance. I wanted to do God’s work, let Him display Himself through my life, and change my world as much as possible every single day. Most days, that didn’t include anything other people would find impressive. It simply meant being faithful to the people and the responsibilities God had given me.

From her book, Kisses From Katie

Romans 12 (written 06.11.11 – on the plane to Uganda)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship. (verse 1)

We have been bought with a price. Yet how rarely we want to deliver the goods to our God – how much more we prefer to stay in our own little comfort zones, keeping ‘our’ things, and about all ‘our’ selves for our own use. We are not ready to sacrifice even a little for the One who gave it all for us.

O LORD, please do not let me be in that number! Rather have me be one of those who joyfully gives my all for Your sake, and considers it to be not merely a good exchange, but a delight, an honour beyond compare!

I sit on the plane, ready to go to the place God has called me to my first ever trip to Uganda. I do not know much about what waits for me there. What I do know is that it is God’s will for my life, and that it will involve both sacrifice and joy, joy in the sacrifice, joy leading to sacrifice, until Christ calls me to His side. Wherever I go, that is what God has prepared for me. For the most part, I would not have it any other way.

LORD, make me be a willing, joyful sacrifice for Your everlasting glory. Help me to never attempt, never even dream, or crawling off the altar. May my life be a sacrifice, holy and acceptable to You, an act of worship to Your name, and the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus.

Mother Teresa

Why must we give ourselves fully to God? Because God has given Himself to us. If God who owes nothing to us is ready to impart to us no less than Himself, shall we answer with just a fraction of ourselves? To give ourselves fully to God is a means of receiving God Himself. I for God and God for me. I live for God and give up my own self, and in this way induce God to live for me. Therefore to possess God we must allow Him to possess our soul.

From the book, Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, edited by Brian Kolodiejchuk.

Book review: Kisses From Katie

You have had the opportunity to read a few quotes from this book. So far, it’s probably my favourite book for the year, and definitely my favourite missionary biography. When you consider that I read 15-20 books a month, you can be assured that this book is really, REALLY good.

Short breakdown: girl goes to Uganda to teach kindergarten for 1 year, planning to go back to her “normal” life in America after that year. Instead she ends up taking in 14 girls (she’s currently in the process of formally adopting 13 of them) , starting an international ministry that provides food, school fees and school supplies to over 200 needy children in her area (the current number is more than 300), and providing basic medical care for people around her.

One of the things that isreally great about this book is her reflections on God’s heart, and how that affects her ministry, and most of these reflections are relevant not only to her ministry, but everyday life anywhere.

The other thing that I really enjoyed was that she stressed how normal she was, how she lived the fairly normal teenage life back in America, how she doesn’t always have a great attitude, and things like that.

I found this book to be really interesting and encouraging, and as I said, one of the best, if not the best, books I’ve read this year.

You can purchase the book here at 147 Million Orphans, and 50% of the proceeds will go to Katie's ministry.

You can purchase the from Amazon book here.

You can visit Katie’s blog here.

You can visit Amazina Ministries (the website for Katie’s ministry) here.

Katie Davis

Originally, my quitting was to be temporary, lasting just one year before I went to college and returned to normal, American teenager life. But after that year, which I spent in Uganda, returning to “normal” wasn’t possible. I had seen what life was about and I could not pretend I didn’t know. So I quit my life again, and for good this time. I quit college; I quit designer clothes and my little yellow convertible; I quit my boyfriend. I no longer have all the things the world says are important. I do not have a retirement fund; I do not even have electricity some days. But I have everything I know is important. I have a joy and a peace that are unimaginable and can come only from a place better than this earth. I cannot fathom being happier. Jesus wrecked my life, shattered it to pieces, and put it back together more beautifully.

From her book, Kisses From Katie (Review coming - but seriously, this is the best book I've read this year!)

Gladys Aylward

I wasn't God's first choice for what I've done for China…I don't know who it was…It must have been a man…a well-educated man. I don't know what happened. Perhaps he died. Perhaps he wasn't willing…and God looked down…and saw Gladys Aylward…And God said - "Well, she's willing."

Email and Response

I occasionally read over at Freejinger - and recently posted there as a lurker. If you've come from over there - welcome! I'm sure I'll have lots to say that you'll disagree with. Feel free to comment, including disagreements, as long as you are civil.

Anyway, one reader at Freejinger emailed me, asking for my opinion in regard to her personal situation. She's given me permission to post her letter and my response to it:

I don't call myself a Christian or an Agnostic or anything else; I am just a seeker of the Lord. This is very dear to me, even though I don't fit into any particular religious label myself (I know some find that hard to believe, but, well, it's true. You can love the Lord with all your heart and still not be able to label yourself).

I have been looking over your blog "Not Smoke and Bones" and, well... since I'm a "seeker" and I try my very best to be respectful and open to all spiritual outlooks (and when I'm not being as respectful and open and I should, I pray to the Lord to open me up and He always does!)

So, I read a lot of blogs and have tried to engage in conversation with many women who describe themselves as "born-again" and "Quiverfull" and "Christian". Most of them turn me away the moment they realize I don't call myself a Christian (that's not to say I'm *not* a Christian in some sense -- it just depends on what exactly is meant by "Christian"). I think that's unfortunate, but I also understand to some degree because they probably also get a lot of disrespectful "honest questions" and such from the folks at FreeJinger, and maybe you won't have time to discuss with me if you're being flooded with comments since you've posted there. But reading your blog, I get the impression that you might be more open to discussion than some of the other women I've tried to speak with. So if you can, I'd really like some of your input.

As you said, you are Quiverfull because you "believe that children are a blessing from God - and why would you want to limit blessings?" I, too, believe that children are a blessing from God. It is only by the grace of God that I have my precious daughter, whom I prayed and prayed and prayed and cried for. I wouldn't have survived my infertility without God. So why would I want to limit my blessings? Well, for one, pregnancy makes me very, very ill. I have never in my life been so sick and all the prayer in the world didn't cure me completely, it only comforted me in my pain (and perhaps kept me out of the hospital!). To be more explicit, when I was pregnant I did not leave the house except for midwife appointments because I was vomiting too much. Sometimes I could hardly lift my head. This was among other problems I had, and it went on my entire pregnancy, throughout labor, and only ended once baby was outside of my body. If I became pregnant right now and this happened again, how would I care for my baby daughter? She needs me. She needs my milk. And I would not be capable of giving her what she needed if I was going through that again right now. Furthermore, I also think God open and closes the womb anyway in his own time, regardless of any human intervention. He is a heck of a lot more powerful than contraception! If He wants to bless you, he will! regardless of any human steps you may take to avoid that. Why I think somebody we know in the Bible was blessed with child, no man needed at all ;-) And if a child isn't in His plan for you, you won't get one no matter how hard you try by human means to do so. No physical cause was ever found for my infertility -- I just believe that God gave me a child when it actually best for me, regardless of my ideas of when it should happen. I have since even thanked God for that, the most awful experience and deepest despair of my life, because I now see how it was necessary to fulfill other plans that were so important for my family.

So I wonder how you take all of this. I assume you believe that everyone should be Christian (although, again, I have trouble understanding what the definition of "Christian" actually is -- I know that's hard to understand. I would also be interested on your opinion on that by the way, but it's another story as to why I avoid the label/people tell I'm not Christian), but do you believe all Christian families should be Quiverful? Or do you believe that it is a "calling" that the Lord has in store for some people, but not everyone? How would you handle my situation if it happened to you?

These are honest questions I really have with no ill intent, but I find it so hard to ever get any straight answers because everyone seems so suspicious on both sides. I am not coming into this thinking "Christianity is wrong" or "Quiverfull is wrong". I know those things are not true because the Lord has made it clear to me that they aren't. I just want honest answers and respectful dialog. If you can, I hope you will engage me and give me something to think about. :)

My response:

Regarding the Christianity - yes, I do think everyone should be a Christian! But I know that not everyone currently is, and that some will move into God's kingdom, and some won't. Many of my friends (including some who read notsmokeandbones) are non-Christian. So I don't have a massive problem per se with non-Christians, of any ilk, let alone those who are seaching for God. I just point out that we all face the consequences for our actions and beliefs, and these consequences are both here and in the eternal. The decisions are yours to make, not mine, and are between you and God.

I suppose the best way of answering your question about my quiverful beliefs is to tell you a little about me. I was seriously ill most of my childhood, and we could never work out why. At first it seemed to be a result of being born premature, but most prem babies catch up, and I never did. My sister was the same size as me from when she was two years old. I was 4. I entered school and was the smallest person in the class - even though I was the oldest. I was the smallest person in the school the next year. The year after I was the second smallest - my sister had over taken me in terms of both height and weight.

When I was 8 I became seriously ill, and in a lot of pain. I went to hospital several times, but they didn't know what was wrong. I spent two years very sick and in constant pain. Eventually my mum took me to a different hospital, the best children's hospital in Australia. They didn't know what was wrong, but they decided to operate on my in an attempt to find out what was wrong. Turned out I had cancer - ovarian - which had developed unusually, twisting one of my ovaries (hence the pain and sickness, which otherwise would not have shown at all) and making it gangrenous inside me. I had to have that ovary and about a third of my womb removed. I didn't have to have chemo, etc.

The result is that I run risks of extremely difficult pregnancies, of miscarrying and possibily dying. These are real risks, and unfortunately, there are no other test subjects. (Edited to state - I'm glad there aren't other people who have gone through what I have - but it does mean that I really don't have any ideas as to the exact extent of what could happen.)

So I understand illness, being so sick you'd want more than anything just not to be sick. When you even have something small wrong with you, it takes up all your energy, all your attention. You really don't have anything left to give when you are really sick. So I understand that you would not want to become pregnant again, especially when you feel that you would therefor not be able to give as much to your daughter.

Now, I agree absolutely when you say that God is more powerful than any form of contraception - my mother was on contraception for when I was conceived! But that kind of brings up the "narrative not normative" approach to life. It worked out ok for so-and-so (even so-and-so in the Bible), so it should be ok for me. And God can always override it if He wants. By that logic, it's ok to become a prostitute (because Rahab was one, and she's an ancestor of Jesus) or adultery (King David did that) or steal (Rachel stole her father's "gods", which at the time also amounted to property deeds), or any of a whole number of other things of varying degrees of severity. You should not be basing your life on what God can over-rule. You should be basing your life on the Bible. Especially if you (not you specifically, but the general you) are a Christian, that needs to be your rule of life. What has God commanded, and how can I do that to the best of my ability?

For me, that includes trusting God in regards to pregnancies. (I plan to adopt too, btw.) It means accepting that God's way is better than mine, even when I think it completely sucks right now. And that His way is better, not only for me, but for my (as yet not present) husband and children in the long run. Even if in the immediate future it's not the nicest for them. God doesn't work to my timetable - He works to his own. His views are longer than mine - what happens now can impact the future in ways that I never imagined, further in the future than I ever imagined. That works for me, for you, for your daughter. It's kind of similar to how you mentioned that your morning sickness was necessary to fulfill other plans that were so important for your family. It's the same kind of thing, only that God's plans are better than ours, and go much further into the future.

Regarding whether or not I believe that all Christian failies should be Quiverful... yes and no. I do, because that's how I see the Bible. But I think the most important thing for all Christians is that they inspect all of their practises in light of Scripture, and they seek to obey God, and not just their own wants. To give you an idea on how this pans out in my day-to-day, I attend a non-Quiverful church, where most of the married couples have 1 or 2 children. I occasionally bring it up, because everyone (including me) needs to be examining their beliefs in the light of Scripture. But if they don't see Scripture the same way I do, then that's up to them and God.

Personally, if I was in your shoes, I would not be using contraception. On a practical note, breastfeeding will limit the chances of becoming pregnant, at least for a time. But even if I knew I was extremely likely to become pregnant, face exactly the same thing again, I still would not be using contraception.

How Are You Dressed?

1 Timothy 2:9-10

...likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.

You know, girls put a lot of effort into looking nice. Some put more in than others. It amazes me at times just how much time, effort, and money some of the girls in my church spend on their appearance. (To give you an idea, my small group’s jokes about girls all have to do with shopping, and their jokes about boys are all to do with eating.)

The thing is, our outward appearance is not that important. I’m not saying that we should all go around looking like slobs, but simply that there are much, much more important things out there. And there are far more important ways to be dressing than with clothes. God commands us to clothe ourselves in good works.

And that’s something that the church in general is lacking. I mean, sure, there are some people out there who give themselves completely to others, in a variety of capacities, but there are also those who think that giving a few coins to people asking for money to cure heart disease is plenty. That is not sufficient. It is not what God has commanded.

Whilst our righteousness in the sight of God is nothing but filthy rags, the people around us see our works and come to praise our Father in Heaven. They see how Christ has transformed us, and they praise God for it, even if they refuse to come to Him themselves. That should be our aim. To be so clothed with sweetness, goodness, and kindness that those around – especially those who do not know Christ, praise God because of us.

So, how are you dressed?

At the Chicago Ladies Tea

Ladies Tea in Chicago from NCFIC on Vimeo.

From Scott Brown's blog.

Head Coverings part 2

The first thing I noticed about wearing a head covering was that I prayed more. Not in more depth, but more frequently. I would feel it move a bit on my head, or see a reflection in the mirror, and I would be reminded that I was to pray continually. So I would offer up a prayer to God, and keep praying until I got distracted (which is disturbingly quickly). I made a real effort to make these prayers selfless prayers – most of them have been for orphans and nations that have a large orphan population in them. And while I might not ‘feel’ like my prayer life is that much greater, I am seeing results, simply from this slightly more frequent prayer!

The second thing I noticed was along similar lines. I am now much more conscious of the kind of witness I am to the world around me. And while I’ve already been mistaken for someone of another religious faith, the fact of the matter is that I am now pretty much instantly recognisable as “religious”, even if not necessarily instantly identifiable as Christian. It has changed my behaviour a little – I make more effort to be polite and let other people go first (etc) in queues. I’m not perfect though – I took the head covering off for 10 minutes while I went into a bottle store to get some champagne!

The next thing that I noticed was just how vain I am. I’m really, really, REALLY vain. I have been so tempted to take my head covering off because I don’t look as pretty with it on. And just writing that fact horrifies me! To do something disobedient to the Lord because then my appearance will be nicer? Even if it is an extremely minor thing (which head coverings is – our salvation certainly does not rest on something like that) this is still horrifying! As someone who always thought of themselves as being someone who took all aspects of Scripture seriously once I understood them, this was a real eye-opener for me. Am I really that shallow? Basically, yes, I am.

Which leads to the next point. I always thought of myself as the kind of person who took Scripture seriously. Someone who was a Berean, who searched the Scriptures myself and formed my own opinion as to what the contents said. After all, I’m a Calvinist who goes to church with a bunch of Arminians. I’m a quiverful Christian. I believe that adoption is awesome. And I believe all these things in spite of facing lots of opposition from those around me about these views.

But wearing a head covering showed me that this is NOT the case. I kept on thinking… wow… this family doesn’t have their family wear head coverings, and they are a really godly family. Much more than me. And so-and-so doesn’t. Nor does such and such. Maybe I’m wrong. They can’t be wrong. They’ve had more experience in this than me. Maybe I should just go along with what they are doing… after all, they are godly women.

The thing is, I can’t imagine any of these women telling me that I should copy them over what I believe God has said in His Word. They might (indeed, they evidentially do, or else their heads would be covered) disagree about my interpretation, but they would all encourage me to follow God’s Word as my standard, not their lives.

Wearing a head covering has really uncovered a lot of self-centredness and pride in my life, even though I’ve only been wearing one for a little over 2 weeks at the time of writing this. (Posting will come out at a later date, if you’re a friend who is tallying up dates.) It needed to be uncovered, and I need to work on these issues – and no doubt more, which will appear as time goes on. But I am so very thankful to the Lord for revealing these serious character flaws in myself, using such a little thing as a small bit of material.

Head Coverings

When I was a baby Christian, first reading the New Testament for the first time, I noticed in 1 Corinthians 11 that it calls for women to wear head coverings while praying or prophesying. I thought of the few Christian women I knew – none of them wore a head covering. I decided that I was probably reading the passage wrong – after all, I was a baby Christian, and these people had been Christians for a long time. So I put the passage aside.

The next time I read the passage I was part of a local church. (I moved about 2 weeks after becoming a Christian, and spent the first few months of my Christian walk unchurched and not in contact with any older Christians.) The passage still seemed to speak of wearing a head covering for prayer and prophesying. So I asked, and was told that that was a cultural phenomenon, strictly for the Corinthian church within the area so as not to offend unbelievers. I thought about it, and assumed that these people really had done more study on the subject than me, so until I had thought it out I’d go with their view. And each time I read 1 Corinthians 11, that is what I thought. It still didn’t make sense to me, but I was willing to let it go.

Recently I was reading a John Piper / Wayne Grudrem book called Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. One of the contributors was going through that very argument. And I got to the end or the argument and thought, “That just doesn’t make sense. There is nothing in the passage that argues that it is a cultural norm and not a Biblical one. Indeed, the passage implies that it is a Biblical norm.” So I got out every Bible version I had, and read each and every translation. My conclusion was that I needed to be wearing a head covering for church and prayer.

I went out and bought some very basic head coverings, and wore them that night to a prayer meeting. No one said anything, or even noticed. During prayer, God reminded me that we are to pray continually, without ceasing. So I decided that I would wear a head covering throughout the day. I thought, based on the non-event of wearing a head covering to one church event that this would be simultaneously easy and yet would have me grow closer to God through my obedience. Well, the second of those was right. But as for the first one… it’s easy to put the head covering on, but keeping it on… that’s another story…

To be continued…

From The Family by J.R. Miller

Two little stories of Elizabeth of Hungary illustrate this point and show the reward which such service brings. Her kindness to the sick and the poor was unbounded. Once she brought a leprous child to her palace and laid it in her own bed, because there was no other place to lay it. Her husband heard of it and came in some displeasure and drew down the cover of the bed to see if the object concealed there was really as loathsome as he had heard. And lo! Instead of the festering and leprous body he saw the Saviour, radiant with glory, and turned away awe stricken and yet glad. That was what Jesus said: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me.” The ministries rendered to the poor, the suffering, the tempted, the sorrowing, are wrought as to Christ himself.

Another of these legends of Elizabeth tells that once she was bearing her cloak full of loaves to the poor whom she daily fed. Her husband met her, and being amazed at the size of the load she bore looked to see what it was, and found only flowers. The loaves were as light as they were fragrant to the noble woman who carried them for the love she bore her Lord. So always the duties we perform out of love for him and his suffering ones become easy and pleasant as we take them up. Heaven’s benediction rests ever on the home of her who lives to do good.

From chapter 3, “The Wife’s Part”.

It's Not New Years, But

Top 10 New Years Resolutions for young Christian Women

#1. Resolve to use the Bible alone as a blueprint for thinking and living, rather than culture, feminist progaganda, or peer pressure. Look to the Bible alone to dictate the role of young women. Resolve to study your Bible faithfully each day with the goal of being edified, instructed and challenged. Keeping a journal of the things you learn in the Word each day will help you be more focused and aggressive in actively searching for hard truths to apply.

#2. Resolve to remove from yourself friends who are a negative influence on you, and surround yourself more with friends who will edify you and encourage you in godliness. Resolve to cast from you any outside influence which is unedifying and unsanctifying (e.g. TV show, film, magazine, associates, activities)

#3. Resolve to build stronger relationships with your family members. The state of these relationships should be the most important to you of all, save your relationship with the Lord. Make the most of the time that the Lord has given you to be with your family members by making them your best friends. Resolve to set an inspiring, encouraging example to your brothers and sisters. Resolve to be more respectful to and honoring of your parents, so that it may be well with you.

#4. Resolve to cultivate a deeper, closer, more honoring relationship with your father, which will edify you both. Give him your heart, talk to him, confide in him, pray for him, ask him questions, and let him know that you are behind him and want to build him up to be an even greater man. Search your heart to see if you have committed a greviance against your father in the past which is now an impediment to your relationship with him. Now is an opportune time to ask forgiveness from those you have wronged.

#5. Resolve to do your husband (current or future) good and not evil every day of this year. (Proverbs 31:12) One of the ways we can do our future husbands good right now, even if we don’t know who they are, is to actively preserve and prepare ourselves for them. Preserve yourself by remaining pure physically, emotionally and mentally. Prepare yourself by becoming a worthy bride for a godly man. Develop all the character and skills that a righteous young man will need in a wife.

#6. Resolve to treat and think of other young men as brothers in Christ. Dress and act modestly, in a way that shows consideration for their future wives. Treat young men (including younger brothers) in a way that will build them up rather than tear them down, with respect rather than scorn.

#7. Resolve to clothe yourself with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. Make it start in the inside and shine through to the outside. Resolve to act more gracious, more like a lady. Make “strength and dignity” your clothing. Stand up straight! Smile more. Work on developing a gentle and quiet voice and manner.

#8. Resolve to equip yourself for the Spiritual battle that is taking place. Resolve to work on spiritual disciplines (e.g. prayer, Scripture memorization, in-depth Bible study). Resolve to train your mind (e.g. read many hard books, write, study theology).

#9. Resolve to be a missionary right where you are. Resolve to serve and encourage the people in your congregation. Resolve to develop the character and the messages necessary to disciple the younger women of our generation.

#10. Resolve to not be a compromiser or syncretist. Remember, we are in the midst of a war. As soon as you compromise on a moral issue, you have lost the battle. Win victories for Christ by fighting His battles His way.

__________________________________________

I especially love resolutions 1, 8, and 10!

Luke 14

So, therefore, anyone of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple (verse 33).

Following Jesus requires us to give up all that we have, or at least be willing to at a moment’s notice. It means following His plans for our lives and not our own. It means seeking a fellowship with His suffering and not just His blessings.

So far, for me it has meant laying down the dream of getting married and having children, and instead preparing to be a single missionary. It has meant giving up my ‘rights’ to ‘my’ money, giving instead to the poor and needy. It has meant spending ‘my’ spare time knitting hats for the homeless rather than reading or playing on the net or socialising.

The cost has been great. None of these things has been easy. I don’t want to die to myself. But Christ has always been there; ready to comfort me at every step. He is with me, and there is nothing better – not my dreams, my money, or anything else.

Who Are You Looking At?

Any person, blogger, preacher, or book that tells us to focus more on ourselves, to scrutinize the sins and motives of others, or to view trials and tribulations through the lens of perpetual victimhood is not spurring others on to good works. In fact, with their self-consuming message, they are distracting others from Jesus – the very opposite of glorifying God.
From this post at Your Sacred Calling