Friday, October 24, 2014

Sisters We Need This Message {{a post about a post}}

Her Words:

My Words:
Sisters – we need this message! 
I cannot say that strong enough!!!
My entire walk with the Lord has been radically revamped in recent months through the truth of Abba's secure and freeing approval -some of which is expressed in this post! 

Sisters! We. Need. This. Message! 

In the last week alone, I have been a participant in six different conversations where a sister was expressing – not complaining – but simply honestly expressing a sad striving and strain under the weight of what she has identified to be "enough" or "necessary".
Words like, "stamina, strength, weak, enough, weary, more, less, behind, overwhelmed" pepper our conversations and prayer requests. 

The voices of our culture, the pride of our own deceptive hearts, and the enemy's viscous slander combine to effectively undermine and cripple our souls.
Where we ought to walk with heads held high in freedom and hope and perfect confidence, we trudge and limp under burdens of self-inflicted demand.

We identify ourselves by our doing (if we feel good about it) or our weariness (if we don't feel good about it). 

Is it REALLY the wish of our husband, the requirement of our boss, the generous service to our church, the unavoidable obligation at our kid's school...
Or are these the things we tell ourselves in order to justify the doing we so desperately want to cling to?? 

Let us begin by doing so much less and being so very much more in His presence.

Hold on here while I speak some truth. 
Perhaps a chocolate truffle will help it go down...I have some to share! 

.....Because food does not have to be healthy all of the time.
Children do not always need to be homeschooled, bread does not always need to be homemade, sports involvement does not equate an equipped student, and not every child needs to play a musical instrument (or five). 
Housekeeping is not next to godliness,  holding to a rigid schedule does not define one's moral character, and *gasp*, it is often actually good to humbly cancel pre-established plans or graciously say no to a request. 

Let's just chew on that for a moment! 
{along with a second truffle because we can.} 

Let's get back to Jesus, His gospel, His word and presence. 

Let's get back to truly pleasing our husbands in the kitchen, in the bed, in the budget, and with the schedule.
 (mine is. you can ask him, and I've never been happier, you can ask me 😊) 

Let's get back to soaking up, rather than either sheltering or farming out, our children.

Let's find joy in our career paths, in our volunteering, in our creative outlets; unashamedly pursuing growth and success in our skill sets. 

Let's be brave and courageous enough to be real with who Jesus is, with who we are, and what that all means! 
Let's turn against the tide of culture and take care of our souls first. Let's be women who can set aside the to do list so that creativity or fellowship or rest can happen.

Let be the sisters whose souls are full and complete and healthy even if our bodies did not make it to the gym four times in this week.

Let's be the sisters who know how to move slow, and think deeply, and feel for one another with a fullness that only comes from the unhurried places! 

Most of all, let us be at the feet of Jesus Christ in constant worship, chasing down and revelling in the unbroken companionship of his Holy Spirit! 

His Words:
"Thus says the Lord: let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, but not the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love justice and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord." 
Jeremiah 9:23–24

"for thus said the Lord God, the holy one of Israel, in returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength."
Isaiah 30:15

"Be still, and know that I am God. 
I will be exalted among the nations. 
I will be exalted in the earth."
Psalm 46:10


4 comments:

  1. Wonderful!
    And yes..
    I NEEDED this message!!

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  2. Amber... My friend – me too. Breaking free has been a slow – going, then bursting out soul - healing process.
    Painful in crevices, and wonderful all over the place. It will be ongoing, and as such is the stuff of Grace eh? (Is that how they say it in Canada??;)

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  3. Great truth for me during this season in my life!

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    Replies
    1. Michelle - I'm so glad!
      Many blessings in the wonderful, often very long, days of your season!!! I remember, sweet momma!

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