The Girlfriends met not too long ago at Panera Bread to share a meal. As before, Anna is out of state with her parents for a couple more weeks. Elisabeth was also out of town celebrating with her hubby for his birthday. We miss them and look forward to the next dinner when we expect all to attend!
Nothing out of the ordinary came in conversation….husbands, children, work, church, life; however, the outlooks seem different, especially in our attitude toward events in our working lives. Within the group I have seen us experience harassment, age discrimination, new bosses with different ideas and employers reorganizing.
I know if these same circumstances occurred at earlier times in our lives, our responses would have been much different than they have been. The Bible tells us in James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking.”
I believe we are maturing. I see us praying more, trusting more and submitting to His will.
Prayer.
Praise God for Bible studies and small groups that help us learn and grow. God wants us to learn what He has for us and how to live our lives. One study focused on prayer. What a wonderful way for us to develop a personal relationship with our Lord. We can pray. Lay down our cares and concerns. Tell Him everything. He listens! Any time. Any where. About anything. He is always accessible and wants us to call on him. Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Trust.
We have studied and discussed Biblical characters who trusted God. Those stories remind us of our natural inclinations to be in control. We try to handle things on our own first and they don’t work out. We learn to turn to God first. He is faithful. He fulfills His promises. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Submission.
Admittedly, I did not look forward to the study about submission; however, I gained a new understanding for just how much God loves us. He is our heavenly father. He was and is and is to come. He knows what is best for us. Jeremiah 29: 11 reminds us “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for evil, for a future and a hope.”
This meal Sarah shared about future uncertainties with her employer. She is concerned, but not worried. She knows that no matter what happens, God will provide. Sarah, like the rest of us, has been praying, she trusts God and is submitting to His will.
None of us are perfect, far from it; however, we keep pressing on like Paul does in Philippians 3:13-15 “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. [ Following Paul’s Example ] All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.“
May you persevere in maturing your faith in Christ,
Ruth
