To each believer he calls us to holiness, worship, service, self-denial and the gospel enterprise. He calls us to love Him with our whole heart, soul, mind & strength.
He beckons us to sever affections and ties to this world, to guard our hearts from idols, to invest in his eternal purposes which often put us very much at odds with our current culture and its intense focus on the ‘now’.
To each of us as women he puts forward His designs of follower of and submission to male leadership; he may assign us the role of helper (in marriage) or to the intense demands of motherhood.
These can be deeply satisfying and rewarding, at times, especially as we recognize whom we are ultimately serving.
At other times they can seem unfair, stifling and even intensely disappointing and even painful. These designs (and the sometime difficult call in them) can directly conflict with ‘intelligent’ thought in our culture. The voices in our postmodern world would often point us a very different direction than the designs of our Creator God.
At other times they can seem unfair, stifling and even intensely disappointing and even painful. These designs (and the sometime difficult call in them) can directly conflict with ‘intelligent’ thought in our culture. The voices in our postmodern world would often point us a very different direction than the designs of our Creator God.
This provides fertile, moist ground for the fungus of Satan’s lies to deposit its spores, pregnant with contagious scum.
Beware.
God’s designs are always good.
Even when the current circumstances are difficult and the call in them is sacrificial and ongoing. (Loyally love my husband? Be happy in this job? Wait in patience for the right man? Look to God in hope even when my situation is so dark…?)
Even when the ‘advice’ of others would rationalize away the obligation in it. (You shouldn’t have to submit when it is unfair! Lots of others take jobs & it’s fine for them! His leadership is so stringent~~no one else has this hard of a call!, This isn’t the man you married, you're not happy here & God surely wouldn’t want you to suffer the rest of your life in this!)
Even when there is great temptation to ‘wiggle around’ the condition of its constraint. (It’s not like I’m actually unfaithful, just a little ‘harmless’ fun. Wait on God?…wait on God? Are you nuts?!! I have to help God out in this, and I know just the thing!)
Even when stepping outside it seems to be a pasture with such greener, lusher grass offering such freedom. (Oh, to have this trial gone, be done. Then I could really serve God!)
Know well the deceit found in such whispers, and from whom these lies come.
God’s designs are always good.
Even when they don’t seem all that good from your perspective at this point in time.
Hold onto your faith in our good, all-wise Creator who is working all things according to His prudent, providential plan.
Don’t make the mistake of doubting His design to instead follow your own, thinking it is so much better.
That mistake has already been made.
In a garden, thousands of years ago…and it didn’t turn out so well.
God’s designs are always good.
Trust and obey.
"This provides fertile, moist ground for the fungus of Satan’s lies to deposit its spores, pregnant with contagious scum."
ReplyDeleteEwww! Awesomely graphic description! If we actually viewed sin in this way all the time, it might keep us from trouble.