She is Adorned: Gentility and Quietness

Hi Ladies,

I hope that you all are doing well! I expect that I will not have as much time to post on the blog once the college semester begins on the 9^th. I will try to not neglect you all though. This post is going to be specifically geared towards my fellow sisters in Christ. This will be another study of Biblical Femininity. It is important that as females we cultivate a gentle and quiet spirit. 1 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV), “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” There are often misconceptions about what the apostle Peter meant. Our culture encourages girls to be themselves and to fight for what they want or “deserve”. However, Christians are told in Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV), “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” We have to lose ourselves in order to embrace freedom in Jesus. Jesus calls Christian women to a life of inner modesty. We are asked to clothe ourselves with a gentle (or meek) and quiet spirit.

The Greek word for meekness in vs. 4 means to not create disturbances. A woman who is meek is peaceful, and she does not always speak her mind. She submits unto the Lord, and she accepts the trials that come her way. Meekness is not weakness. It is instead self-control. The Bible Study Tools Dictionary defines meekness in this way, “The use of the Greek word when applied to animals makes this clear, for it means “tame” when applied to wild animals. In other words, such animals have not lost their strength but have learned to control the destructive instincts that prevent them from living in harmony with others.” This is a neat picture of how we are made for marital harmony as well as harmony in the body of Christ. We are called to not cause trouble, but to “have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, and a humble mind” when it comes to our relationships with other believers (1 Peter 3:8).

Quietness is an action in response to disturbances around us. A woman who is quiet and soft-spoken in her words realizes the power of her tongue. She is not quick to speak, and in prayerful consideration she is discerning in her daily conversations. Proverbs 12:18 (ESV), “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” She understands the harm in gossiping and will not participate in it.  A woman who possesses a quiet spirit is also slow to anger and quick to extend mercy. Like Jesus she will be mocked and scorned for being set-apart, but she will turn the other cheek. 1 Peter 2:23 (ESV), “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”

The Lord calls us to quit crying out, “Look at me”, and to instead proclaim “Look at the greatness of my glorious God”. Because God has granted us redemption and a chance to be His children, we must live like Christ daily. We must live in love by asking God for meekness and for wisdom in responding to those around us. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-5 (ESV), “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.”

My prayer is that God would cultivate quiet and meek spirits within all of us! I praise God for His grace when we fail and His wisdom to teach us. I hope that you all have a blessed week. May your coffee be strong.

In Christ’s love,

Sarah

Made in His Image: Not Defined by Numbers

Hi Everyone,

In my season of life, the Lord has been showing me the burdens in my life that must be thrown away in order for me to truly be free in Christ. I shared my need to toss paralyzing fear and perfectionism. This week once again, I am going to begin this post by quoting a verse which God has been constantly speaking over my life. Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” I know you are probably sick of this verse, but I cannot seem to shake it off my shoulders. The passion to live audaciously and wildly is freshly brewing in my heart. In order to carry that passion out in my life, there is simplifying which must be done.

This week as I have been digging deeper into the book Wild and Free by Jess Connolly and Hayley Morgan as well as studying for the ACT, the Lord has reminded me of my identity in Him. Much of our fast-paced world and our lives revolve around numbers. Our days are limited to 24 hours. Our success is weighed by how many items on our lengthy to-do-list have been accomplished and scratched off or the number of righteous works we perform. Our self-worth is based off of the number of followers, likes, and friends. Our intellect is determined by our test scores like the ACT test for example. However all these numbered items here on earth are merely variables. They are not constant. If we weigh our worth according to those scales, when they do not work out as planned, we will feel worthless. Our salary can change; friends and significant others may not remain faithful; our popularity can dwindle. I often find this form of inner dialogue going on within my heart: “Sarah, it is great that you got this and that done, and I applaud you for the effort, but that is not enough. You did not get this and this and this done. Therefore, today was not a productive day.”

The only definition of ourselves which we should listen to is the one given to us by our Abba Father from the beginning of time. Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” We were made in the image of a perfect, holy, lovely, and majestic God. When we view ourselves as children of God made in the image of the eternal King, as His workmanship, the earthly things which try to define us will seem fleeting and weightless. Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” The Lord called man and woman “good” because He made them in His image. Our number of talents and accomplishments has nothing to do with the grace that God showers upon us. We do not earn the Lord’s favor by our actions. Psalm 16:2, “I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” This quote from Wild and Free puts this verse into perspective, “…Where you sit, you are still that creation He calls good. Not because you’ve done anything to earn it, but because you were made in the very image of the God of all good.” –Jess Connolly.

Our God is not limited or defined by numbers. He is always in action. The 24 hour day does not contain Him. His majestic name is not weighed by the number of Christians who glorify His name. He is sovereign and triumphant because that is His very nature. His nature does not change. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. If the Lord who cannot be defined by things on this earth calls us His workmanship and speaks purpose over our lives to make His name known, who are we to define ourselves with trivial and non-eternal things? James 4:14, “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” Our time on earth is brief, and it is easy to slip into a routine of satisfying numbers and quotas and calculating our worth in that which is fleeting. A life striving after numbers will bring upon ourselves discouragement and depression. The purpose of the Lord brings meaning to our life because we have the knowledge that our existence as a believer will continue on for all eternity. Without Christ, the mentality of accomplishing as much as you can before you are buried in the ground is futile. Praise God for the hope that only He provides!

Matthew 25:21, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Oh how marvelous that day when I enter the Lord’s presence will be. The Lord does not look at numbers. He peers into the deepest crevices of our hearts, and He sees beauty in us for we are made in His image.

May we not forget that our worth comes from our God-given identity. Numbers do not define our God nor do they define us. Instead of feeling unsuccessful because you only accomplished a few items on your to-do list, try turning it around and saying, “I may not have done everything, but what I did do, I did wholeheartedly for God’s glory.” Our lives are all about making the Lord known and glorifying Him all of our days.

Thank you all for reading, and I will talk to you all soon. May your coffee be strong, and please pray for me as I take my ACT this Saturday. I would greatly appreciate that.

In Christ’s Love,

Sarah