Greetings godly sisters!
Hope you're doing well in the Lord today!
In this post I wanted to write a bit about the life we are to have in our service to God and others. We know through the gospel we submit to Christ. That is following after Him and obeying His commands. We know we cannot claim to believe in Him and not follow Him. So our life changes as we bring all our action into line with His ways. So in that we cannot live a selfish life but instead deny ourselves and live for Him. We know God is to be first...always.
And as godly women we have our roles and we know that is, from the beginning, to be helpers to the man. And in Christ we also are to be serving others. But this does not happen in an instant. I mean we learn more and more about the depths of serving and laying aside our own desires as we grow.
We have specific commands in the NT for us women to be about such things as in Titus 2. And we see an example of a godly woman in 1 Timothy 5:10. She is mentioned as serving others and diligently following every good work! She would not be selfish like the widow a few verses earlier that was living in pleasure (self indulgent) and was spiritually dead while doing so.
We know we are not to be servants to our own flesh. We cannot please God in the flesh (Romans 8:8). But we are to be servants to God and righteousness.
I was thinking of the stiff-necked children of Israel. We don't want to be like that. We can learn much from them though. God Himself told us many things for our examples in the written word from them. We have so much truth today and will be held accountable. So what I'm reminding us sisters about is how we want to be moldable and not hard hearted. And God can show us where we need to change if we're willing. You sisters that I know encourage me in this because you're like that too. We want to yield ourselves to the work of the Spirit in our lives and be yielding more and more good fruit.
There may be times that our flesh is hurt (intentionally or not) by someone else and we can't serve the feelings that come. While we want to not be effected by what others do or say to us we know what battles can go on in us because of them. Even if what we 'want' to do is a good thing and we can't do it we have to crucify our flesh in order to serve others and the Lord. And this could be in whatever circumstances we are in...a body of believers, a marriage, family, or a job etc.
And oftentimes after we have overcome our flesh and moved on we can see that that thing that was taken away what we wanted to do was not as good as what we knew we should be doing instead. And we may find that our spirit wants to do something but our flesh is weak. But if we are truly willing to do that which is right and keep pressing on and bringing our flesh into subjection then we can live in victory over the flesh.
I do know this can be hard and I am writing because I know some of the battles of flesh vs spirit within us. Part of us wants to feed our flesh in self pity but our spirit says no and wants what is good for the glory of the Lord. Our flesh can believe lies about someone else or a situation but in our spirit we know the truth...and with it we overcome our flesh.
Here's some relevant scriptures to encourage us all in these things.
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2 Corinthians 5:15
We see there that we who are alive from the dead are to live unto Christ and not ourselves.
For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.
Philippians 2:20-21
We want to be seeking the Lord's things...as in that verse where Paul was commending a caring brother.
More here about not pleasing ourselves...
We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
Romans 15:1-3
And we'll be seeking what's best for the other. And it's really because of love we have for one another.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
And preferring others before ourselves...
Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Philippians 2:2-4
...and that even if there has to be some or a lot of flesh killing in order to get to the place where it becomes who we are. We always want to be growing in the depths of a godly life and if we're willing and don't grow hardened we never will stop.
It's connected with humility too isn't this all. Less about us and more about God and others. We know God hates pride. If we are in our correct place we just want to be tools for whatever purpose the Lord has in our lives. We know it isn't to go through life in ease fulfilling the desires of the flesh. We live to glorify God. And how do we do that? By being obedient to Him and shining our light which comes from Him anyway.
Thank you sister for this beautiful picture...
'Take' what you want sisters...
Made some more simple no-knead bread today...
And I hope to post the recipe tomorrow.
Good to have with a bowl of fresh tomato soup...
OK well I must go. May we all seek that selfless life loving others over ourselves so that the Lord is glorified! I appreciate seeing my sisters (that I know) be willing to learn the deepest and hardest lessons as we all grow in maturity in the Lord.
Love in Christ,
Sister Michaela
Find the gospel explained here.