March 20, 2008

Growing Moms

Our kids, as well as others, are drawn to a faith that is fresh and alive. In the midst of home schooling, laundry, diapers, housekeeping, ministry, etc., sometimes what we choose to omit from our schedules is regular, daily time with our Lord, to study and meditate on His word, and to pray. As my pastor often reminds his congregation, “We are leaky buckets,” needing to be filled and refilled on a daily basis. And without that daily filling, our faith becomes dry and stale. But how do I fit that in when I’m up half the night with a colicky baby or sick child? I remember a “mom in the Lord” telling me when I asked her that question that sometimes prayer and Bible time are even more important than sleep!

When I ruminate upon how busy I think I am, I am reminded of Susanna Wesley. A wife at age 19 and the mother of John and Charles Wesley, Susanna gave birth to nineteen children in about as many years. It is said that she devoted her first hour upon waking to bible study, prayer and hymn singing. She inspired, discipled, mentored and instructed her children, who knew that when she was sitting with an apron over her head, it meant she was praying and they’d better not bother her. In addition to raising her ten children who lived to adulthood, she dealt with an often absent husband, constant financial burdens, having her house burn down twice, and two sets of twins! Wow. I guess most of us can sandwich in a little time for Bible study!

Although with certainty, study of God’s word has to come first, there have been many other books that have proven to be helpful, encouraging, and often convicting, as well. (See some of my favorites below.)

We all know it is a lot of work to homeschool, run a household, serve at church and sometimes even work inside/outside the home. But we must take the time, on a daily basis, to renew our faith and grow as believers. As my daughter says, we always think that if we worked a little bit smarter, harder or faster, we would have more time for our personal study, but it really is a matter of making it the first priority. If Susanna Wesley could talk with us today, I’m sure she would agree!

In Grace Alone,

Dana

Written by a Carmelite lay-brother over 300 years ago who took the name of Brother Lawrence, this inspiring book touched me because he was such a wonderful example of a humble, joyful servant. These comments are from the publisher: As a humble cook, Brother Lawrence learned an important lesson through each daily chore: The time he spent in communion with the Lord should be the same, whether he was bustling around in the kitchen, with several people asking questions at the same time–or on his knees in prayer. He learned to cultivate the deep presence of God so thoroughly in his own heart that he was able to joyfully exclaim, "I am doing now what I will do for all eternity. I am blessing God, praising Him, adoring Him, and loving Him with all my heart."

The Practice of the Presence of God

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This is an excellent 12 week study about personal and corporate revival, designed to be used in small group study. From Amazon: Get ready to experience the freedom and joy of an honest and humble heart, true repentance, God's amazing grace, genuine holiness, a clear conscience, radical forgiveness, sexual purity, and walking in the Spirit. Each week includes five days of individual study, questions for group discussion and interaction, testimonies of changed lives, and 'Making it Personal' questions and exercises.

Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival

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This is another VERY REVEALING study appropriate for a small group. I liken this study to peeling an onion, slowly, layer by layer. (Warning: You are the onion!) This is the first of a series of three called "Revive our Hearts." This first one was fantastic–I will let you know when I have finished the other two. From Amazon: Every great movement of God is preceded by a season of humility and repentance and a time of tearing down walls, of getting honest with God and others about your true spiritual condition.It may be hard. It may hurt. But in the end, God will use your brokenness to restore your 'first love' for Jesus, rekindle your spiritual fire, reconcile your relationships, and repair your life.A richer, deeper, more God-filled life is waiting for you. And it all begins with Brokenness.

Brokenness: The Heart God Revives (Revive Our Hearts)

I recently worked through this insightful 'primer' of the reformed faith with a dear friend. Jerry Bridges does an excellent job of clearly explaining our foundational beliefs in understandable language. From Amazon: Why do so many believers live in quiet desperation? The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most explosive news of freedom the world has ever heard. Yet, why do so many of His followers experience so little of the gospel's liberating power? Regrets over our past haunt us, fear and anxiety clutch at us, subtle legalism oppresses us, outright sin entangles us, and we spend much of the day without even thinking of God. Jerry Bridges maintains that the poverty of actual Christian experience is the result of an impoverished understanding of the depths of the gospel itself. The key is not to try a little harder, but to know more fully the incredible work of Christ on the cross-and to live in a more vital awareness of that grace day by day. Bridges does not flinch from the hard facts of human sin and God's wrath-not exactly popular concepts today. But understanding them is absolutely crucial. For without a knowledge of the depth of our sin, we cannot experience "the unsearchable riches of Christ" that are available to us in the gospel. And when we know those riches, we are empowered to live every day "glorying in a sense of acceptance and the experience of grace." The gospel is not just for the afterlife, but for today-it is the gospel for real life.

The Gospel for Real Life (with Study Guide)

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