Last week in Bible study, I struggled. I could not get through the chapter. My focus was missing. Every time I tried to read it, pressures in life took over. My mind would wander and I would close the book, again.
I could not figure out what was really going on. Which was kind of crazy since the whole strategy was about the pressures you face. We are reading FerVent by Priscilla Shirer. At the end of each chapter I do a summary of what we read for the ladies. Here is the summary on Strategy 8.
Hi Ladies!
This past week we talked about Strategy 8, Your Pressures.
I have had some chapters that were a bit hard to get through, but this chapter was
impossible for me to get through. Every time I would sit down to read it, I could not focus.
What was causing all these issues? All the pressures of life that had been going on! They have not gone away but I made the choice to truly focus. To dig into prayer, to focus on God and what He had planned for me.
We can be enslaved by good things and bad things. I often think it is easy for us to focus on the good things we are doing for Him, and forget to focus on the relationship with him.
We have to find our balance. We have to set a schedule for ourselves. We need time daily for our family, for our time with God, for the things He is placing in front of us. The only way to really know if it is of Him, be in the relationship with Him.
I love where she said, “Your Father just wants you to be you. And that means not
having to be two of you to get it all done.” because that thought is what has been setting me free. The fact that God has been showing me that HE created me to be who I am. That He wants me to be me. To see that in this chapter was just another way He confirmed to me that I am heading in the right direction.I was not created to be who my parents wish I was. I was not created to be who my children wish I was. I was not created to be the person who always says yes and never says no. I was not created to be what others want me to, I was created to be in a relationship with Him. I was created to listen to Him, His will, His wants for me.
And the more I head in the direction He has for my life, the more peace I have inside of me. The more contentment I have in my life. The more rejuvenated I feel when I spend time with Him in worship.
Another thing God has pointed out to me is that my children are affected by who I was trying to be. The more I was going, the more I expected from them, the more perfection they would try to show to gain my approval. That is not what I want for them! I want them to build their relationship with Christ. I want them to build who God has created them to be.
Pressures in our lives can lead us to be worn, weary, exhausted and pushing God to the side. That is not what He created us for. Good and bad things get in our way of having a relationship with Him.
Maybe it is time to really go into prayer about each thing you are doing in your life. Even those who are retired can be choosing wrong things. Over this past week, I have been making a list. I have been watching what is taking my time.
I am praying about it all. I hope you do as well!
Tomorrow we talk about our hurts! I can’t wait to see you all.
Amy
It was crazy how I could not focus. I was so focused on all that was going on around me. I am so glad that I took the time to focus on Him, pull myself back in alignment with God and moved past the craziness of the past week.
This does bring us closer to the book being over. When the book is over, we have one
more week as a final get together, then our Bible study for the year is over. So I have been working on trying to figure out what would be a good choice for summer Bible study.
Between two of us we decided it would be good to do something that gets us more in tune with God. So we are thinking about doing a daily devotional and then just talking about what we read over the week.
So far we have talked about using: Jesus Calling By Sarah Young, Jesus Always By Sarah Young, A Little God Time For Women By Broadstreet Publishing Group and I have a couple others I would like to pull out and review.
Anyone have any reviews or a daily devotional you love? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Life Synergy 