At the end of every study there is always a time of reflection for me (Julie). Such was the case last night, as our Wednesday Night Study group completed the ‘Brave’ bible study written by Angela Thomas.
Indeed, for those who finished the study I can testify that you truly are some of the bravest women I know. One doesn’t have to look far to see that God is working in so many of you. I forget that far too often. You know, part of leading is just reminding others of things they already know.
That leads me to another thing that I was reminded of over the past weeks, actually the last two weeks of this study, and that is the power of hope. I am still not where I need to be in relation to fully relying on the fullness of hope that is available in Jesus, but I am encouraged to continue to pursue hope in all areas of my life. Hope is tough work at times. It can also be incredibly painful. I think, or maybe I know, that one of the bravest things for us to actually live out is this pursuit of the hope that resides in us. What is the hope that resides in us who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God? It’s the power of the Holy Spirit working in cooperation with our spirit to accomplish the will of the Father in our lifetime for the glory of the Father. It’s the hope that what we are doing matters for the kingdom of God.
I was also reminded of the fact that I’m not alone in my struggle with certain things. There was one week of homework that quite honestly, I didn’t do. It hurt too much. I still have a few masks of my own that I am working on laying down.
What inspires me this morning – and what is renewing my strength in regards to ‘discipleship focused bible study’ opportunities for Women In Ministry – is to recognize that there is the desire among us not only to finish a bible study by filling in the blanks but there is the desire to know God and to be transformed by Him in such a way that we are moved beyond the written page and into the lives of those that we all interact with on a daily basis, whether it is in the home, the workplace, or the ball field. Isn’t this our mission? Our goal? Our purpose?
I think so… girls, let the whole world know that Jesus was born to bring us life, both for now and forevermore.
See you in Bible Study.
‘For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.’ Romans 15:4 (NIV)
