Elizabeth George's Blog, page 3

God’s Gifting for us All

Sitting in our Sunday school class, I listened as my husband Jim taught a series on the “one anothers” in the New Testament. He taught about the ministries each Christian is to have to “one another” in Christ’s church. This particular Sunday Jim spoke on edifying one another— encouraging them, building them up, contributing positively to their lives, and benefiting them in some way.

After summarizing the lesson, Jim chal­lenged our class. He exhorted, “With every encounter, make it your aim that people are better off for having been in your pres­ence. Try in every encounter to give something to the other person.” I have never forgotten these words. What a great and simple way to positively influence the lives of other people. Everyone needs edification and encouragement, and we are free to offer that when we have hearts filled by God.

Sometimes we can feel immobilized in our service toward God by an over-emphasis on spiritual gifts or a fear of not being the right person for the job. You might think, “If I am not a natural encourager, maybe I should serve on the parking team instead.” Or, “I’m not wealthy. How can my contributions make a difference?” We are all unique in our giftedness and the hurdles toward serving God and others. I found it a relief to learn that are three ministries that you, I, and all Christians can have.

When I read Balancing the Christian Life by theologian Charles Caldwell Ryrie, I discovered three ways of serving others in the faith that are not only listed as specific spiritual gifts, but they are commanded of all Christians. They are serving, giving, and showing mercy (Romans 12:7-8). Hear how Dr. Ryries defined them:

Serving is sometimes called help or ministering. “It is the basic ability to help other people, and there is no reason why every Christian cannot have and use this gift.”

Giving is another ministry you and I should be involved in. “Giving is the ability to distribute one’s own money to others, and it is to be done with simplicity which means with no thought of return or gain for oneself in any way.”

Mercy is next. “Showing mercy is akin to the gift of ministering and involves succoring those who are sick or afflicted. ‘Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction’ (James 1:27).”

Serving, mercy, and giving: each is a specific spiritual gift, but each is also commanded of us as Christians. And each was carried out and modeled for us by our Savior, in whose steps we are to follow. So commit now to kindle your efforts to serve, show mercy, and give, and thus fulfill the law of God and encourage His people.

RESPOND:

Thank You, Lord, for Your gifts of service, giving, and mercy. Help me to follow in Your steps by ministering to others. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES: 

In “Following God with All Your Heart”, Elizabeth encourages women to embrace radical faith as they serve God by helping people and accomplishing His projects.

REFLECT:

How can you serve, show mercy, and give in your local congregation?

REMEMBER:

All Christians are called to serve, show mercy, and give to others in the faith.

Blessing Others

The Bible tells us that as Jesus grew, He “increased…in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). Do you ever wonder how to increase in favor and therefore increase your godly influence on those around you? Try these three ways to improve your relation­ships with people, and become a blessing.

Mind your mind—This step is unavoidable. Your actions will reveal your mental attitude toward people. That’s the message of yet another proverb: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). Thoughts that are critical, negative, harmful, and jealous not only go against God’s Word (Philippians 4:8), but they lead to actions that are critical, negative, harmful, and jealous. So train yourself to think loving, positive, generous thoughts when it comes to other people.

Mind your mouth—Our relationships with people are enhanced when we follow in the steps of the Proverbs 31 woman who “opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26). If her thoughts weren’t wise or kind, her mouth was shut!

Mind your manners—The number one way to be pleasing to God and approved by man is to be the servant of all. Our servant assignment from God is to give honor and preference to one another (Romans 12:10). Regarding others as more impor­tant than yourself gives you the mind and manner of Christ (Philippians 2:4-5).

You and I are to focus away from self and out to others. We are to become other-oriented. To do this, as mundane as it sounds, we have to train ourselves to, for example, stop talking about ourselves (or our children or our grandchildren) and instead ask about the other person. We may also have to learn some good manners because love has good manners (1 Corinthians 13:5).

God calls you to love Him, first and foremost, with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind (Luke 10:27) and to allow that rich love you enjoy in Him to overflow into your family, into your neighbors, into the lives of others. How can you be a person who looks around for ways to bless others and encourage someone with God’s love? He can make this happen as you let Him grow you into a woman after His heart.

RESPOND:

Dear Lord, thank You for Your love. Help me to be a person who blesses others. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

Elizabeth George’s book, “A Woman's Walk with God”, is an invitation to experience the joys of moment-by-moment living in the Lord's power, and producing the fruit of the Spirit in every circumstance.

REFLECT:

How can you be a blessing to others and become a woman known for her love?

REMEMBER:

Train yourself to be other-oriented rather than focused on yourself.

Knowing Your Purpose

It can be difficult for us as Christian women to know our purpose. There are so many voices shouting at us, suggesting all kinds of expectations for us to prove our worth. But God’s Word rises majestically above the clamor, and the good news is that God doesn’t ask a thousand or even a hundred things of His women.

He only asks us to focus on ten essential things that help us fulfill His grand purpose for us as women who love Him, who love and serve others, and who reflect Him to the world. His list, found in Titus 2:3-5, con­tains these essentials on which to focus our time and energies:

Be godly in your behavior.Be truthful and kind in your speech.Be disciplined and self-controlled.Be devoted to your husband.Be devoted to your children.Be discreet and wise in your actions.Be chaste and pure inside and out.Be focused on your home.Be kind and good to all.Be a teacher/encourager of good things.

It’s profoundly liberating to know your purpose in life! And, from this list it’s not as mysterious as we might think.

Ladies, you may already be pursuing God’s purpose in Titus 2:3-5. But you might also want to ask yourself, “Who, not what, is my Purpose?” Am I faithfully serving those in my path who are part of my purpose—my family, my church, my co-workers and acquaintances? Am I willing to follow in Jesus’ faith­ful steps and make the sacrifices faithfulness requires? Growing more like Jesus awaits you on the other side of these answers and actions.

Take time today to consider your answer these questions and your willingness to serve the Lord in the manner He is calling you.

But if you’re a little behind or uncertain, spend time examining Jesus’ life. Pay close attention to His focus and confidence as He lived God’s pur­pose on a daily basis. Notice how He fixed His gaze on God’s plan for Him. And be encouraged! As a woman who is seeking God’s plan, you are already evidencing purpose. You are reflect­ing Jesus as you live out His instructions to “seek first the king­dom of God” (Matthew 6:33).

RESPOND:

Lord, thank You for Your plan for me. Help me to know and live out my purpose as a woman after God’s heart. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

Taken from Discovering the Treasures of a Godly Woman by Elizabeth George, this beautiful print displays all the characteristics of a godly woman, based on Proverbs 31. Purchase and download this printable.

REFLECT:

Am I willing to follow in Jesus’ faith­ful steps and make the sacrifices faithfulness requires?

REMEMBER:

You reflect Jesus as you live out His instructions.

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Setting New Year’s Goals

It may seem late in the new year to be talking about goal setting. But, if you are like me, January seems to go by in a blink of an eye. And, it’s sometimes February before New Year’s plans and schedules fall into place.

There were times when I was aimless in many areas of life. But, today I can’t imagine a day (or a life) without goals. Goals give me a target. As I rise each morning and take aim at my day, the arrow I shoot may wobble and weave, but at least it’s in flight and headed some­where. Just as goals help us in the day to day, goals are also an aid when it comes to our spiritual growth.

Goals provide focus. It’s definitely true that if you aim at noth­ing, you’ll hit it every time. So when I was a mom with preschool­ers, I aimed at something—reading one book a year. I asked myself, “If I could read only one book this year, what would it be?” I read a suggested parenting book that helped me deter­mine the road I wanted our family to head down. I read it in bits and pieces, remembering that something is better than nothing. I set a goal—and reached it.

And that one book I set out to read went straight into my heart—and my life. As time and years went by, my list of books grew to include a variety of other titles, all of which have contributed to my personal and spiritual growth and to my ministry to others.

Goals provide an opportunity for specific measurement. Setting goals that are specific helps you move forward in the direction you want to go. So when it comes to making goals for yourself, stay away from the vague. For example, the goal “to be a godly woman” or “to walk with God” is honorable but hard to measure. It’s far better to be specific.

Answer the question “What does a godly woman do?” and let your answer give you specific and measurable behaviors (i.e. Bible study, prayer time). Write down steps you can actually take toward those behaviors (baby steps count!) and mark them off as you accomplish them. I’m often asked about my writing, including questions like “How do you do it?” and “What must I do to write a book?” My answer is always the same. I have a goal to write five pages each day. Now that’s specific. There’s nothing vague about that.

Goals provide encouragement. When a week, or month, or year is over, do you ever wonder, “Wow, what did I do? Where did it go?” As I began to write down specific, measurable goals and keep track of my progress in my planner, I could see firsthand the growth that had taken place, the number of books that had been read, the vari­ety of classes and seminars taken, the women I had shared God’s truths with, the number of family reunions and birthdays celebrated, and even the pounds lost. Believe me, as you keep track daily of your efforts and God’s grace, you will be able to celebrate the progress made, and give God thanks.

RESPOND:

Thank you, Lord, for helping me accomplish my goals in life. Thank you for growth in You. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

In Life Management for Busy Women, Elizabeth George shares how the love and patience of God taught her life-changing principles, including how to live each day God's way and be a better steward of resources.

REFLECT:

What goals have you met in the last year? What specific goals are you planning to set today?

REMEMBER:

Goals are an aid when it comes to spiritual growth.

Confess and Continue On

As we start a new year, we often reflect on accomplishments (or lack there of) of the past year. It is often easy to focus on all that was left undone or the regrets of unrighteous behavior or decisions. Many times we cannot face a new phase of life when we dwell on failures of the past.

Our enemy Satan delights when our failure to obey God keeps us from serving Him. You and I can all too easily wallow in the fact that we’ve failed God and then allow our emotions to keep us from going on and follow­ing after Him. We may know we are forgiven. And we’ve stopped the behavior, acknowledged and confessed our sin, forsaken our thoughts or actions, and cleared up the situation (1 John 1:9). But we still say to ourselves, “I can’t believe I did that, said that, thought that, acted like that. How could I have done that? I’m unworthy. I am totally unfit to serve God.”

When that’s the case, we need to turn to another truth from God’s Word and let it lift us up, dust us off, refresh us, and set us back on His path. Speaking divine directions to us through His Spirit, God encourages us—those of us who have confessed our disobedience and been forgiven—to be “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead… [and pressing] toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). Once we’ve acknowledged and dealt with our failure to follow God whole­heartedly, once we’ve addressed our acts of disobedience, you and I are to forget those things from the past and go on. We are to remember the lessons learned, but we are also to train our hearts to obey by obeying this command from God to go on.

Whenever I am down about myself, discour­aged by my faults, doubting my growth in Christ, depressed, defeated, or dismayed (someone once quipped that all these “D” words are from the Devil!), I stop and remind myself, “No matter what has happened, no matter what life looks like, no matter what you’re feeling, you are accepted in the Beloved—and nothing else matters!” Indeed, God has “made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6)!

When you and I come to a saving knowl­edge of Jesus Christ, we are given a new beginning, a fresh start, forgiveness for the past, wisdom for handling life, and power for doing what’s right. The Apostle Paul explains it like this: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Don’t continue to wallow in the drudge of failure at the side of the road where Satan wants you to get stuck. Claim the promise of Philippians 3:13-14 which compels us to reach forward in a continued walk in this newness.

RESPOND:

Lord, thank You for making me a new creation. Help me to walk in the newness of my life with You. Amen

RENEWING RESOURCES:

In Beautiful in God’s Eyes, Elizabeth George reveals how you can experience a richer, more exciting spiritual walk as you embrace God's design for true beauty in your life.

REFLECT:

What mistake or failing am I struggling to move on from?

REMEMBER:

In Jesus we have a new beginning.

Pray for God’s Will

We are at the beginning of a new year filled with the potential for new highs and lows, new joys and new fears. If we take time to read through the Gospels, we cannot miss an important lesson in how Jesus prepared for a new season of His time on earth. Jesus made it His habit to pray before important events and about important decisions in His life. For instance:

Jesus prayed as He began His ministry—Jesus’ baptism was a significant milestone in His life. It heralded the beginning of His public ministry. How did He approach this momentous occasion? We find Him offering up His first recorded instance of prayer, “When all the people were baptized… Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended” (Luke 3:21-22). Whatever work God has given you to do pales in comparison to what Jesus did. Nevertheless, it is your ministry (see 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11, 18). And your ministry merits and requires your prayers.

Jesus prayed as He chose His disciples—Jesus had many follow­ers, but He desired to choose twelve as leaders, as apostles, as “sent ones.” These men would be given special authority to deliver His message to the world. Their selection would mark the beginning of the focused training of these men who would take the gospel to the ends of the earth. This was definitely a historic occasion. How would Jesus choose from all those who followed Him? Again, prayer was His answer, “He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day…He chose twelve whom He also named apostles” (Luke 6:12-13).

Jesus prayed before going to the cross—In this last scenario, Jesus’ time on earth was coming to a close. His time of training His disciples was also over. He knew His death on the cross was ahead of Him, and He knew its implications for all mankind. So He moved with His disciples to the Garden of Geth­semane, His customary place of prayer, to pray. His impending crucifixion would be excruciatingly painful and difficult, and His soul was in agony. The Lord’s anguish had little to do with fear of the physical tor­ture of the cross or even His death. No, He was sorrowful because the full cup of divine judgment against sin would soon be His to drink. How did Jesus handle this horrendous situation? “He…fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me'” (Matthew 26:39). And, as He prayed a sec­ond and a third time, His prayers changed to reflect the powerful strength of His resolve: “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42).

You and I will never know or experience anything like Jesus did as He prepared for, faced, and endured death on a cross. But we do suffer—physical pain, emotional pain, lacks in our lives, dif­ficult circumstances, challenging relationships, an uncertain future and more! To pre­pare for, face, and endure life’s challenges, you know what you need to do—pray!

Jesus shows all Christians the importance of praying when we need to make decisions and gain direction for our lives. He prayed when He had to make an important decision or a spe­cial or trying occasion presented itself. His habit of prayer teaches us how to tap into God’s power and grace, too. Jesus’ desire was to follow the Father’s will completely, and prayer was a vital part of His decision-making. The same is true for us as we seek to do God’s will.

As you think about your life and the new year ahead, what important event is about to occur? What guid­ance do you need for your future, or a child’s future? What strength is lacking for an impossible but nec­essary decision? Follow the Lord’s example and, like Him, pray. God has given you an effective resource in prayer. As one of my favorite prayer verses bids:

“Let us…come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

God bless you and keep you as you pray for God’s will for you in this new year!

RESPOND:

Lord, thank You that we may come boldly to the throne of grace in our time of need. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

Elizabeth George shares from her own personal experiences, points to specific and helpful Scripture verses, and offers soothing prayers to help readers with anxious hearts in Prayers to Calm Your Heart.

REFLECT:

What events do I have approaching that need prayer?

REMEMBER:

Pray for God’s will in this new year.

Reading the Proverbs

As you look ahead, what do you anticipate facing in this new year? Are you struggling with your roles and responsibilities? Are you at a crossroad in your career? Do you need direction in dealing with a family member, a workmate, or your finances? Or are you needing some help with all of the above? Then you need wisdom—God’s wisdom. Well, wait no longer!

Blessings of Wisdom

God promises you wisdom—and it’s free and readily available. Your job is to pray, seek, search, and dig for God’s wisdom in His Word. God’s job—and His promise to you—is to give you all the wisdom you ask for, and all the wisdom you need.

Do you realize what this means? It means that whatever issue or problem you are facing, you don’t have to grope around in the dark, hoping you will somehow stumble upon answers. You don’t have to stab at a solution and hope you made the right choice—the wise choice, all the time fearing that maybe you made the wrong choice. No, you have a surer way to tackle life’s problems—and gain God’s peace of mind in the process!

Benefits of Daily Bible Reading

Start today by reading Proverbs 1 and 2. Tomorrow, read chapter 3. On January 4, read chapter 4, and so on…and by the end of the month, you’ll have read the entire book.

As you daily make your way through Proverbs, starting in chapter 1, you can’t miss the truth that evil does its worst in secret and solicits new followers in the dark. But God’s wisdom is public. As verses 20 and 21 note, “Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings.”

There is so much to tend to, worry about, fear, and beware of. Every minute of every day can be full of fear and charged with anxiety. But God and His Word quell all our fears. “But whoever listens to me [wisdom] will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil” (Proverbs 1:33).

Whenever you need wisdom, you can pray to God, ask of God, look to God’s Word…and wisdom will be given to you!

May God bless your New Year with His wisdom, hope, and joy.

We look forward to growing together as men and women after God’s own heart in 2024!

RESPOND:

Thank you, Lord, for Your promise to give us wisdom. Thank You for Your Word. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

Purchase and download this Bible Reading and Study Tools Pack to help keep you on track with Bible reading in the new year.

REFLECT:

Have I asked God for wisdom as I make decisions for the new year?

REMEMBER:

Turn to God’s Word for wisdom in this new year.

A Child is Born

Isaiah is considered among the greatest of the Old Testament prophets because of his many predictions of the Messiah. For instance, you’ve probably heard this one during the Christmas season: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

A Child is Born

Are you wondering, “Why do I need a Savior?” Many people ask this question when the Christmas season approaches. This the reason Joseph was given regarding Jesus’ birth: “And [Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

The birth of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus, was the culmination of thousands of years of anticipation. Jesus’ coming to earth as the Savior was the fulfillment of the covenant promises that were made to Israel that shape the structure of the Old Testament. From this point onward, the rest of history would revolve around the brief years that Jesus Christ lived among us.

Consider all that Jesus, the Savior, offers you and me. He:

S-ubstitutes His sinless life for our sinful one (2 Corinthians 5:21)

A-ssures us of eternal life (John 10:28-29)

V-anquishes Satan’s hold on our life (2 Timothy 2:26)

I-nitiates us into the family of God (Galatians 4:4-6)

O-verthrows the power of sin (Romans 6:1-10)

R-econciles us to a holy God (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Jesus is the Promised One who, through His birth, death, and resurrection, brings us into a relationship with God when we believe in Him. This, my friend, is the true meaning of Christmas!

RESPOND:

Dear God, this Christmas season give me a heart that marvels at the fulfillment of Your promises and the blessing of Your Son. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

This beautiful printable features Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on who his favor rests.”

REFLECT:

Take time to consider all that the Savior does for you.

REMEMBER:

Jesus coming as Savior is the true meaning of Christmas.

My Favorite Christmas Memory

My favorite part of Christmas is first about Jesus, then family—both my own and the families of those who are near and dear to me.

Everyone has their favorite Christmas stories—you know, the ones that just pop into your mind when you think “Christmas.” I have several! One is from when I was young, and our family received a little puppy. His mother had milk fever, and he had to be fed with an eye dropper. Because he came to our home on Christmas Day, we—of course–named him Chris!

And then there was the time when Jim was deployed in the Army. He was able to come home for Christmas, so he asked me to wait to put up the tree so we could do it together. We got it all done, and he got the vacuum cleaner out and—well, you guessed it—he pushed our beautiful little Christmas tree over as he was vacuuming around it!

But my most favorite memory is of our family as missionaries in Singapore. That Christmas, we were away from family and home and church and Christmas trees and cool weather! As Christmas came, one of my daughters said, “We can’t have Christmas without a Christmas tree!” So she grabbed some construction paper and outlined a tree, cut it out, taped it on our stone wall in our bungalow, and even made paper ornaments to hang on it.

When our family thinks of our favorite Christmas, that’s the one we love to talk about. How about you? What’s your favorite Christmas memory? Here are six ways you can make good family memories this Christmas season.

Ask everyone to share what they’re doing over the holidays that will be fun and meaningful.Share plans, goals, and dreams for the next year. Be supportive. Dreams aren’t always based on current reality.Talk about the childhood antics of the kids, and how you grew up and spent your Christmases.Share your faith experience…and let others share theirs.Read aloud the Gospel accounts of the biblical Christmas story, and other favorite Christmas stories.Draw people’s names out of a hat and committing to doing two nice things for that person this Christmas.

Time keeps on ticking, and seasons seem to go by in an instant! Be purposeful to pause and develop the relationships that will last a lifetime.

RESPOND:

Father, I pray that we will create many new and wonderful memories together this season as we come together to celebrate the birth of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

This Year In Review printable is a great tool to record family events:

REFLECT:

What are some of your favorite Christmas memories?

REMEMBER:

Take time this Christmas for meaningful interaction with your family and friends.

Keeping Calm Over Christmas

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, but I’m well aware that this month has potential for many disasters! If you’re like me, your calendar is already crammed full with kid’s plays, family visits, traveling, shopping, and more…oh my! There is so much to do, so many decisions to make, so many people to make happy.

In the midst of these full holiday days, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s really important, isn’t it? God’s Word reminds us that when we’re weary, to look to the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” I don’t know about you, but I get a great deal of encouragement from that verse.

Something else that has helped me bring some calm to the potential chaos is a little three-step method to make sure first things like spending time with God are truly first—especially this time of year.

Make It a Daily Time.

Choose a time right now and put it on all of your calendars. Make this the one thing that does not get bumped. Why? Because all of your time will be better spent when some of your time is spent in God’s Word. Yes, even in these full days before Christmas! It will not only help you keep your own sanity, it will calm everyone around you.

Make It Your First Time.

Even if it’s only for a few moments, give God’s Word the first minutes of your day (you can always read more later). It doesn’t have to be a long stretch of time, although once you start, you’ll likely find yourself craving more. “Honor the Lord with the first-fruits of all your increase” (Proverbs 3:9). You’ll be blessed in your spiritual and in your practical life when you make it a point to give God the first portion of time from your day.

Make It an Early Time.

Before you open your eyes and peek at your phone, speak to God. Pastor John Piper wrote, “Let the first words out of your mouth while still on your pillow be a cry to God: ‘I need You again today.’” David wrote in Psalm 63:1, “O God, early will I seek you.” Abraham rose up early in the morning and to meet with the Lord. And Jesus got up early to talk with the Father.

This simple formula has brought me closer to God’s own heart and His ways during the busy month of December. I can only imagine how many potential disasters were avoided because my heart was fed with Scripture!  I encourage you to follow this in the days and weeks ahead. You’ll be so glad you did.

RESPOND:

Dear Lord, I am fixing my gaze upon You. My prayer is to honor You in all I do. May I model Your character and represent You well this Christmas season. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

Use this printable holiday planner to prepare for Christmas Day:

REFLECT:

Am I remembering to spend time with God during holiday busyness?

REMEMBER:

Time in the Word should be a daily time, the first time, and an early time.