I’ve been thinking about something since a week ago Saturday that I’m not sure I can articulate well. I’m going to give it a shot, though. Over the couple of years we’ve shared this community, I’ve seen enough of you refer to teaching Bible studies or speaking at retreats or to various groups that it may, should God care to use it, answer a few questions. Or, then again, it could more likely save you the energy of asking them. Some things are just a mystery.
Like callings.
And grace.
And how much of an accomplished work has anything to do with human vessels or are we of no consequence whatsoever. The question is not, could God use anybody? We know that’s a yes. It’s not even, does God prefer weakness so He can show Himself strong? That’s also a clear yes. What’s less clear is how much that “weak-anybody” has one iota’s bearing on what God does with him from then on. And, what are the differences between the times we are called upon by God to labor intensely toward a victory with every last ounce of energy we have (Colossians 1:29) and times when we just stand there and watch God do the thing like we weren’t even there. Or maybe we see nothing happen at all and go home in near despair, only for somebody to drop a note to us and say, “God spoke the word to me that day that I’ve waited all my life to hear.” Sometimes they quote what they heard and you know good and well it wasn’t you who said it. God talked around you instead of through you.
So, what part is God and what part is man? Twenty-five years in, I have no idea. And, I’m just weird enough to be strangely exhilarated by the fresh pulsation that I don’t. Yes, of course, we’re told to walk worthy of our callings (Ephesians 4:1) but could we walk worthy enough to enjoy a consistent, full-throttle Presence and anointing?
I doubt it.
If these are simple questions with simple answers, you may not have been around this bend often enough yet. Ask some folks who’ve spent decades at podiums like Kay Arthur, Anne Graham Lotz, Louie Giglio, James McDonald, and a host of others the devil hasn’t yet harassed into quitting and they might agree that some things get more mysterious with time. Not less.
There are too many things that don’t make sense. For communicators who give one whit about being honest-to-God (I mean that literally) Spirit-led, filled, and anointed servants, there’s no finding a formula. There’s no learning how to hit and not miss. There is no exact list and order of Spiritual disciplines to practice. Fasting every Monday, for instance, may seem to be the key attraction of God’s favor for a while but it soon wears off and you consider whether or not to add Tuesday. Nothing “works” every time. Don’t get me wrong. I believe in fasting. I’m just saying that, if you think you can use it to induce God’s unwavering favor, you’re probably going to get pretty hungry. There is no secret PIN number for His ATM. It’s God’s safeguard for keeping us from being more committed to our disciplines than to Him.
Here are a few other things I’ve learned about gifted speaking. There is no physical condition or best mood to be in. There is no amount of self-abhorrence, self-flagellation, competence or confidence to make you best suited for a mighty work of God. There is no perfect place, format, or group where “it” happens without fail. There is no type of message that never falls flat. Or, there hasn’t been for me. There’s simply no outsmarting it. Absolutely no mastering it.
We’re splitting hairs here so stay with me until your mind gets good and muddled and only then will you get what I’m trying to say. To be sure, there are some basic ways we can cooperate with God for consistency and fruitfulness. Thank You, Lord. There are ways we can intentionally live our lives to His great glory and serve and love in His beautiful name. Bless You, Father. If not, in our earthbound wanderings, how ironically lost would we, the saved, be? But, as those who have the gall or call, responsibility or culpability to stand before a group of listeners, is there any way to insure that God will bless a message with a significant work of His Spirit?
I’m not talking here about manipulating God or trying to make Him behave. I’m not talking about trying to get Him to make you look good. I’m talking about the sheer attempt to prepare well enough, pray thoroughly enough, be humble enough (and not be proud of it) or do it all right enough in His eyes for Him to always perceptibly bless it. Honestly, there are just times when we disagree with God about what is best for Him.
What I’m talking about here is almost indefinable. I’d more easily be able to tell you how it feels than tell you what it is and yet sometimes it’s there and there’s no feeling it at all. Muddled yet? The closest I can come to naming it is God’s anointing and, if that’s the long and short of it, no wonder we can’t tame it or formulize it. The very nature of divine favor is that it is unmerited. And the very nature of God being God is that He is sovereign. As the Psalmist says, Our God is in the heavens and He does what He has pleased.
For the life of me I can’t figure out the common denominator tying together the times God really shows up. Two things are for certain. Sometimes He shows up without us even knowing it. Other times we’ll be positive He’s coming and later think He must have googled the wrong address.
This speaking thing is baffling. Beyond mastery. It’s not for the fainthearted or the full-of-themselves. Unless a person is certifiably clueless or narcissistic beyond all hope of recovery, he or she will soon discover that what ego it builds, it also tears down. What wins out at the end of any given year is a total toss-up. In human reckoning, you could be brilliant one moment and a drooling fool the next. You can give the same message three times and the Holy Spirit hit like a lightning bolt, give it a fourth time with the same passion and authenticity and have it fall, to quote my grandmother, flatter than a flitter. I’ve never known what a flitter is but I am more than sure I’ve been flatter.
Think twice before you beg to be up front. This is the kind of thing you only want to do if you can’t keep from it. If God ever throws you up there, best to just keep your ego out of it. You can either be crucified to self or let God give you a good killing right in front of everybody. You better learn quickly and repeatedly that it’s not about you and that self-loathing is as self-absorbed as inordinate self-love. And, whatever you do, don’t get into the rut of letting your personal devotional time with God get supplanted by preparations to speak or teach. The enemy will put few subtler temptations in front of you. Every decent Bible student knows we reap what we sow but the tricky part is the sizable time gap that can occur between that sowing and reaping. When it stretches over a considerable amount of time, we think we’re getting away with it. Maybe God’s even blessing it. In His strange way, you may not see the fall-out of the loss of lively, daily relationship with Him for months but make no mistake. It’s coming. It’s a slow bleed and often you’re not aware that the lifeblood has left you until you are stone-cold dead. Thank goodness God has a penchant for resurrections. You better guard your intimacy with Him like your dying breath.
God’s love for us and our value before Him are insurmountable and unwavering. Our daughter-ship or son-ship is unconditional. His worthiness is unquestionable. Let me say that again. His worthiness is unquestionable. These are the things that must occupy us. These are the underpinnings of our security as His laborers in this harvest of souls. Things like our fitness or spiritual performance or numbers don’t just ebb and flow. They shake like a bottle of oil and vinegar duct taped to a jackhammer.
I’ve thought about this off and on for twenty years and two hundred reasons but I’ll tell you what brought it all up on this blog.
Remember last weekend’s simulcast? Those of you who participated may remember me saying that I’d had such big plans for it. As well as I know how to decipher it, not selfish or temporal plans. I honestly believed that so many women giving up their Saturdays were worthy of much deliberation, study, and preparation. And it goes without saying that God was worthy of those things and more. I felt like He must have been up to something strange and remarkably eternal to have put together numbers of women none of us could have anticipated. My plan was to give a profuse amount of time to preparation and illustration so that I could actually be familiar enough with my material not to do my usual thing. My normal approach is something like – let me think of a delicate word for it – regurgitation. I seldom hit a platform unprepared but no one is going to accuse me of being impressively organized. For the most part, a thousand bites of information are swirling around like butterflies in my stomach and I just get up there and throw it all up.
The simulcast was to be the exception. I got home late the Saturday night before from a Living Proof Live in Florida and headed to church only to get a text from my firstborn, Amanda, telling me that her husband, Curtis, wasn’t feeling well and suspected something could really be wrong. In no time at all, he was in surgery with what his surgeon called an appendix that had gone off like a grenade. After sitting with Amanda at the hospital through the surgery, I moved into her house with my two beloved grandchildren and she moved into the hospital with her beloved man. That’s the way we spent the better part of four days.
Just like yours, our family comes first so I can honestly tell you that I had no second thoughts and, needless to say, not the least resentment. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything nor would I want to miss the next round. I have no intention of forfeiting my grandparent rights and responsibilities. I love Jackson and Annabeth like I love my own two daughters. Every minute I spent with them was my honor and joy and, yes, delightfully hard work. Every now and then I’d look up at the heavens and say something like, “Lord, I sure hope you’re preparing for Saturday while I’m keeping babies!”
And He was. He’s always faithful.
By late Wednesday night, Amanda took back the reins and her in-laws arrived first thing Thursday. At that point, my thoughts shifted totally to the simulcast. By Saturday morning, the Lord had graciously helped me prepare the two lessons. I was fine with them. Not fabulous with them but at peace. They were meaningful to me and appropriate for the occasion, I think, but, alas, not what I had planned. (Please don’t think I’m fishing for encouragement here. It would deflect severely from the point.)
This is where you come into the story. A few hours after the simulcast concluded Amanda called me and told me that comments were already coming in on the blog and that I ought to give them a glance. She thought I’d be blessed. I did and she was right, I was so thankful to God and was absolutely certain -100% – that anything of value was His doing. Then I came upon a comment I will never forget. It was posted at exactly 6:29. It said something like this: “I will always remember that we studied Ephesians 4:24 on 4/24.” (April 24th) Somebody may as well have hit me in the head with a sledge hammer. I went completely slack-jawed and stared at those words over and over. It had never – not once – dawned on me that God had given me Ephesians 4:24 (which was our primary verse and the whole theme of the simulcast) for 4/24. He’d given that verse to me several months earlier to memorize then I began to feel that it was His leadership toward our gathering. Still, I’d never put the reference with the date. I wasn’t that clever but God surely was. Here’s the verse. See it from the point of view of the person who has decided to put her insecurity behind her:
“put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
He’d had it all along. Planned it to a tee. Didn’t mean for it to be complicated. Wasn’t interested in a flawless delivery. Didn’t even need it to be great. Any jar of clay would do because anything happening on the visible platform was virtually incidental…as long as it didn’t quench the Spirit. All God had in mind to do was cut through the layers of technology until we could see straight into the beating heart of the Gospel: Jesus Christ can change your life.
That’s it. Plain and simple.
I love the mysterious side of God. I love that we can’t figure Him out. I love that He honors us by choosing us and humbles us by not even needing us. I love that He is wholly beyond formulas and manipulations, because goodness knows I’m not.
I love Him.
So, what do we do with all of this since we don’t know one iota more than we did? Just keep doing what we’re called to do. In season. Out of season. When we feel good. When we don’t. Believe Him to do something huge. Trust Him when you can’t even tell He did something small. Keep your heart in it and your big head out of it.
He’s the only one who can make it happen. As for us, we don’t even know what “it” is.
“The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us.” Deuteronomy 29:29 NLT
Oh Beth, how amazing to hear your heart about the gift of teaching! I have taught so much in the past 25 years or so, since someone I greatly admired cornered me and said “I think you have the gift of teaching!” Of course you know the unfathomable awe a teacher feels to think that the God of the universe could use ME as His mouthpiece! And the sheer terror. What if I taught the Word of God WRONG? (Yes, there was a time when I completely misunderstood a very serious Biblical doctrine, taught my opinion to a dear group of ladies, and then had to come to them in repentance and take back everything I had said in error!)
I have facilitated a few of your studies in the past couple of years, but have not been asked to “teach” — to bring a Bible message to a group of ladies, or speak at a women’s retreat. I wonder if God is taking me off the shelf? I wonder if He is asking me to step aside because He knows my heart is not pure? He’s been speaking to me a lot about my heart lately. I know He can use a cracked vessel — but can He use a cracked heart?? I pray He will “remove the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh” (warm for Him). I know the blessing of standing before a group of women, knowing in my inner soul that God is speaking — it’s not me. Oh, the sweet, humbling thrill to see them be blessed by God’s Word coming out of my mouth! I pray I’ll get that immense privilege again. May I be nothing, so He can be everything.
Beth, could you share with us your morning devotional time? What is your method? I think so many people would benefit from some simple steps. We all fall short in this area — I am in the Word every morning (reading through the Bible in a year, again) but often am rushed because I have to get off to work. And I have to stop and pray “oh Lord, help me concentrate on this living Word, instead of what I have to do today!”.
I love your authenticity, Beth. Thanks for sharing. The simulcast was amazing, and we were praying for you, knowing how tired you must be. Praise God for Eph. 4:24 on 4/24!!
Blessings,
Pat in Olathe, KS
“Keep your heart in it and your big head out of it.” You are so funny, but it’s so true. God is so amazing and I love when God does things like the 4:24 reference because I know that He did it on purpose just to show us how awesome He is! I just got an email and it said “The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you!” So thankful for the grace! Love ya!
This was such a blessing to me this day, and it answered so many questions that I have had about Mama Beth’s process and motivation for as long as I have been hearing her teach–about eleven years now, I guess. I’m praying over stepping back up to the front of the room after a needed, God-preordained time in the chairs. All of these issues you discussed have been rolling around in my mind. (I’m totally printing this out.) Actually, just yesterday at the urging of my women’s ministries leader I signed up for Deeper Still in Bham and the leadership conference beforehand. And then logged on this morning and found this. God works it all together doesn’t he??!!
Floored
I’m preparing to speak at a ladies’ luncheon tomorrow. I’ve been wrestling with this very thing for weeks but couldn’t put it into words! As a minister’s wife, I’m asked more and more to teach or speak and I’ve been wondering “am I CALLED to do this or is it simply because of my ‘position’ that I’m asked to do this?”
My answer came in the form of your blog posting. I know that even if I weren’t in some type of “ministry position” (funny term, but I couldn’t think of a better way to phrase that) I would still be shouting from the roof tops that Jesus Christ will change your life because He changed mine!!!! Jeremiah’s words in 20:9 resonate with me.
“But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones, I am weary of holding it in; INDEED I CANNOT.”
But I don’t always want to do it. I’m so glad to know that even YOU, dear BethMoore, ask these questions.
“You can either be crucified to self or let God give you a good killing right in front of everybody.”
BOOM! Been there, done that, but praise God it wasn’t fatal.
Thank you Thank you Thank you. Your words were just what I needed. Love you!
This was just excellent. My grandmother’s generation had such amazing grace, peace and faith. The main reason had to do with what you hit upon, His will not ours.
As a 50 year old woman, I think our current generation tends to want all gain with no pain. Not much discipline, but a whole lot of rewards. We tend to look at this as a gimmee, gimmee, gimmee process, rather than we are called to give. AND GIVE, AND GIVE…. We look for formula’s, and short cuts and anything to circumvent any pain or growth.
The wonderful thing is that he is the same yesterday and today, and will take this present generation and whirl us around and shake us up into something better! So, much better.
I, too, love the mystery of God. Just love him!!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us! I still have goosebumps!
Beth,
What glory you bring to God!! What you said is just what I needed to hear. As so often has happened since I was introduced to your studies, God shot an arrow right to my heart and I had the scales fall off my eyes and the lock fell off the door of my heart.
Thank you for letting me see God in action once again. Through this post and your book, SLI, I have learned the enemy has been feeding me lies for decades and holding me back from doing the ministry God has chosen for me. NO MORE!!! GOD IS THE VICTOR NOW AND ALWAYS!! Thank you for writing this post and SLI. It has changed my life forever.
Well yes…my mind is muddled but…I completely understand. What you have described, in some ways, is exactly how it feels to teach middle schoolers.
There is one thing that is certain when one teaches….the Lord sees the heart.
May His strength be made perfect in our weakness!
Yup..muddled brain.
But in my gut I get it. The times I was on my knees for the women in my Bible study or the women I have the honor to disciple and my only prayer was, “God, I have no idea what I am doing. They need You and You sent me. Please don’t let me screw this up!”
I’m terrible about getting to the point. I start with one thing in mind, end up on another story before I realize I need to get back to the point.
Yes ma’am I am a jar of clay. My prayer is that I would disappear and Jesus would appear and they would know that the all surpassing power belongs to God and I would be nothing but a vessel of His glory.
I know it sounds crazy, but I believe GOD sent this for me as well as your radio “word” this morning,
Sunday night after church, I sat and watched a DVD of myself speaking at a conference where I do believe God came and took over. But, as I finished watching myself , I felt so discouraged and inadequate wondering why any of those women would want to hear me. I was “encouraged” to watch myself against my own desires.
I came away with a feeling of why me God. I am so inadequate, yet I know this is your will for me.
Thank you for writing this post. I know it took alot of thought and time, but GOD KNEW I NEEDED IT!
Why he chooses to use such a cracked vessel, I will never know.
What amazes me is that He chooses and equips us and then rewards us for doing what He gave us the ability to do.
I just love HIm!
Beth, thank you for a timely post!
Deanna
Beth-
Whoa! That was deep, but yet…very clear, and yeap I’m muddled. You are so right, there is no formula, but how many times do I try to use one, create one?
You nailed several things right on the head…Baaam! My momma always says ‘you gotta keep on keepin’on”. When things are good I want to do. when I get down I want to quite. :0( and like you said we got to keep our big heads out of it. It’s our big heads and big mouths that keeps us in big trouble…or is that just me? Sometimes I think there is no way I know just how powerful God is.
God does what he please, uses whom he pleases. What is hard,deep,took weeks to perpare for one, is simple, clear and easily to explain for another. But either way God is God, He is in control of it..whatever ‘it’ is. We need Him, He don’t ‘need’ us.
For you all that are speakers, teachers. Lord Help You. May He continue to pour his blessings on y’all and fill y’all with His words,and say them His way.
I hope this comment was taken in the positive,loving way it was ment to be.
Thanks Beth.
You take care, Love ya sister.
Out if front is such a scary place to be. I always wish that I could sing instead of presume to teach, because I really would LOVE to sing.I just can’t carry a tune. Teaching makes my stomach hurt. My head hurt. My heart hurt. Sometimes my feelings hurt. And I only teach a small Sunday School class.
You wrote just about the best summation I can think of for the thing no one can put a finger on… the mysterious workings of our Lord and Savior.
You said something one time in a conference and this is NOT a direct quote because my memory stinks, but the concept is close, ‘I don’t think I want to serve a God that I am capable of understanding’.
I think about that all the time when people ask me all these intricate questions about God and why and how He works.
What a marvelous mystery.
You are definitely 100 percent annointed, and you handle it with such grace and dignity. Thank you!
4:24, Love it!
Okay, I have never been blessed to hear you speak, outside of Life Today. I have also never seen a simulcast and wish there was a way to view without the church having to sponsor,unless I am wrong there because it’s all new to me.
But, I can say I have been blessed by a greater work within birthed through your words–whether you threw them up, or threw them out–they landed in my lap just the same.
Now, on to your thoughts about how God moves. You said it best with one word. Anointing. His manifested presence is so taken for granted, that I find my words hitting the ceiling and my walk striving.
I am always reminded of Benny Hinn’s words, The price for the anointing is obedience. So, like with you, it’s different things at different times. Still He is there, ever present, because you cared enough to obey. (What if you had not been there for Amanda because you felt you should work?)
And in His great mercy, He often carries us when we don’t. He is one baffling God whose favor, whose presence, is priceless. I’d love to see you write a book on that one. Outlining your very words posted here.
As you learn, we learn. As you grow, we do the same.
4:24? I had no idea.
Wow.
Ginger
Thank you Beth for again openly sharing your heart with us . . reading accounts of when God “shows up” (such as with your 4/24 story) is so wonderfully encouraging for us all. I don’t know how you manage to keep it about Him and not you in all that you do (the temptation has to be unrelenting – or maybe I’m over-identifying here?) I continue to hold you in my prayers ~ that you be able to continue your humble servanthood ~ it benefits SO many of us “out here.”
Thank You Lord for your gift to Beth; the gift of words and expression. Beth, my thoughts have pondered so much of what you just put in to words. I am printing it so I can read it often. One thing you said at the LPL Live in Florida was, you didn’t know why, but God granted you the gift to ‘believe Him’. Amidst all the “stuff” in your family and life that you went through, He still granted you whatever it was that kept your belief in Him and what He said He would do for you in tact. That is something I am so grateful for. In general I have no doubts in knowing my God is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do; though sometimes in specific situations I don’t act like I believe Him at all or I don’t deserve it so He won’t act on my behalf. Even in my daily, weekly walk when I’m baffled at His ways or doubtful that He can still use me because of my unfaithfulness or bent toward pride or the many other fleshly ills or perplexing ways of God; I still KNOW THAT I KNOW He is still bringing about His Kingdom, and yes He chooses to include me in that work. Why? there is no explanation that I can give. Does He always seem to be using me greatly? not that I can see or know of. Is He using me at all? sometimes I don’t think so. But daily I seek Him, fall into His company, love and presence. Oh how I need Him and His love! I am changed, and still being changed. The destructive thoughts, hateful attitudes, selfish ambitions have to be brought before Him because I know i can’t restrain them. My heart is dreadfully wicked and deceitful and I have no power to do good within myself. But He is sweet, wise, powerful, loving and righteous and because of Jesus I have had a blood transfusion which has changed me from the inside out. I think it’s a daily IV drip that I live from. He is God and I will fall at His feet to walk humbly with Him!
Thank you and Praise God for those words.
Sheryl, Jacksonville, FL
It’s simple: WOW and AWESOME!!!
my “audience” is small but attentive, I am a home school mom. That’s why I am desperately dependent! I appreciate your example that our productivity does not proceed from “just” preparation but primarily, position in His presence with persistence. I am certain I will read this post again. (I searched and found your video address on Hebrews 6: 11-12 last week). Thanks for your faithfulness to Him which encourages (gives courage)us. We need each other! Together with you for His Renown.
I spent the past week thinking that I should log onto your blog site and see what you had to say about last Saturdays’ simulcast. I had not taken the time to do it but God pressed it upon my heart this morning, and I was pleasantly surprised by the blog you posted just yesterday. Obviously, this was something the Lord wanted me to see.
Do you ever get the feeling that something the Lord has been working in you has come full circle? Has he ever told you, “now you know…move forward”? This is how I am feeling as a result of reading your post after attending your conference last Saturday. Thank you:)
Last Saturday was awe inspiring to say the least. As you stood and spoke to hundreds of thousands of women around the world, you seemed completly humbled by it all. Because you are so faithful and worthy, I felt it was the prescense of the Lord upon you. I have seen many videotapes of the exuberhant, spirited Beth that many of us know and love, but that day your demeanor was more serious than usual. You had your Starbucks in hand, so I knew it wasn’t another coffee dilemma! So…you had my attention, let me tell ya.
It is through your ministry that so many of us “broken hearted” have come to know Jesus Christ in a personal relationship. It is your courage to share your adversity, and your desire to know Him more each day that inspires us to find him, wherever we are. In your blog post you articulate to us that when God uses us for his good works, we are not in charge. Instead, just the “one” chosen to do them. While you seemed almost apologetic for being distracted from your preparations for the simulcast event, it seems as if that was part of God’s plan all along. Who knew! With your unwavering faith, you knew God would see his work through despite the circumstances. You did a wonderful job that day. Your work was perfect in HIS plan. The mystery of it all can be overwhelming I am sure, but your ability to be humbled in obedience to Him is what makes your growing ministry such a continued blessing for so many women.
You have spoke of people that doubted you in your early success. You decided that you wanted to be that “one” that would make it…”you know, the exception”, well YOU ARE! When God showed up last Saturday, he not only used your gifts to teach all the women watching, he also used you as a testimony of the security we can find in him. Your circumstances the following week were challenging, and I feel that God was working in you just as much as he was all of us in the audience that day, confriming in your heart that he is your security. You too have battled insecurity your entire life, so the revelation that he spoke Esphesians 4:24 to your heart only to have you teach it to 300,000 women on April 24, 2010 (4/24)is most wonderful. You really are Living Proof!
I love you Beth Moore! Thank you, Thank you! It is because of your passion for the truth of the word of God that I have come to know Jesus Christ for who he is and what he means to me. He is my security, my rock, my salvation…my everything<3
God spoke to me through your words today- I don’t know what He said, exactly, but I KNOW He spoke! I’ll be at His feet until He shows me what “it” is!
Ok I am now itting at my desk in tears!! As a seminary student and minister to families my call has evolved and become something that I never thought it would and something that I feel so ill equipped to do. Talk about a sledge hammer to the forehead, in reading this blog I realized in His awesomeness God gives us the puzzle pieces we need at just the right time so that one day we get a small glimpse of the big picture that only God can see in it’s entirety. I really don’t have to have the in’s and out’s of my calling figured out today, I just have to be available to recieve the next piece of the puzzle. Thanks for that reminder to depend on Him and stay plugged in to the Father intimately and not just academically.
So glad I hung around for the whole post because I got the distinct impression you were trying to break up with us…hee hee. Who says insecurity can’t be funny?
I’m so glad you take the risk of trying to articulate such wild, untamable thoughts. Striving to take hold of the abstract-unimaginable and yet we dare to imagine and put it to words. Art. Word Art, at its finest.
And I also say-thank God there’s not a formula, or maybe there is and its just so far past calculus(ouch) that we could never catch it!
Blessings to all my Siestas! By the way-love has covered over my aversion to the word siesta.
This is particularly meaningful to me. I just took on the position of Adult Sunday School teacher at my church. It is a big responsibility and the words you had to share about public speaking definitely minister to me in this new adventure. Thank you for taking the time to write out your thoughts.
Zeph 3:17
I’m going to sprint to the store to get your SLI book…….. Why do women always intimidate women? Seriously, I grew up with lots of guys always around…..family, friends,etc. and have a better rapport with them naturally.
When I go to the dentist today and there are all women……..and some not so good results for one of my kiddos…..BAM! The intimidation wave came along with some matter of fact comments and……looks of like you are a “loser” mom….that will be $$$ to fix this problem that you as a mom did not handle well with your child…..
I always thought of writing a book about the complexities women have in relationships with each other. Too bad you beat me to it!
Wow. God is good. Amen.
Thank you for this timely message. I struggle with making everything about myself and how I see the world. I am always telling anyone who will listen what I am learning about God and how he wants me to change. This can be a good thing when my motivations are to promote Jesus, but my pride can get mixed in so quickly and then it becomes a bad thing.
Lately I have had friends tell me I should have a blog or I should speak…. and, to be honest, I am just not feeling it. Probably because of my pride and the fact that I have a long, long way to go here.
Thank you for pointing out the vast difference between being a speaker/writer and being annointed by God. And, your blog post helped me wrap my mind around why I wasn’t jumping at the chance. God has not annointed me to do it.
I have a long way to go with God and my personal quiet time is worth it. There is no need to try and jump ahead of His timing trying to gain his approval over what I think he wants me to do. He has made my job clear.
I am soooo THANKFUL for your teaching and wisdom and most of all God’s annointing on your life because it has changed mine forever.
Oh, and I loved the SIMULCAST – I was in the overflow section. Thank you for the Q&A session – it was so sweet of you and very IMPACTFUL for my walk with God.
I don’t know if I have slowed down or God is speeding up but I actually see him in action. A lot of bad stuff has happened to my family in the past few years and I absolutely made myself sick thinking my lack of faith caused it all. Finally,- don’t know why it has taken me so long to get here- one day about a month ago I said God whatever I did, I am sorry please forgive me but even if you don’t I can’t be where I am any more. You said give our burdens to you so here they are, Thank you Lord Jesus for loving a sinner like me and boy do I see through clear eyes now and I can sleep at night, something I have not done in quite a while. So Beth, even if we don’t see it the MASTER is at work!!!
Oh – I forgot to mention how you blessed us moms with small kids…
The very fact that you watched your grandkids before the Simulcast was just precious and made us laugh because we could relate to your week.
If you have been around kids long enough you probably heard them say, “She made that mess, not me.” Well, we do make messes when we try to do it ourselves. We plunge in, dive through and expresso! The whole thing can blow up in our faces.
I am thankful Jesus does not say, “She made that mess, now she can clean it up.” Jesus is our fixer-upper! We can depend on Him when our lives are in need of healing, when our hearts need mending and our messes need fixing.
We can be sure our journey will not always be a easy one, but we can trust in the One who has travelled down that road.
Thank you, Beth for letting us see Jesus in you!
Bless your heart sister for your WISDOM!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for a message that takes away so much pressure. I am just beginning to speak about faith and autism. (I have a child on the autism spectrum.) I am so glad to know that we can’t control the impact of our message…only God can. Autism has taught me how to live in a place of absolutely no control. God has it all. I can see the connection here, too.
What I treasure most of all if the closeness of the Spirit during the times of preparation. The whispers that I hear from Him, His arms that surround me – a total introvert who is the quietest person at any dinner table – telling me to be brave and trust Him.
But the worst part? It’s afterwards, when I come down from that mountaintop of the very powerful presence of God. Oh, I know that He is there as much in the quiet as ever. I just have to step back into the muck of life and trust Him. He is still there … but sometimes He is quiet. The quiet times are difficult. I miss the strength of His voice, even though I know He still is speaking in His word. I look forward to the day I get to see His face.
Beth;
Thank you for putting into words what I am living. Each word you wrote is what I have been experiencing for the past five years. I keep thinking that being a full-time seminary student and student of the Bible will make things clear. It’s not happening! So, just as you wrote in this blog, I must keep moving regardless of what I am feeling, seeing and thinking, trusting that God will be in “it” and “it” will be a blessing to others.
Continue to be faithful in His call on your life.
Sincerely,
Monica T. Smith
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has given me the gift of teaching and that my calling is to use that gift in the arena of Children’s Ministry. I have such a passion for reaching children with the Gospel. It’s hard to put into words, but it energizes me like nothing else. Last year, I spoke at our year-end Awana Awards Ceremony and three children accepted Jesus as their Savior. When I found out about the first one, I just burst into tears. I remember thinking, “Lord, you’re so amazing. You did it again.”
Whenever I teach children, I always remember God’s promise in Isaiah 55, “My Word will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Whenever we teach or speak God’s Word to others and we don’t know what, if anything, has happened in the hearts of our listeners, God is doing His thing. He’s keeping His promise. I love how I don’t always know if I’m “getting through to the kids.” I just trust that God will do whatever He wants with the message.
So what part is God and what part is us? I think our part is faithfully doing what He has called us to do. God does everything else. Sometimes we find out what He does and sometimes we don’t. I can’t wait until heaven when all that He has done is finally revealed and we fall flat on our faces in worship and praise to the only worthy one, Jesus. Gives me shivers just thinking about it.
I NEEDED THIS!!!! Thank you for just following your heart in posting this. I know I have been called to teach the Word. I fought it. Doubted it. Looked around and said “who me?” The Lord gave me a vision of me teach on a stage…to thousands of people…more than once. I continued to deny it but it WOULD NOT GO AWAY! Not long after I started having the visions, you came to Little Rock. My friends asked me to go and I accepted. (I really didn’t know who you were at the time…of course, I left there in love with you! Just finished your Esther study at lunch today.) The very second I stepped through the curtain to get to our seats, I looked down at your stage…my spirit literally did a somersault and I heard it say, “Yes and Amen”! (How cool is that!?) I knew at that moment it was confirmation for me that I wasn’t conjuring up these visions on my own. Since then, the Lord has been developing me and teaching me…and has been EXTREMELY faithful to me. It is so good to hear you say all of these things in your post because now I know I’m not “abnormal”. I now teach only a few times throughout the year, but I know that He is preparing to increase me. It is the “hardest” yet most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done. I love how He shows up and shows out despite what I do or don’t do. At my last retreat (first to teach for a church other than my own) I was crying in my car saying, “Lord, I don’t feel like I’ve done enough!” He so lovingly said, “YOU will never be able to do enough.” As I prepare for my next bible study, I have to keep reminding myself of those words…as I allow the Holy Spirit to guide my preparations. Ok, this is so long…I’ve always wanted to tell you how you played a part in my pursuing my destiny! Love you Beth!
WOW! I listened to a sermon just this morning about abiding in Christ…always..every moment..without fail..no exceptions. That’s it isn’t it? Without Him we can do nothing. He gets all the glory. It really is as simple as remaining in Him and allowing Him to do His work through us.
It is so evident that this is your heart. That for you the fruit comes ONLY from your abiding in Him. Thank you so much for your obedience to this calling.
I cannot cannot cannot believe i am going to open my big mouth to Beth Moore, and in front of the whole internet audience no less, but do want to say how timely this message is for me.
Just YESTERDAY I was at the bottom of the pit of self-pity after being passed over for a job I wanted and my husband’s belief that it is not God’s Will for us to go to Kenya on a mission trip this summer. As I tried to pray thru why they were such big deals to me and tried to to make it through a meeting for the mission trip (still serving at home to help prepare those who will go) without constant tears, the Lord clearly reminded me of the only other time I had these same feelings with such intensity. Several years ago when I lost my first pregnancy through miscarriage, I had these same bleak feelings of having “missed my chance.”
All I could think yesterday was how staying home to raise my girls has caused me to miss my chance of my preferred profession and my husband’s lack of faith is keeping me from fulfilling my destiny.
Shame on me, especially because, since the miscarriage, I have had cut from my belly two beautiful perfect girls. And so my mind kept telling my heart there will be other jobs and other mission trips. I have to trust His timing. But my heart wasn’t getting it.
Just this morning, I was doing a lesson from Esther to be ready for the small, 2+me:), Esther study I am leading in my home. Procrastinator that I am, I was doing Day 4 of week 3(I think) and the lesson was on God’s timing—the liklihood of the Jews hearing of the proclamation to kill them on the day of Passover, the day after it was proclaimed from the king’s palace.
I cannot put into words how this lifted my contanence(?). HE WILL WORK HOW HE WILL WORK WHEN HE WILL WORK AND THROUGH WHO HE WILL WORK. He even used my procrastination to bring about the lesson exactly when I needed it.
I believe annointings are like that. We had a most obviously annointed evangelist, Jay Lowder, in our church yesterday. I admit from the music service and a few other preconcieved notions in my sinful mind, I didn’t expect much, but the LORD ALMIGHTY showed up in powerful way when that man spoke. I bet 50 people were saved or recommitted their lives to Christ. It was truly a work of the Spirit. You are right, there is no explanation.
Sorry to go on and on, but if I actually have the ears (eyes) of my beloved Beth Moore, I have to tell you something funny! My 5 year old has been consistanly telling me periodically how hard it must be to be a woman. For example: “Mama, I bet it was hard to be a woman when you had to yell at me to come upstairs and go to bed.” …and when I was cleaning the bathtub, “Mama, I bet it’s hard to be a woman right now.” And sometimes just a spontaneous comment of “Mama, I bet it sure is hard to be a woman, isn’t it?” If finally dawned on me she’s been seeing my “It’s Tough Being a Woman” book and dvd’s around the house! No telling what has been going through her precious mind about why I need a Bible study like this!!
Sorry for the long-winded post. How I do thank the Lord you have been a willing vessel for Him!
I needed to read this today. Thank you for posting your heart…..I know God called me years ago to write and speak someday to women, but I have severe doubts and insecurities about the whole thing. I do have a blog, and I love to write….but I’ll have to admit that some things that sound so brilliant in my mind do not have the same effect when published on the world wide web for all to see. It mortifies me to look back on what I’ve written and see that it is a jumbled mess of who knows what.
But I needed to hear these words today and I know it was a divine direction for me to come over here and check your blog. Thank you again.
Amy
Thank you Mama Beth!! I can hardly type for the tears, so forgive me for any typos 😉 Thank you for sharing this!! There are many times that your words have inspired me, but this one most definitely wins first prize! Awesome!! I’m going to keep these words in my journal to remind me to keep on keepin’ on! And I WILL “…keep doing what called to do. In season. Out of season. When feel good. When don’t. Believe Him to do something huge. Trust Him when can’t even tell He did something small. Keep heart in it and BIG HEAD out of it..”!!
LOL!!! When I submitted this post, it removed all of the “I”s.!! Ok, Lord, I got it! I needed some emphasis on keeping my big head out of it! I’ll note that in my journal too 🙂
Thank you for today’s entry. I have often felt as if I’m not sure what God is calling me to do, especially now that our children are 17 and 14 and I am a stay-at-home mom. I keep busy volunteering and doing Bible Study, but I still wonder if there is something BIG God would have me do. It’s reassuring to know that God’s plan will be completed with or without me. I realize, though, that this does not exempt me from listening to God and following through with the plans He has for me. (I’m starting to sound as “muddled” as I feel!)
Anyway, after reading/studying So Long Insecurity, I am feeling led to write and lead a Bible Study for my daughter and her middle-school-aged friends. Pray for me. They are good kids, but are very much into the world’s view and keeping up with the look that it portrays. I know God will speak through me if I surrender myself to Him.
Thanks for listening!
Oh wow!! Thank you! You have no idea (but God does :)) how I needed that today! He blows my mind!!
Thanks!
What is the old saying, “the best laid plans of mice & men” (never have fully understood where the mice came in :-)) Thank you for letting me know that it is okay NOT to follow a prepared teaching or lesson. When I taught Sunday school, I would spend hours & hours studying, only to get to class and the lesson take a totally different turn. It used to “freak” me out because I couldn’t imagine God giving me so much wonderful information if I didn’t get to use it….for crying out loud!! A wonderful group of ladies & I are about to embark on your study of Revelation, “Here & Now…There & Then, of which this humble servant will be leading. Everytime I do this, I ALWAYS remind the group that YOU, dear, sweet one, are the teacher, NOT me! We start May 16th and we are all so excited about it. You have quite a few “Siestas” here in Eldorado. Take care dear one…hope your back is getting better and your wonderful son-in-love is on the road to recovery. Love to all….
That is so cool. Now, I won’t forget it either. Epesians 4:24 on 4/24. LOVE IT! And you, Beth! The Simulcast was awesome!
OOPS. I meant EPHESIANS.
I was so pleasantly surprised to see you had written when I logged onto the Blog. I missed you this past week. Thank you for your road signs to Him! Here is a visual you may enjoy? When you are driving do you see people on popular corners that are dressed up in a costum or they have a large sign or a sandwich board advertising something. I love those people as they are usually dancing around animated very uninhibited etc. They are extremly entertaining to me when I am bored silly in traffic. Well to me you are that for Jesus!(You however are so very well dressed) You keep me focused on and pressing into the Word during this thing called life.
I was reading this AM about the grain of wheat that must die before it can be fruitful and your writting just reinerates this point for me today.
God Bless you Beth I just love you to pieces as your writting and Bible studies have brought me into a personal relationship with my Savior that I will never get over.
The session has helped me so much that I can’t even describe it. The phrase, “You are a new creature!” keeps going over in my mind. I’m 60 and have been dealing with the same stinkin’ issues for what seems like forever. Actually 45 years or so. God so used you, Beth, and I know we can’t go by feelings, but my attitude is so much better. I am anxious to get further in your book. Thanks for being there for me. Trish
Thank you, Beth. In that simulcast something you said actually gave me peace about similar weeks. I confess there have been times when I was so surprised that He showed up, given how little time I had to prepare.
He goes to such lengths to ensure that everyone – on both sides of the podium – knows that He wants our hearts more than anything else. More than our money, more than our time, more than any sacrifice, He wants our hearts.
Thank you, Beth. I look forward to a day in heaven when it will be my turn to tell you what you have meant in my life.
Dear Beth,
I’m certainly glad that the Lord did call you. He certainly spoke through you directly to me at the simulcast. My life was brought to a screeching halt by His and your words. You might chuckle to know that I was choking back tears during the opening music, before you even opened your mouth. So, my point? If that was you “relatively unprepared,” I am terrified to think what may have happened to me if you HAD been fully prepared! I am 27 years old, but may have just had a heart attack! So thank you Beth, for being the vessel that God used to permanently change my course and that of my precious Isabella (7 yrs), Layla (6 yrs) and sweet Addison Jane (3 yrs.).
Thank you Beth! God is so all powerful and all loving I can’t stand it!!! The story of my life is “trying to make things more complicated than they are” so why wouldn’t our Awesome, All Knowing God make blessings right befor our eyes!!! Love you so much; thank you for your insight to see Him better and better!!!
Oooohhhhhhh. God is so speaking to my heart.
I’ve been wrestling with what I discovered to be my self. (Had initially thot I was wrestling with God.) Trying hard to “do” the right thing. Everything in order. You know… 1) Praise. 2) Repentance. 3) Supplication. 4) Thanksgiving. Such “order” was ingrained into my head while growing up “all things Christian.” Now, I get so stuck in the lies that God can’t hear me if I don’t do everything “right”. I will actually waste more time trying to do everything just so and never even breathe His name. Then I’ll give up and try and attack it again the next day. It’s exhausting!!
“It’s God’s safeguard for keeping us from being more committed to our disciplines than to Him.”
“You better guard your intimacy with Him like your dying breath.”
I so needed this today, Beth. Thank you for being what God can use.
Amen, amen, amen. THANK YOU.
This was right on for sure. You did a great job of hitting on this vast subject. Our God is an AWESOME GOD!
I got chills as I read that it was Eph 4:24 on 4/24. I’m
a little slow at getting things.
I love how God IS always faithful! He shows Himself in
such perfect ways. I love that He loves us & He’s crazy
about us, even on our worst days.
I love it that when I don’t feel safe or secure with
anyone else at that moment, that I can totally feel
His arms around me, loving me.
Beth, Your words today were such an encouragement!