Good morning, Dear Siestas! I so hope you’ve experienced God’s presence and sustaining power this week and that maybe you get a day off tomorrow like I do. Melissa flew in yesterday so I have that darling thing studying about 10 feet from me this very second. Her man flies in tonight and they’ll be with us for the next week. She does have her own office but, living so far apart, when she’s in town we always work in my office. Believe it or not, we really do get a lot accomplished and feed off of each other’s research. Last time she was here, we spent the whole time outlining the study (and the Book of) James. Right now, she’s sitting over there translating the Book from Greek into English on her own. Needless to say, I’m not doing that but I am glad she is. I’m doing other things to get myself as familiar with it as possible and it is already clear to me that I’m about to have a major spiritual overhaul. I hear the sound of a heavenly jackhammer in the distance. By mid-September, God willing, I hope to start Week One, Day One. He has already begun preparing both of us by testing just how willing we are to count tribulation a joy. (That’s the trouble with Bible study. God has a particular affinity for seeing us actually apply the Scriptures we’re learning. If we don’t, He finally just quits attending the study. I don’t mean to say He’d ever leave His children but I do think He can withdraw a sense of His Presence and anointing in our corporate midst if we never let His Word get to our hearts and real lives.)
The reason I’m writing you this morning is because I had an experience a little while ago that really touched my heart. Every summer about this time, the city coordinators for all the LifeWay women’s events for the next year meet for several days of training in Nashville. This gathering is not only for the city coordinators for the Living Proof Live events. It also includes those taught by Priscilla (who I love), Kay (who I love), Vicki Courtney (who I love – my word, we grew up in ministry together although I’m admittedly several years her senior), Angela Thomas (who I don’t know as well personally but love), and Angie Smith (who I know and love mainly through her blog, her book, and through Melissa who went to India with her for Compassion International last year). When the LifeWay event team first began these trainings, Travis and we teachers each greeted them by speaker phone as they met together in one conference room. Nowadays we get to join them by Skype, meaning, to state the obvious, we get to actually see each other.
For some reason, as I’m reflecting on it, a lump is welling in my throat. It’s an odd thing for a sanguine to be called into the seclusion that writing demands. It is so often the women we serve that God uses to really inspire and motivate me to go beyond a private devotional life with Him. It’s running into someone at Starbucks or on the paper goods’ aisle in Kroger. It’s crossing paths with someone at the airport. It’s opening our Bibles together in tandem on Tuesday nights. It’s staff prayer time on Mondays at noon. It’s church on Sundays. It’s community that God most often uses to keep me stirred up to serve and hang in there with ministry. That’s why I have pictures on my desk and nearby bookshelves of small groups of women that are never any further than an eye-shot from what’s going on at my computer. Here are just four of them that I glance at all the time.
Each of those pictures mean something specific to me. For instance, the third frame from the left depicts a group of women who bonded together over the loss of dearly loved children. Can you imagine? They came together in a support system not only to relate through their loss but to agree to do everything they could to glorify God in the grief process and beyond. I still hear from them from time to time. The frame on the far right depicts a small group of women soldiers in Iraq who do the Bible studies together. As I study, I often glance up at the pictures in my office and ask myself, “Would you have the courage to say those words to them, too? Would these truths also apply to them in their pain? In their circumstances? In their danger? Because, if not, don’t say it at all. If God’s promises don’t apply to them, too, or if you have no regard for the seriousness of their estate, then shut the book and go home.”
Oh, that we’d never forget – Oh, Lord, that I’d never forget – that we don’t serve the page. We serve people. We serve the Author. There is no such thing as ministry without community. We can’t love God and despise people.1 John 4:20-21 cries out with conviction, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
None of us need to hear that echoed more often than those of us who are vulnerable to constant offense in ministry. If we don’t think God is harder on us who presume to teach, we’ve missed James 3:1. If we’re going to be worth our salt in ministry, we better be willing to ask ourselves hard questions constantly. We must be intolerant of our own cold-heartedness and cynicism. But that’s really not what I came on here to say.
I came on here to say that it’s an unspeakable privilege to get to be part of a large community of women – far, far beyond Siestaville – spread abroad in our generations who love the Word because they love the Savior. It’s not about teachers. It’s not about denominations. It’s about a move of the Spirit on the hearts of so many who have come to love Christ all the more because His words became spirit and life to them. It’s a miracle really. A true wonder. We are different because of Jesus. We are different because we believed His Word. When we quit being different, we quit being disciples.
Anyway, I have a new picture today. While we were on Skype for our conference call this morning, I told them I’d give anything to have those faces in a frame right in front of me this year. And so they clicked a picture that very second and, thanks to technology, I already have it. Here’s a small group of women willing to believe God to do something eternal, something life-altering, in their cities in 2011 and, yes, even use them to do it.
And there are so many others out there across this globe who are willing to believe that their weaknesses are not strong enough to keep God from using them.
For some reason, I am amazed by that again today.
Beth,
I don’t know if you are still checking this one or not…and I have already commented, but I had a flood of freedom come over me tonite while doing the mundane of packing school lunches tonite. I love when I am free. I am still new to all of this, but I hav ea new picture in my mind when Satan lies to me. Used to I would hear a lie…I didn’t get dragged to the pit, I would willingly walk to it and jump in and take my seat like a shamed dog.
Something is different now. I don’t know how God does it, but it waking up each morning doesn’t have the same tone. The devil just spent a really long and hard season taking me to the wood shed. I can’t go back there ever again. I won’t. Without the knowledge of freedom, I shudder to think what would have become of me.
Thank you for digging your french manicure nails in the carpet for a woman you may never meet this side of heaven.
Does anyone happen to know if there’s a blog or some kind of chatroom where people can go to get help with technical difficulties on Leanne Eldridges DTLK website??
I believe that I am one of the women that you describe in this blog. This is the first time I have been on this website. I have never blogged or commented on a website. I rededicated my life to Christ in March, and then the Lord had to take drastic measures to insure my eternal security. This is just the tip of the iceberg: I’ve been to jail, face prision time, lost my children to Children’s services, lost my home, I’m ordered to have no contact with my mother, and I am recovering from a 17 year drug abuse history. My life is a daily battle but I know that for sure that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are now the authors of my life and for me it is a season of New Beginnings and rebuilding the wreckage of my past. I have a Mentor, I call her my GOD-Mother because God put her in my life, I have a Sponsor, because I work a 12-step program, and I attend two churches, so I have a huge family just newly provided by Father God himself. I am truely grateful for my circumstances because I know that God is going to use them for my good and his glory. When I get through this paticular set of trials I am excited to see what I might be blessed with. I believe the Holy Spirit is leading me to Write a book about Gods incredible work in my life. Please pray for me and my Family, especially my children, I miss them everyday. I pray that God will bless me by gifting them back to me. God bless you for helping me get a good start. (Breaking Free)
Samantha, I am so glad you are in this community. Please feel welcome and know how much you fit. You can trust that God has a hope and a future for you and that His full redemption will make the enemy sorry he ever messed with you if you’ll persevere all the way to freedom. I have a very close and dear loved one who has walked a similar path and is living in that redemption now. Blessings to you, Samantha. Keep trusting God.
Beth, Thank you once again for answering my comment. I can’t wait to tell all the girls that i have been blogging with you!! I am thankful for you and God’s bible study, Breaking Free. I haven’t got to finish it yet but I will. I am so blessed I really don’t know what to say. I will tell the other girls how to blog you they will be so thrilled. I pray the prayer of Jabez, over you and yours, and over mine too. God bless.
Hi Beth Moore….I live in Canada and came across you on you tube and I decided to watch you for a bit and then had to google you and let me tell you your not to bad 🙂 I use to attend church like over 4 and half years ago for a bit but walked away competely and havent been back since.I am not into all the judgement etc. I made a lot of mistakes and have a pass that would probably make your head spin but thats not who I am nomore really..do I have alot of work still to do ohhhhhhhhh ya I do but then again I think we all do. I never heard of you before until lately and i kinda like it. finding hope for me I thought was so gone as I lost hope but I am trying to find it again. so off your you tube videos really hit home a little bit thank you. I don;t know what you fully believe in when it comes to living with a man and not being married or having sex before marriage or drinking etc but for me I do it (just being real and honest) and I feel like christians think I am a huge sinner but we love each other and we are all we have..I have a son that deserves a family right and we dont want to get married so this is the best we are going to have it…..thanks again for you videos it touched home like I said..
Christine
Hi Beth – I’ve completed a few of your studies over the years, from attending your Esther taping here in Houston, to actually doing the Esther study again a few years later overseas in the Middle East in a small expat bible study. I was looking for myself in the audience! You’ve ministered to me so much and I know you get tons of messages daily, but I thought I’d throw my 2 cents in to say you are truly an example of a life serving others for our Savior. I am thankful for your dedication to the Word, and sharing that excitement with all who will hear it.
I lost my first-born son this year soon after he was born – and I was invited to do the Revelation study this summer. It may have seemed like an odd study for this season, but it was perfect! What hope we have as I am reminded life here on this earth is so very short and there is an urgency to make Him known.
So here is my small way of simply saying thanks 🙂
As a fun fact, I also wanted to mention a small connection – my very best friend’s aunt Sabrina works for you.
Blessings to you and I look forward to the study of James next Spring (my husband’s name is James – always a great reason to study it!).
Natalie
Beth, thanks for your blog! It’s really great and as I see you help a lot of women just motivating them. It’s very important to gain trust! In fact God’s power and our beliefs are always inspiring us! I wish you strength and a lot of WILL to help everyone, who needs it!Get well!
Whoa! Where do I even start…I just attended the Simulcast from Lubuck in Missoula Montana. Amazing, I did go with my mom, a couple gals from Church and my yes my BFF. I have been trying to figure out how to tell you about the re-birth for myself since I began this much over due change in my life without sounding like a freak but then I thought what the heck…I am on my way out of this 30 year pit! I am re-reading “How to get out of the Pit” and doing the Journal. Love that book! The motivation and honestly that I received from this book and so many of your others is completely overwhelming for me. It was what I needed to get myself out and looking to God. I am 48 and for the past 30 years I have replaced insecurity with sex and food. I am married and have been in 2 affairs that I thought were going to literally be the death of me. The first brought on by my husbands alcohol abuse when I felt like I was pushed into the pit and the second when I ran and jumped in the pit lead by my own beautiful insecurity. I have…we have been to counseling but nothing has worked more than when I finally took ownership for my own sin and looked to God for healing. I read constantly and have your sessions on Life Today on my computer while at work. I find the messages so motivational, like you’re speaking directly to me. The change that I finally made has been incredible. I have a long way to go but I feel that I am now on the up-hill side. I do not want to loose my love for God and what he wants for me. I am so thankful for your bruttally honest advice and the comfort and reality that I am not alone. I love the peace that is over me and how I make everything I do into obedience for God. I look at my husband now with forgivness and love. I can’t imagine having my 4 children go thru any of this. It was so tough on my heart to think that my behavior could be repeated in my sons or my daughter with Down Syndrome. . I needed to get it together for myself and to be what I needed to be to my family. I have big plans to make sure that I lead my family to God. I have returned to Church and Bible study is tomorrow night. Woo-hoo!!!!
Thanks Beth for feeling the need to help heal others.
Love from Montana!