Busy, busy, busy...

These recent weeks have brought about new demands on my time, as well as some important opportunities with family I don't see frequently. With that in mind, anyone who happens to read this will have to simply accept the summer rerun I am going to share for this week. These are some thoughts from previous writing I did for a lesson I was teaching in a young women's small group at church. The notes are taken primarily from John MacArthur's book, Divine Design, a wonderful explanation of biblical manhood and womanhood that every Christian should take the time to read.

The most unfortunate result of the modern corrupted view of creation design is that we tend to fall on one extreme or another in evaluating what makes a woman a truly biblically feminine woman. Let’s contrast these two extremes:

- feminine aggression vs. helplessness, laziness: While we do want to portray discretion, modesty and gentleness, this does not mean that we simply sit around and do nothing thinking that a man must guide our every move. A truly biblical man will be looking for a young woman who is actively disciplining herself in grace, one who has her mind set on things above, and takes necessary action to see the tasks completed. She is busy with the work of the Lord, carrying out projects and fulfilling tasks, always keeping in mind her helper design - whether married or single.

- corporate career planning vs. no plans at all, no pursuit of education: We should not be like the world, eager to take power of companies and rule the office with a shrewd authority. But we also should not simply fall upon our desire for marriage and children as a reason to pursue nothing at all. Biblical womanhood is not simply becoming a wife and mother; anyone can do that! It is becoming a virtuous wife, a pure spouse, a devoted and Bible-saturated mother whose primary objective is the salvation and sanctification of her family and those in her sphere of influence. By pursuing nothing with your education or employment, you are not living out the wonderful opportunities God has graciously granted you. There are things to consider even if marriage is in your future: what if your husband dies? What if he becomes injured on the job? What if there is a severe recession and your husband asks you to go back to work for a time? There are women in our own church right now who are in such a situation. What if you want to homeschool your children? The Proverbs 31 woman most definitely was wise and educated in some fashion. We are told that she considered a field and bought it. She must have had some type of intellectual wisdom in order to carry out such a task. Whether that means pursuing a collegiate education or not is something each individual must consider in light of their authorities, their means, and the revealed will of God. But it is quite clear that a biblical woman carefully uses the mind that God has given her.

- masculine traits in speech: The worldly woman speaks with power, arrogance, brutality, bossiness and calls it being assertive and concise vs. saying nothing at all - thinking that quietness means complete silence, failing to even speak up for truth or to combat error, confronting someone in love who is gossiping or slandering.

A biblical woman is known by her feminine demeanor. She is characterized by gentle words, a soothing and nurturing presence, gracious submissiveness, warm hospitality, loving affection, wise and carefully chosen counsel when called upon...these things are not a happenstance, but a significant and beautiful display of God's intricate plan in creating man, man and woman, woman.

The Cross

Recent days have revealed that I have often allowed so many other things to eclipse the centrality of the cross of Christ in my heart and life. Good things. Things that are often found to be virtuous and pure in Scripture. Things that bring me joy. Things that can be an encouragement to others. And yet...my own soul has often drifted further and further from Christ. When I think upon the cross and what was accomplished there, it doesn't always hit me as it should. I have become busy with life and ministry and good deeds. In seeking to better understand how I have done this and how I can pursue a restored fellowship with my Savior, I have been reading C.J. Mahaney's little book, The Cross Centered Life. In it, he says, "The cross was the centerpiece of Paul's theology. It wasn't merely one of Paul's messages; it was the message. He taught about other things as well, but whatever he taught was always derived from, and related to, the foundational reality that Jesus Christ died so that sinners would be reconciled to God and forgiven by God." He goes on in the first chapter to give a little test to determine whether we are cross centered:

"The symptoms that arise from not being cross centered are easy to spot. Do any of these describe you?
- You often lack joy.
- You're not consistently growing in spiritual maturity.
- Your love for God lacks passion.
- You're always looking for some new technique, some 'new truth' or new experience that will pull all the pieces of your faith together.

If you can relate to any of these symptoms, let me encourage you to keep reading. As you learn to live a cross centered life, you'll learn:
- How to break free from joy-robbing, legalistic thinking and living.
- How to leave behind the crippling effects of guilt and condemnation.
- How to stop basing your faith on your emotions and circumstances.
- How to grow in gratefulness, joy and holiness."

Does this not accurately describe each of us, believers, as we get caught up in the hum-drum superficial demands of this society? We become enslaved to our schedule, busy with "ministry", anxious about earthly matters - all of which deny the power of the cross. I am looking forward to the rest of this little book. I am thankful for even these very hard providences that drive me to self-examination and prayerfully will result in restored joy in the precious Redeemer who has brought my life out of the pit and set my feet upon solid ground! May it be for His glory!