As I was standing in line for a ride at Disneyland, looking around at all the people having fun, the thought struck me, There doesn't seem to be any room here for Jesus. He didn't seem to be anywhere I looked - in the lines, on the rides, in the restaurants. Lots of people and a few nonpeople, like Mickey Mouse and Sleeping Beauty, but no Jesus.
In the days before the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary traveled to Jerusalem for the census on hot, dusty roads. Those roads must have been filled with others going in the same direction.
There was always a seat for us on the rides, but when Joseph tried to find a place to stay in Nazareth, he was told every space was taken. There was no room for them (Luke 2:7).
No room - no room for the Savior of the world. No room for the one who was to redeem every human from his or her sin. So he was born in a stable, a place for animals. The one who would be called a king was squeezed in between the donkeys and the sheep.
They squeezed him out of the inn and then they crucified him clear out of this physical world. The whole world has been squeezing him out ever since. He's been squeezed out of churches, and replaced by ritual and legalism. He's been pushed out of schools, and replaced by evolution and humanism. He's been shoved out of Christmas and replaced by Santa and consumerism.
Sometimes we Christians do that to Jesus. Our lives are full of so much busyness, we squeeze him right out of our lives. Then we try to squeeze him back in - between the shopping and the Internet, or the bills and the dishes. Sometimes there just isn't any room for him at all.
Is there a way to keep this from happening? There's no formula. It's not easy. It won't happen in one day, or just because you pray about it once or twice. Spiritual transformation takes a lifetime, through practicing the disciplines of prayer, study, meditation and fasting. By interacting with God on a daily basis, we can, as Dallas Willard says, "bring our personality and total being into effective cooperation with the divine order."
Making room for Jesus in our lives is a matter of our hearts. What is closest to your heart? Or as Matthew says, where is your treasure (6:21)? If Jesus is your treasure, he will have your heart and you won't have to make room for him. There won't be room for anything else.
November 1999
A few months ago, I talked Sheila into attending a three-day quiet retreat.Just before going to this retreat, we went to a leadership conference sponsored by the same group. She didn't realize they were different events. I struggled as I helped load her luggage for the drive. "What's in this one? It weighs a ton!"
She sheepishly replied: "Books and my laptop. If I'm going to a silent retreat, I need something to do!"
I laughed. The prospect of being quiet with God can be intimidating. I felt the same way at my first meditative retreat, even though the silent part lasted only five hours.
According to Mathew Woodley in "Tasting the Fruit of Silence" (Vital Ministry, March/April 1999), learning to be silent is a difficult process.
"Silence poses some of the greatest obstacles because we live in a noise-saturated world. Life never bombarded the psalmist or even my grandmother with traffic jams, junk mail, telemarketers, pagers and Barney on video."
Besides external noise, we also have to deal with internal noise, "the inner turmoil, the whirl of thoughts, the drive of desire, the restlessness and worries of the mind, the burden of care." As silence can draw out the turmoil and the burdens, we're often uncomfortable with it.
Woodley advises we check our motives. The purpose of silence isn't relaxation, stress reduction or even time away from it all. Rather it is time to meet with God and focus on hearing his still, small voice.
Finding a place may be rather difficult. If you can't find an organized retreat, make your own. If possible, don't stay home, because you'll never get away from the distractions. Find a retreat center, go to a hotel or borrow a friend's home while they're on vacation.
"Plow through resistance." Woodley says to quit making excuses and just do it. And don't be like Sheila, who brought a suitcase full of books and her laptop. "Travel light," taking only a Bible, a journal and maybe a book on prayer. Also have a light agenda. Be open to what God wants to say to you, instead of taking a long list of things you want to cover with him.
"Learn to waste time with Jesus." Can you actually spend many hours with the Lord and not go stir crazy? "Silence is primarily being with Jesus, rather than doing for Jesus." It's a time to seek intimacy.
Keep practicing silence. It isn't just a one-time thing. Being alone with God is something we can only get better at the more we do it.
Silence does bear fruit. Woodley says it leads us to rest, and deeper into service to God. But the greatest benefit is the growing intimacy with God we will experience.
If you think you don't have time for some quiet time alone with God, think again. It's the most important thing you can do for yourself and your family. As Woodley says: "Taste silence. You'll like it."
October 1999
"Hi, my name is Tammy and I’m a legalist. It’s been ten minutes since I had my last judgmental thought." This is how I imagine I would introduce myself at a meeting of Legalaholics Anonymous.I’d go on to describe how it started with little things, like thinking I was special because I kept the law. Then how I began looking down at people who didn’t believe the same things as me.
It got worse: I started believing there were no other Christians except those in my church. My legalism grew to include thinking I knew the true version of the history of the church and the rest of the world had been deceived.
My addiction became so bad I wouldn’t even fellowship with people in the world. I taught my children to be just as intolerant as me.
Like the roots of a weed, legalism grows deep in the minds of Christians. Sometimes the tips break off, staying long after the main roots have been pulled out. I know it’s possible to come out of it, but legalism is probably similar to alcoholism in that we can never say we’ve completely recovered.
One of the most pervasive root tips is that of object mentality: when we treat people like objects, valuing them only for their performance. This is the way of the world. If you don’t look good or perform well, you may be considered not only worthless but also expendable.
Placing too much value on performance is a habit of thinking that takes a long time to break. If husbands and wives don’t do what each expects, they may be disappointed or over time, become bitter. Many parents put unnecessary pressure on their children to perform, which can cause feelings of inferiority or other emotional problems.
In churches, obedience and contributions (monetary or otherwise) are the yardsticks of value. Is there any other group of people who judge each other with so much energy and enthusiasm?
This all too human tendency was not a problem for Jesus. He looked past the performance to the person. When the Pharisees brought the woman they had caught in the act of adultery to him, all they could see was what she had been doing (where was her partner?). Jesus however, saw her for the lonely, mixed-up sinner she was and saved her from their self-righteous object mentality.
So back to my LA meeting. If I were to come up with twelve steps they would have to include an exercise in learning to treat people as persons and not objects. We could start by visualizing someone we tend to judge regularly as the one caught in adultery and Jesus standing in front of him or her wondering if we would cast the first stone.
Maybe one day I’ll work on the other eleven steps, but in the meantime, I think I’ll start carrying my "first stone" around to remind me that Jesus cares more about who we are than what we do.
September 1999
Can you keep a secret? Little kids seem to have a lot of trouble keeping secrets. They just blurt out everything they know. New parents find out quickly there are no secrets when children are old enough to talk.
Even as adults, we sometimes can't keep our mouths shut. It's a human tendency to want to tell things. It makes us feel important to be able to pass on knowledge others don't have and see the looks on their faces of surprise, wonder or shock.
Usually after making some real blunders in the confidentiality department, we learn to keep to ourselves those things that cause others harm or add to their problems. But, it's still too easy to slip.
Learning to keep things to ourselves requires self-control and self-discipline. It's important we learn to do this, especially as we participate in small groups or other gatherings requiring confidentiality. The potential for harm is great.
We may think we are doing something good by informing all our friends of a prayer need of someone in our group, when the person really wants the problem to stay within the closed circle.
God may also answer the prayers before the problem gets around the block, which can also cause uncomfortable situations for the one involved.
Other problems arise when we disclose plans a friend may be contemplating. She may change her mind the next week, but if we've blabbed it all around, people will assume plan A is final. This is not good for a friendship.
If you feel the need to spill all you know and will just burst if you can't tell someone, tell God. He is always ready to listen, and he will never break confidentiality. In fact, he doesn't want us to keep anything from him.
In his book, In the Grip of Grace, Max Lucado writes: "Those who keep secrets from God keep their distance from God. Those who are honest with God draw near to God."
We must be open and honest with God or we will never experience the intimacy and closeness we need and he desires. Are there parts of your life you don't want to share with God? Secrets you'd rather not discuss?
He already knows all of them anyway, so why not just let it all out? "Confessed sin becomes the bridge over which we can walk back into the presence of God" (Lucado).
Do you feel embarrassed about getting angry when you are praying? Does it feel wrong to cry and shout to God when you don't understand what is happening in your life? He will be patient and like a loving dad, let you cry it out and comfort you as only he can.
Walk over that bridge every day to God, but with people be careful about crossing the line from concern to gossip. The bridge to people is built on trust.
August 1999
A wonderful world of books has opened up to us in the past few years. Books can minister to us, help us know and understand biblical characters, shed light on certain scriptures and topics and testify of God's mighty workings in the lives of fellow Christians. Many of us have also been taking advantage of conferences, seminars and videos.
But not all books, conferences, speakers and videos are ones we can endorse to each other. Some state doctrinal positions or make statements that aren't biblical. We need to be discerning about the information we hear and read.
For example, I heard a retreat speaker state that God's Holy Spirit possesses us, in much the same way a demon possesses a person. Yet I read that one of the fruits of the Spirit in Gal. 5:23 is self-control; and John 16:13 tells us the Holy Spirit guides us.
A woman television preacher takes the position that Jesus had to descend into hell to save us, thus contradicting the Scriptures. Jesus said when he died his work was finished (John 19:30).
The latest religious fad seems to be spiritual warfare. Some of these books mistakenly tell us to talk directly to Satan and his demons to keep them from having too much power over us. God says to put on his armor that we may be able stand against the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:11).
A lot of us have been using various popular Bible study series for small groups. Most of what they say is good. They can help us grow in spiritual maturity, which is the ability to know, understand, and apply Scripture in every circumstance. But we should be aware of errors and watch for proof-texting. For example, one particular series infers that a Christian is substandard if he or she doesn't hear God's voice and receive assignments from him.
Misinformation isn't always as obvious as these examples. The more subtle errors are the ones to especially guard against. We need to be wary of people who talk about requirements for salvation other than believing on the name of Jesus and accepting him as Savior.
I don't want to discourage you from reading. I read a lot. We should all read as a means of continuing our education, widening our horizons and being aware of what is happening in the Christian and secular worlds.
How can we protect ourselves from errors in books, videos and presentations? By knowing the Word. If we are knowledgeable of the Scriptures and are diligently studying, we will recognize when something doesn't quite match up with God's Word. As 2 Tim 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man [or woman] of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." Like the Sadducees in Matthew 22:29, we can err by not knowing the Scriptures.
Let's enjoy this new world of books and ideas, but let's keep our noses in God's Word. Remember to read with discernment and sometimes a grain of salt too!
July 1999
We first started talking about women's ministry in the fall of 1995. It feels as if we've gone from 0 to 60 in about a minute flat! Women's ministries are now all over the world and we're still growing. We're still learning too.Women's ministry didn't come about because of what any of us have done. God is the one who, because the time was right, revealed how women fit into the New Covenant. As I've said before, women's ministry is the tool God gave us to help us see what we can be, what we can do and how to start using our gifts.
Women's ministry has not only helped the women who've become involved, but has also benefited the pastors of congregations with vital women's groups. Pastors enthusiastically comment on how much women's ministry has lightened their load and helped their congregations run more smoothly.
There are three reasons. The first is women are happier. Lifting the restrictions of not being able to do many jobs once reserved for the ordained has given us (men too!) the freedom to pursue our interests and use individual talents lying dormant.
The second reason is we women are taking care of each other spiritually. We are counseling each other, praying together, studying the Bible together and sharing our spiritual journeys.
The third reason is everyone is sharing the workload. Women are leading worship, facilitating small groups, coordinating church activities and in at least one instance, doing all the administrative work necessary to maintain a congregation!
This frees up the pastors to focus on biblical studies, stay close to God and keep their priorities in order. Pastors like what God is doing with women!
But what really makes women's ministry so effective is not the meetings, the conferences, the socials or the programs. It's the relationships that are formed and strengthened. It's the bonding that happens when we stop judging each other and let the Holy Spirit flow through us.
I've traveled to many places in the United States and several places internationally. In each congregation, the women are different and their approach to women's ministry is different. But in each place, there's unity of the spirit. There are common goals of growing in Christ, healing from past hurts and building up the church with their gifts.
God made women to be helpers, and our gifts and talents are a vital ingredient in building the church for the future. But we're not helpers in the sense of being the hired hand or the "gofer." Women are helpers in much the same sense as God is our helper. Both God and women are referred to as ezer or "helper" in the Old Testament (Genesis 2:18; Psalm 33:20).
God made us with the potential to be strong, capable, confident in faith and willing to work for the kingdom. Paul called those who labored for the gospel "helpers of his joy" (2 Corinthians 1:24). Women can be helpers of joy to everyone in the congregation, and through the New Covenant and the God-given tool of women's ministry, we're able to contribute to every aspect of kingdom work.
June 1999
"Jesus loves me, this I know," but he would probably love me more if I ...controlled my temper; if I could learn not to gossip; if I could just stop eating so much. Isn't there something I could be doing that would make a difference in how much God loves me?
Maybe if I just read a few more books, maybe if I got up earlier and spent more time in bible study and prayer, maybe he would love me more and I would feel like I'm really a Christian.
Wait a minute, doing more and trying harder might work with some people, like your boss or co-workers, or maybe even with some of your friends, but it won't work with God. His love for us is not based on anything that we can do.
Face it. We're pretty helpless compared with his power and awesomeness. Job figured it out when God asked him if he had given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place (Job 38:12).
If you're still having thoughts like these (or maybe you haven't even thought them, they're just part of your being), then maybe a little unconditional love is needed here.
We all want love, but much of the love we receive is conditional. Even though we would like it to be, human love can't be anything else.
God is the only one who can give us unconditional love. How comforting, reassuring and mind-boggling. He loves us with a love that is so enormous, so wonderful that it's hard to comprehend.
"This is love, not that we loved God, but that he first loved us" (I John 4:10) with a love so great "that he gave his one and only son" as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16 and I John 4:10).
Are you still looking for unconditional love in all the wrong places? Look no further. Unconditional love is just a prayer away.
"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38-39, NKJV).
How sad that some still struggle under the legalistic notion that God's love and grace come to us with conditions. There is absolutely nothing we can do to make him love us more. The blood that was shed on the cross was freely given, no strings attached.
I pray that "you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:18-19, NKJV).
May 1999
People like to measure things. We measure everything from our shoe size to our weight to the size of our cars and the amount of money in our bank accounts.We measure our kids, our hem length, our eyelashes and how much work we get done.
We wonder if we're just keeping up with the Joneses or getting ahead financially. Or maybe we're falling behind because we can't afford to buy a new car every year or because we haven't read the latest book or seen the latest movie.
Are some of us ahead of others in our spiritual understanding, while others are behind? Are you ahead of me because you like certain types of music and I don't? Are you behind me because you haven't completed the study books I've read and don't understand what I understand?
Measuring things, whether physical or spiritual, seems to come naturally. It happened soon after Adam and Eve came on the scene. Cain and Abel compared their offerings and, of course, one was better. The jealousy of one led to the murder of the other.
Moses felt he didn't measure up when God told him his plan to take the Hebrews out of slavery. I can't speak. I can't do this. I can't do that. Get someone else to do it (Ex. 4:10-13).
Even the disciples got in on the comparison game when they asked Jesus who was greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:1). The mother of the sons of Zebedee wanted her sons to sit on Jesus' right and left side (Matt. 20). She thought they were more qualified than the other disciples and deserved greater recognition.
As 2 Corinthians 10:12 says, comparing ourselves among ourselves is not wise. How can we compare each other's spiritual growth and understanding? Does it really make sense to hold ourselves up against one another as if we have a spiritual yardstick? Can we really tell who has more spirituality than another? What about comparing congregations? States? Countries?
Just as we all look different, have different opinions, tastes, ideas and life experiences, so we all have unique spiritual lives and journeys. God isn't taking me on the same path as you. You have to go through your own life's experiences, making your own decisions and taking your own steps.
God even made the stars to have their own glory (1 Cor. 10:41). Since he appreciates the uniqueness of the stars, doesn't it make sense that he enjoys our individuality? We are loved for who we are and God knows us, inside and out.
He knows how each will progress in his or her life and doesn't compare us to each other. Why should we? God is our judge and he would prefer we leave the judging to him.
Let's give each other room to be ourselves, without comparing or judging. God's Holy Spirit is working within each of us and only he knows our individual timetables. If anyone is keeping spiritual growth charts on us, it's God and he's marked them "Confidential."
April 1999
What do the snail, crab, crane, locust and whale have in common? They symbolized the resurrection in the early days of Christianity.These all seem unlikely reminders of the resurrection, but according to the Dictionary of Symbolism by Hans Biederman, each had a characteristic that pointed to Christ.
The snail seals itself inside its shell with a covering, then after the winter, knocks off the lid and comes out to new life. The crab and the locust both shed their shells, sort of like casting off the old man and breaking out of the confines of the grave.
The crane's migratory flight announces the coming of spring. The renewal of spring, like the risen Christ, is a hopeful sign of life.
The whale is a more familiar symbol, prominent in both the Old and New Testaments. "And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly.And the Lord God spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land" (Jonah 1:17-2:1, 10).
Jesus anticipated his death and resurrection with the picture of the whale. In Matthew 12:40 he predicted, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
The most well-known and often-used symbol associated with the Lord is of course, the cross. The cross represented the cruelest form of death in the time of Jesus. It was a source of shame for the Jews. It is foolishness to unbelievers, but to Christians it symbolizes life, now and in the future.
Those other symbols don't mean much to us today, but merely serve as reminders of how the early Christians viewed the plan of God. They saw in these symbols a chance to understand their place in the divine plan through the events and images around them.
Perhaps because of a similar subconscious urge, I bought a figurine of an empty tomb, with an angel sitting nearby. The sign on the tomb says, "He is not here, he is risen." This symbol of the power of God reminds me the grave couldn't hold our Lord. He conquered sin and death, leaving the cross and the empty tomb to confound the scoffers and those who mocked him in life.
We don't need symbols to remind us of our new life in Jesus. But perhaps, as they did for those early Christians, symbols can provide a visual link between our Savior and us. To us who believe, the cross and the empty tomb represent the power of God. They are physical reminders of the most incredible gift of our most loving God, the risen Christ.
March 1999
Growth is paradoxical. We love to see the grass and bushes grow, but their growth causes us work mowing and trimming. We love watching children grow, but their growth causes us to move into different, sometimes confusing phases of life.
Christian growth is also a paradox. It’s beautiful to see, but it can also move us into new and uncharted territory. Lack of growth, however, is worse. We tend to get comfortable and complacent.
When we learn and grow, we must make changes in our life’s direction. Growth takes us into new areas, places that may be uncomfortable, and for a while, scary. For many, it’s the changing that’s so difficult. The truth is, growth in our personal lives is what allows us to accept and even welcome the changes in our life with grace.
Mary of Bethany is a biblical role model for us in the area of learning and growing. She hungered for spiritual truth and understanding. She literally sat at Jesus’ feet, while her sister took care of dinner. Martha criticized her for abandoning her chores, and she may also have been shocked by Mary’s actions. At that time in history, a woman sitting at the feet of a rabbi to become educated was breaking with time-honored tradition.
Like Mary, we also need to be seeking a theological education. Even though it would be interesting and helpful for our lives and ministries, we can’t all attend a seminary or Bible college. We can, however, sit at the feet of Jesus and learn.
Mary shows us how to sit at Jesus’ feet. First, she spent a lot of time with him. Luke 10:38 says that Jesus went into her house, apparently to rest and have a meal with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Second, Mary heard his word (Luke 10:39). She listened to what he had to say and no doubt reflected on everything later as she worked at her chores.
Third, Mary was humble. She was criticized not only by her sister, but when she anointed Jesus with costly perfume, she was called out by the disciples for being wasteful. If this were me, I could take a little criticism from my sister, but if the disciples started on me, I’d probably fall apart. Mary said nothing and let Jesus come to her defense in both instances.
Fourth, Mary acted on her faith. When she poured the costly ointment on Jesus’ feet, then wiped them with her hair, she was not only trying to meet practical needs, she was seeking a spiritual blessing. She may not have completely understood that Jesus was going to die, but she seemed to have a better grasp of what was going on at that moment than the disciples. While they huffed and puffed about her extravagance, Mary quietly and humbly worshiped the Lord.
What better way to grow in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18) than to sit at the feet of Jesus as did our sister Mary of Bethany. Let’s sit at his feet together, spend time with him and hear his word with humility and faith.
February, 1999
What a wonderful opportunity! Sheila and I visited Zimbabwe and South Africa in December. It was a long and exhausting trip, but so worth it in terms of building relationships.
We spent the first weekend at a retreat just outside Harare with 100 women from Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and Zimbabwe. After a dinner of stew and rice, we sang in a praise-and-worship service and listened to opening messages. (We tried to anyway. It was hard to keep from sleeping straight up in our chairs!)
The next two days were filled with worship and Sheila and me taking turns giving almost all the presentations we have in our repertoires! In between speaking sessions we had a chance to talk with the women and learn about their lives and struggles.
Several things stand out from that weekend. Most striking was how much fun we had with worship. For the most part, no musical instruments or tapes were used. We sang a cappella, but we were accompanied by hand clapping, foot stomping, dancing, swaying and laughter.
On our way to the cars for the trip back to the airport, the women sang in Shona all the way out to the parking lot. We didn't understand a word, but it was so happy, we knew they were mightily praising God! I hadn't realized worship and praise could be so much fun!
Another thing that stood out was the sweet faith and deep humility of those women. They face difficulties most of us will never encounter, but they pray, expecting answers. They believe God will take care of those who really trust him. The privilege of praying with them and for them was a humbling experience.
We also spoke at meetings in Durban and Cape Town, South Africa, and then went to another weekend retreat in Magaliesburg, outside Johannesburg. The women were wonderful and we formed deep bonds at each location.
We hugged close to 400 women during that week, spoke 15 times each, and spent at least six hours singing praises and worshiping God!
God not only changes the lives of the women who attend these conferences and retreats, he changes the women who speak at them too. Seeing how women's ministry is put into practice in other countries and how the Holy Spirit is using this tool to build bridges within our church, with other churches and between the genders and generations, is inspiring.
Some wonder why women need to get together at these retreats and conferences. Something very special happens that can only be described as a spiritual event. God reaches down, touches these women and leaves his mark of love.
I encourage all of you who can to attend a retreat this year. If one isn't being planned in your area, get the women together and plan one yourself. You don't need a large number - you can have a retreat with half a dozen. Those are often the best ones. You and those women will be true sisters in Christ for eternity, just as Sheila and I have become sisters with 400 women in Africa.
January, 1999
Here lies old Jane Doe, she spent her life with a garden hoe.
Her face was tired and her hands were rough,
She rarely laughed ‘cause her life was tough.
She didn’t do much but sit and complain,
Whether there was sun or lots of rain.
Now she’s gone and I can’t recall,
If she made much difference at all.
Sometimes I wonder what they’ll say about me when I’m gone. Will it be similar to Jane Doe’s epitaph? (I just made that up.) Is what I’m doing in this life going to make a difference - is it really worth anything to anyone?
Maybe you’ve wondered the same thing as you’ve thought about your life and what you’ve accomplished (or haven’t) so far. We’re all so busy and we feel good when we accomplish our goals for the day or the week. We check items off our list, keep appointments, reach certain milestones. But what have we actually gained by doing all of these things? When it’s all said and done, what are we left with?
Paul describes what we need to focus on: "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his suffererings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead" (Phil. 3:10). If at the end of my life, all I know is Christ and him crucified, that will be enough. If all I have attained in this life is the resurrection of the dead, what more will I need?
We have a vision in women’s ministry, to help the women in our fellowship learn to identify their gifts and be empowered through the Holy Spirit to use them. We want to see every woman find out what her ministry is and do it wholeheartedly in service to Jesus Christ. We have many goals and a lot we want to accomplish. But if the heart of our vision, goals and mission is not to know Christ and him crucified, then it will all have been worthless.
Kay Arthur, in her book Lord, Only You Can Change Me, says that "what you do will only be worth as much as who you are." Women’s ministry is not only about what you can do as a woman, it’s about what you can be - a Christian, with Christ living in you. We can be so busy with activities, but unless who we are is more important than what we do, it won’t matter.
Let's grow up in the Lord, and into what he wants us to be - "united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him" (Eph. 4:13, Msg.). Let’s look at our lives and make sure who we are is who he is, so what we do will be approved by him.