Next Step - Day Five

Here is the list of biblical References for meditation ...per Jen Hatmaker's book Make Over.

Galatians 5:1-6 She suggests reading it through without pausing and then to take each verse and meditate on it. Here are some that struck me...again I urge you to get this book it has so much more then what I am sharing. I am sharing my journal portion of this book...

5:1 Jen asked How do I feel burdened? Well I don't have enough space or time for that! But I am mom! I am a wife, etc...I feel burdened at times to be "perfect".  I would rather feel productive than burdened. I want to be a productive wife and mom. Heck I want to be a productive believer in Christ!

5:2 I really like this one...I better be careful cause my answer can turn into a soap box tangent! Since circumcision was the law then, it "must" be the the "right" way. Arguments of  "How to be a Christian" is so prevalent today! It makes me so sad actually!  The constant criticism of Christians from other Christians is very sad. We have made "religion" more important than our faith! It is that criticism from one Christian to another is what turns non-believers off of learning about Jesus and His love and grace. Too many rules trying to please God. When all God wants is us to trust and love Him. And I believe the rest comes natural. Wanting to be a good steward, helping the poor, etc....it fills us up!

5:3-4 "What does it mean to have 'fallen' away from grace?" This is a question that Jen poses that I found to be harder to answer than I thought. The biblical passage talks about being justified. Who am I trying to be justified too? Do I need to justify anything? No. I do not. If I do feel like I need to justify my actions it is then that I have fallen away from grace.

5:5-6 "What else might you have no value to Jesus, though you thought it did?" To add my humor to this...how clean my house is. Being raised Catholic I was taught that during Lent you are to not eat meat on Ash Wednesday and ever Friday during Lent and to fast on Good Friday including no meat.  As a child I followed the rules. Now, I take the opportunity to "fast" in my way that is appropriate to my walk with Christ. That might be spending more time reading the Word, or cutting out fast food and giving the extra money to a Mission Trip to a high school student, things like that. Following the Rules of not eating meat doesn't really make much sense to me. I now look at those 40 day so much differently. More of a doing for others like Christ did...giving more of myself. Christ gave us His life!  I was watching Joyce Meyer one evening and she was talking about rules and laws of being a Christian and how a lady approached her and said her earrings were too flashy (being that she teaches the Word of God). She chuckled....given Joyce's humor she responded to the effect of - if this woman had a problem with her earrings she was gonna have a problem with heaven then...pearl, gold, jade, emerald. And that is just the gate! I laughed! I find that "religions" make rules and laws...not our faith. God gave us the Ten Commandments, and Jesus said to follow those. "Does God need to change you, or mature you where you into who you already are now?" When I first did this study, I thought change me!! Now that I am doing this for a second time, I need God to mature me further in my faith walk. I am not ashamed to admit it either. I have so much excitement in me to continue on this journey.

I have really enjoyed this week! I am happy I decided to redo this study! I see things differently then I saw last time and I can honestly say that God has opened my heart more to receive more. Praise God! Praise God! Praise Him for His grace!

Lord, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this with everyone that reads my blog. Women and the handful of men. I hope that they are inspired to buy her book and work along side me so we can learn and walk together in You! I am truly blessed by your grace. Thank you Lord! Thank you! In Your name...
AMEN!