Wise Words

I love my Tuesday morning Bible Study! This small group of women has been meeting for 5 years or so and the ability to get over the niceties and just go deeply with each other in a loving, trusting way is a blessing.

This morning we were discussing Philippians 3. We had a great conversation about Paul's words in verse 9, as Paul contrasts faith and the law.
"...that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." (NIV)

I have an NIV/Message parallel Bible, so I love to compare in The Message for a fresh perspective "I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God's righteousness."

We talked about how tempting it is to try to reduce life, motherhood, wifedom, Christianity, etc. to a checklist of do's and don'ts. I don't know about you, but I want an explicit manual that tells me step-by-step what to do in each scenario. I want a life map with clear road signs that brilliantly amplify when I am supposed to turn. A report card that tells me how I am doing. (Well, on good days anyway...) And yet, we are called to faith, a relationship that requires back and forth conversation with God.

"What to do" in a particular situation is not always clear cut. God's Will often seems nebulous to our understanding. Sometimes we get impatient. How do we interpret Scripture to tell us where to go send our children to preschool or how to manage a home that still hasn't sold after 14 months? Or something as simple as how many times to go back upstairs after the children have been tucked in...

I know He loves me and knows the number of hairs on my head. I know it matters to God that I make decisions everyday that bring glory and honor to His name. Yet, sometimes the 'how to handle X' on the fly is where I fail miserably.

So I am praying for that God will strengthen my faith and trust...realizing that exercising them is likely the best way to strengthen them.

In the meantime, if you are a checklist/chart kind of person, Wise Words for Moms by Ginger Plowman is a really neat (and extremely practical) poster that encourages Biblical discussions with your children as you guide them and correct them through day-to-day behaviors.