Bible Study is for Everyone

*Warning. If you like silly Les this will not endear you to me;) This post is an email that I sent to my Thursday Bible study gals this morning. I thought I'd share what some of us girls might be mulling over today.

Dear Friends,

In my study this morning i was thinking about what we talked about yesterday. In thinking I realized that most of the time the thing that motivates my comparison, my insecurity of not having the pretty home,  not having that job, not looking like her, let's just face it- not being "that" worship leader, etc means that I am not "somebody." Insignificance. Somehow, I  fear that I am insignificant if my life doesn't look like the woman over there. I wonder if our struggle with insignificance stems back to the rejection of our biological fathers. In my process of healing this in my life, I have found such restoration in the approval of my heavenly Father. 

Yesterday I was reading in 1 Corinthians1: 27 which says,

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things that are despised God has chosen and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence."

This morning I was reading in "Satisfy My Thirsty Heart"  by Linda Dillow, and she says that God defines success(significance) as a woman that:

Does her work for God, the One for whom she works.

Does her work heartily , from her heart and from her soul.

Works to receive a reward, not a temporal reward such as money, but an eternal reward, which will last forever. 

She talks about how significance in God's economy looks very different from ours. She shares about the man in Mark who was responsible for the ordinary task of preparing the room for the Last Supper. The disciples were ready to do shopping, put on their aprons, and prepare a Passover meal. But Jesus told them someone had already done so.

"Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water, follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, The teacher says, "Where is my guest room in which I may eat the passover with My disciples?" And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepared for us there." The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover."

She says, "The unnamed man's work was a simple thing. A room. Prepared. Made ready for the King….Jesus knew the work the man had accomplished; He knew how the man had served Him. Some days you may feel like an "unnamed worker." You wonder, Who sees me? Who cares what I do? Just as Jesus saw and cared about what this man had done, He sees and values all that you do when you do it for Him.

God's standard differs from ours. We feel that we must achieve to feel significant, but God says, "Be faithful in your work, my daughter, and you will find significance in my sight." 

All these words encouraged me today in light of our conversation. When I am tempted to compare myself to the next person I pray that I will consider Jesus' thoughts toward me. That He sees me and my reward is with Him. Heck, He is my great Reward!

The End! Hope this finds you all well this Friday!