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Women of Worship
Our Growing Season
by: Lt. Saundra Lee
We have moved from being
Ladies who attend the American Rescue Workers Community Church Sunday
School and Service to “Women of Worship”. Now, we you are
“studying to show ourselves approved unto God, workman that need not be
ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Matthew
6:33 says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and
all these things shall be added unto you. We are seeking … evaluating
and further developing (even tweaking) our growth through understanding
and applying basic Christ like concepts and characteristics. It is our
desire is the attain wholeness and holiness through Jesus Christ, our
Lord and Savior.
 For
some of us this walk is new, Paul says, “therefore if any man be
in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away;
behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Philippians 3:13-14 as Paul says, “we count not ourselves to have
apprehended: but this one thing we do, forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before…we press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus.” Our growth may not be by leaps and bounds, but as we learn to
apply our new knowledge, we must also learn to thank God for our
progress.
As we press on, we
will remember Romans 12:9-10 (“Let love be without
dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honor
preferring one another;”) and Colossians 3:12-13 (“Put on
therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one
another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against
any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”), which we
should, we must continue to use as our growth stepping
stones.
God’s Word is the most
powerful weapon in the universe. When Satan was tempting Jesus in the
wilderness – when the most evil force in the universe was battling the
Creator of the universe – they didn’t use guns, bombs or massive
armies. They both knew the ultimate weapon and used it. They both
fought with God’s Holy Word.
There’s something
supernatural about God’s Word. First of all it’s “God-breathed”
(2 Timothy 3:16). Imagine God actually breathing
His very life into the words of the Scripture.
And because it has His life, as we
read His Word it changes us – from the inside. It cleanses us
(Ephesians 5:26). It enables us to see ourselves as we really are
(James 1:23-25). It encourages us (Romans 15:4). It equips us to do
good (2 Timothy 3:17). It gives us faith (Romans 10:17). In fact,
according to James 1:21, it can actually save our souls.
Pretty
powerful stuff and not something to be taken lightly.
Our growth requires…Teamwork – “We Are All In This
Together”, the battle against the enemy is fierce. But the important
thing to keep in mind is that we are not in this alone.
First we have the Coach, who’s right there on the field with us, rooting
us on, encouraging us, running along beside us. In fact, He’s actually
living inside us – giving us the power and ability to run that extra
lap, to break that particular sin, to reach out and love the unlovable.
Second, we’ve got each other. As
believers, we are all on the same team, working toward the same goal.
If one suffers, we all suffer; if one wins, we all win. Your completing
this part of your life, overcoming this adversity, be victorious and
becoming more than conquerors, is what really, really matters to us.
There is absolutely nothing that compares to the peace and joy you will
experience as a new man in Christ.
In Ephesians where Paul wrote about
the shield of faith, I often wondered if by chance he might have been
thinking of the Roman shield. It was rectangular and designed to lock
in with all the other shields to form a vast, impregnable wall. It
worked best only when used with others.
Unfortunately, many of us think
Christianity is a “Lone Ranger” type thing – as if we can go out there
and overcome the enemy all by ourselves. Nothing can be further from
the truth. We need each other. Christ has only one body and only one
bride.
Not me, not you.
“US”.
The very reason why this women’s
fellowship was born is that we could be strong towers one for each other
(as we develop our walk and grow in the Lord), after having gone through
similar, seemingly hopeless experiences. WE NEED EACH OTHER AS WE BUILD
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST. Yes, we have all sinned and come short.
But not all are faced with husbands, partners, sons, brothers, fathers,
uncles,
cousins and close friends who are lost in the pit of alcohol and
substance abuse. Society has a way of placing a band-aid over the
shotgun wounds of life, which only covers it for a moment and never
really protect or promote healing.
Now the truth is that there may be
times in our new walk, when we may get hurt, when we are misunderstood
when we might want to walk away from it all, when we may even feel
there’s no way God can work with this bunch of folks who call themselves
Christians. By the way, I am by no means name-calling, but you know how
we sometimes get despondent with those around us when things aren’t
smooth and easy…oh, and going our way. But, HANG IN THERE!
Those times of misunderstanding, hurt
and rejection are just the enemy’s way of trying to single us out from
the herd so he can go in for the kill. Don’t fall for it. Instead,
remember God works in all things and many times the things He allows all
work out for our good.
We are responsible for each other.
And when we stand together in faith, nothing can get in our way. When
we stand together, whole and complete, not even the gates of hell can
remain before or against us. Wholeness and maturity are what the Lord
desires for our lives. He is rooting us, grounding us, refining us,
purging us, breaking us down to build us up, helping us work out and
work through, preparing us for warfare, fighting for us, for one reason
and one reason only: that we may become victors, winners, Overcomers,
more than conquerors, the children of God. That you and I might have
life and have it more abundantly.
Hang in there. Let him have His way.
It will happen. In fact, whether you feel it or not, it’s happening
even now. I’ve already claimed it in Jesus name for all of us.
Remember, “We are more than
conquerors….”
This is from our heart to yours…
Those of you who know us
and those who desire to fellowship and get to know us.
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