I was deeply moved tonight catching up on a Beth Moore video I missed this week at church. I attend a Ladies Bible Study every Tuesday morning (when the family is healthy and I have gotten to bed on time the night before!) and we are studying The Fruit of the Spirit.
This video was focussed on Goodness.....can't really say I've specifically studied this quality of God.....found I have much to learn. I am going to try and paraphrase this video and give you some of the highlights and things that have given me much food for thought.
"GOODNESS DOES"
Although our Salvation is not based on what we do, we were saved for good works. God has given us a to-do list! Goodness, in the Scriptures, is always linked to an action. We express how good our God is by benefiting those around us through our good works.
The problem is that we live in a self-absorbed world.
Everything is about ME - what is best for ME - what will satisfy ME - what will make ME happy.
If we take a look around us we will see that there is an increase in depression and suicide in our world. People are so inward focussed instead of doing as God intended and giving out in good works to others. Now I am not suggesting that simply doing good will solve all depression......but I do believe that as we are forced to look beyond ourselves and our own finite world, we will see a world who needs us. By meeting those needs, our own need to be needed will be met. This will result in healing for us.
God put a deep desire in each of us to have the need to benefit or contribute to others.
Isaiah 58:6-11 says that if we SPEND OURSELVES:
1. Our light will rise in the darkness
2. The Lord will guide us always
3. Our needs will be satisfied
4. Our frame will be strengthened
5. We will be like well-watered gardens
We need to pray for specific ways that we can reach beyond ourselves - even in the midst of pain and trials. God will bless us when we do.
The Christian life stands in direct contrast to the world's thinking.......in laying down our lives we are raised up. "In spending our lives, we are made rich."
***If you have never done a Beth Moore Study, I highly encourage you to try one. She's an amazing teacher and has many very in-depth Bible Studies that have increased my knowledge about God and deepened my relationship with Him.
Oh how I love Beth Moore! I start a new study on Thursday, very excited! Great thoughts here, Coreen. It is so true that there is so much fulfillment and joy in reaching out to others when we ourselves are struggling. There is something to looking past yourself and remembering that there are a whole lot of other hurting people in the world.
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