Living abundantly, celebrating faith and family.

I attend a weekly woman’s bible study at our church.  We are currently working through “Duty or Delight?  Knowing Where You Stand With God“ by Tammie Head.  I have enjoyed the study. If your women’s ministry is looking for it’s next study, may I recommend Tammie Head and this study?  You will not be disappointed.

We are four weeks into it.  The topic for this week is “How do we trigger more of the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives?”  I would love to say I walk by the Spirit in all I do.  But, I do not.  I know I should rely on the Holy Spirit to direct all aspects of my daily life, giving me the guidance and strength for each day.  I want that.  I need more of that.

I hope you will indulge me as I share a few things that really caught my attention, challenged me, and spoke to my heart this week.

Tammy Head gives six key thoughts as to how we trigger more of the Holy Spirit’s power:

1. Rely on His leadership.  – God has only good planned for us.  We must trust his leading for our life.
2. Yield to His pruning. – God uses difficult or trying times in our life to prune us for the better.
3. Regularly practice repentance.- “Repentance isn’t “I’m sorry I got caught.” It’s “I’m totally undone here.  Please,  Lord, forgive me, wash me, and make me new.”  How often am I truly repentant for my sin?  Do I find myself “totally undone”?  This really challenged me to my awareness of my sin and my need for repentance.
4. Inspect your crops often.-We need to reflect on the sin and surrender it to God, repent, and allow ourselves to be transformed so there can be a harvest of the fruits of living a godly life.  We cannot bear fruit, if we are not “tending the crop”.
5. Set yourself apart. – We are to be consecrated, living a life of obedience to God.  The Holy Spirit is in us to help us do this.  We cannot do it alone.
6. Do not give up. -We have the promise that Jesus will be with us through all our trials.  ” With Jesus we find peace, rest, security, stability, counsel, and profound power to rise above whatever life throws our way.”

I loved reading that last portion that we” find peace, rest, security, stability, counsel, and profound power”!  We really can face any trial and difficulty because we have the Holy Spirit living in us, empowering us.  We can handle one more whining child, one more child’s screaming tantrum, one more load of laundry, one more phone call receiving devastating news about a family member…. whatever it is …. we cannot give up.  He is our strength and through Him we will not be defeated.

I want to leave you with one last quote from this weeks study.  I think it is beautiful and  something as women we can all cling to:

“Be a woman of holy determination, accountable for your sin, and pursue a holy life.  Perhaps nothing lights a fire in our souls for more of God like seeing a lifestyle of repentance, pruning, consecration, and choosing not to give up or give in.”  (Duty or Delight, pg 105)

Lord, let this fire be ignited in me.  Let me be a woman of holy determination, one who is accountable for my sin, one who pursues a holy life.  Let my daughter see these things in me and in return choose to live a life of holiness as well. ~Amen

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