At the Well

Persistence

The discussion questions are:

Think about your daily life as a wife, mother and child of God.
What are some ways that you have persisted when you have been knocked down?
How have these circumstances brought glory to the Father?

This was such a great topic today at the Well....

I began pondering the idea of our daily trials and circumstances of life, the times "we have been knocked down." Like so many of you, I, too have experienced the HUGE trials that have brought me closer to God... a broken childhood and abuse, many addictions and strongholds, two miscarriages, a move away from family and friends...

But, what I thought about today was the "little things" that we experience daily...the day in and day out circumstances we face on a day to day basis...how these mundane, "trivial" things can build up and knock us down...IF we allow them.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

I won't be MATURE or COMPLETE....unless I face trails....unless my faith is tested.

But, what we forget is that we face trials everyday..

the milk spills

there aren't any matching socks

the dog makes a mess

the car breaks down

the bill comes due

my kids argue

Tragedies often bring us to our knees, but do we seek God in "the dailies?" When I face the "daily grind," do I persist in the Lord, or do I try to do things in "Tracy strength?" When I hear of a friend battling cancer, I hit my knees. When my mom is waiting for the results of her test, I hit my knees. When a friend's husband loses his job, I hit my knees.

But, what about when my child has the sniffles?

What about when my day is full of activity and I don't know what to do first?

What about when I have to help my kids with homework and make dinner at the same time?

What about when I have to chauffeur my children to activities?

Do I hit my knees when these "little" things that come up every moment of every day?

It is our relationship with Jesus that will sustain us when "living in the dailies" tries to knock us down. This brings glory to God....abiding in His peace....trusting Him through daily life.

I was thinking about the Parable of the Sower this morning. (Matthew 13)

A farmer went out to sow his seed. He scattered the seed and some fell along the path and the birds of the air came along and ate it. Some fell on rocky places where it didn't have much soil. It sprang up quickly but when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

Jesus explained the Parable.

When anyone hears the message about the kingdom of God and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the Word at once and receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, he falls away quickly.

We will face trials everyday...some that devastate us...others that we ignore because we think we "can handle it" on our own. We must be rooted in Jesus, in our relationship with Him.

That is the only way we persevere.

Please take a few minutes to visit the Well if you haven't! There are many women gathering today sharing about being persistent for His glory!