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THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN
A RECIPE
STEP #7
WELCOME BACK
|
Today's
Virtuous
Vitamin
is
~RESPONSIBILITY~
reliability |
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|
Proverbs
31 ...
Verse 15
She riseth
also while
it is yet
night, and
giveth meat
to her
household,
and a
portion to
her maidens.
|
Ready to discover more
TRUTH? Great!
Is caring for your loved
ones a high priority in
your mind? Are you
generous and
appreciative to those
who help you as well?
Are you prepared each
day for what the world
has in store to try and
rob your virtue ... And
do you make sure your
family is prepared as
well?
|
John 21:15
So when they
had dined,
Jesus saith
to Simon
Peter,
Simon, son
of Jonas,
lovest thou
me more than
these?
He saith
unto him,
Yea, Lord;
thou knowest
that I love
thee. He
saith unto
him,
Feed my
lambs. |
Your loved ones are
Jesus' lambs, and He has
entrusted you to care
for them. Of course,
when Jesus was talking
to Peter in the
scripture above, He was
referring to spreading
the Gospel to people all
over the Earth, and it
is our responsibility as
Christians to feed the
lambs as well, but as a
Christian woman, a wife,
a mother, we also have
domestic
responsibilities. Most
people don't like
responsibilities that
are servile, but I say
again, in serving the
Lord's lambs, aren't you
really serving Him?
Here's a curious thing
to think about. When
you're a guest at
someone else's house for
dinner, you absolutely
love to do the dishes
with them, and probably
insist on them allowing
you to help, right? Yet
at your own home, for
your own family, it
seems like such a bother
... Why is that? It's an
attitude. Change your
attitude, and the whole
process changes. Kick on
some God music when it's
time to do the dishes
and sing your pea
pickin' little heart out
to Him, while you serve
the loved ones that He
blessed you with.
Another weird thing ...
Remember back to when
you were a little girl,
and I'll be willing to
bet that you couldn't
WAIT to be big enough to
do the dishes (among
other "grown up"
chores), and even stood
on a little step stool
many times with bubbles
a plenty in the sink and
just as proud as a
peacock to be such a
good little helper! Just
gotta get her back!
Okay, now we've talked a
bit about the first few
words of the verse, "She
riseth also while it is
yet night", which we can
correlate to going the
extra mile in serving
your loved ones. Now the
next part,
... and
giveth
meat to her household,
and a portion to her
maidens ...
Let's talk about
giving for a
little while, shall we?
Not just giving to
others, but giving to
yourself. Not things ...
but Hope ... Opportunity
... Credit ... Patience.
I have an excerpt from a
poem that I'd like to
share with you, and I'd
like for you to imagine
your soul-mate ... Or
Jesus ... reading this
poem to you. So open
your mind and heart and
read this lovely poem
very slowly, so that you
have time to reflect on
your own character.
|
The
Invitation
by
Oriah
Mountain
Dreamer
It doesn't
interest me
what you do
for a
living.
I want to
know what
you ache
for,
and if you
dare to
dream of
meeting your
heart's
longing.
It doesn't
interest me
how old you
are.
I want to
know if you
will risk
looking like
a fool for
love,
for your
dreams, for
the
adventure of
being alive.
It doesn't
interest me
what planets
are squaring
your moon.
I want to
know if you
have touched
the center
of your own
sorrow,
if you have
been opened
by life's
betrayals
or have
become
shrivelled
and closed
from fear of
further
pain!
I want to
know if you
can sit with
pain,
mine or your
own,
without
moving to
hide it or
fade it, or
fix it.
I want to
know if you
can be with
joy,
mine or your
own,
if you can
dance with
wildness
and let the
ecstasy fill
you to the
tips of your
fingers and
toes
without
cautioning
us to be
careful,
to be
realistic,
to remember
the
limitations
of being
human.
It doesn't
interest me
if the story
you are
telling me
is true.
I want to
know if you
can
disappoint
another to
be true to
yourself;
if you can
bear the
accusation
of betrayal
and not
betray your
own soul.
I want to
know if you
can see
beauty even
when it's
not pretty,
every day,
and if you
can source
your own
life from
its
presence.
I want to
know if you
can live
with
failure,
yours and
mine,
and still
stand on the
edge of the
lake and
shout to the
silver of
the full
moon,
"Yes!"
It doesn't
interest me
to know
where you
live or how
much money
you have.
I want to
know if you
can get up,
after a
night of
grief and
despair,
weary and
bruised to
the bone,
and do what
needs to be
done to feed
the
children.
It doesn't
interest me
who you know
or how you
came to be
here.
I want to
know if you
will stand
in the
center of
the fire
with me
and not
shrink back.
It doesn't
interest me
where or
what or with
whom you
have
studied.
I want to
know what
sustains
you,
from the
inside,
when all
else falls
away.
I want to
know if you
can be alone
with
yourself
and if you
truly like
the company
you keep in
the empty
moments.
|
What a thought provoker,
huh? Can you give ... Of
yourself? Can you give
... To yourself? Can you
share ... Your strength,
your weakness, your
dreams, your hopes, your
honesty, your joy ...
Your life!? It's all
about giving. It's all
about sacrifice. Jesus
gave His life as a
sacrifice, and we do
give up our old
life, when we are
reborn. We also
give in the
sharing of our new
life, as service, to
Him, and for Him, and
for His sheep.
Perhaps the soul that
wrote these words was
"inviting" other souls
to take on the
responsibility of TRUTH
in their lives. Maybe
it's an invitation
for us to do an
inventory of our own
morals and principles
and beliefs and perhaps
it's a challenge to be
real and
true and
sincere
with our God, with our
loved ones, and with our
own selves.
It's a great thing to
reflect on.
Now, can you imagine,
that if you can answer
"YES" to all the
things proposed in this
poem, what a fantastic
example you would be to
everyone that knows you?
Especially your children
... Especially the
Lord's children! Now
that, my friend, is
giving!
WHO REALLY WINS?
Let's go one step
further, while we're on
the topic of giving. Can
you give too much?
There's a saying that
people have been using
in this generation that
pretty much hits the
nail on the head when it
comes to describing how
people have things all
mixed up. It goes
something like this: At
the end of the game (of
life, one can assume),
the one with the most
toys wins. Remember, we
learned in an earlier
Step already that in the
Lord's eyes, less is
more.
If you're a parent, your
hopes are that your
children are better than
you. It's just a natural
thing. But it's easy to
let the world trick you
into thinking that the
more material things you
give them, the better
they will be. Oh, not
so. The more
righteousness you teach
them ... The more
responsibility you teach
them ... The more love
you give them (including
tough love when needed)
... The more good they
learn from you ... The
better they'll be.
ALL JOKING ASIDE
|
Matthew
23:24
Ye blind
guides,
which strain
at a gnat,
and swallow
a camel. |
In this scripture, Jesus
was telling the
Pharisees how
hypocritical they were.
Does it apply to our
lives today? Let's see.
So, here you are, being
a virtuous woman, and
you discover there is a
lot of responsibility
and giving that goes
along with it (but it's
really small as a gnat).
Dear ladies, don't let
the responsibility of
being virtuous scare
you. All the evils of
the world (like a camel
in comparison to the
gnat) don't scare many
women, but a little
responsibility will
bring a woman to tears,
if she doesn't welcome
it with the right
attitude.
You've heard people
describe many of their
tasks as a wife or
mother as "a dirty job,
but someone has to do
it." Just remember the
girl (you) who at one
point in time would have
given her left arm just
to BE with her soul-mate
... Just to hear him
breathe on the
telephone, let alone the
honor of taking tender
loving care of him and
his children. Don't lose
that love because you
fear responsibility.
A virtuous mother and
wife does not feel taken
advantage of, or taken
for granted for
earnestly serving her
family. This is a very
important thing because
if you have the notion
that every job in a
family should be shared,
or that responsibilities
can be equaled out so
that the same effort is
spent by each person,
you will be very sadly
mistaken. Everyone has
their own
responsibilities. A
child has a child's
responsibilities, an
husband and dad has a
man's responsibilities,
and a wife and mother
has a woman's
responsibilities.
This is something that
many women forget
easily. If you have the
feeling that you're
overworked, unfairly
treated, caged, being
suppressed,
unappreciated, etc.,
etc., it's just the
enemy blowing you kisses
of deceit ... Whispering
sweet nothings
in your ear, if you
will, and then laughing
at you behind your back.
But your own attitude,
or belief in the lies is
the only thing that can
make these things true.
|
Proverbs
14:1
Every wise
woman
buildeth her
house: but
the foolish
plucketh it
down with
her hands.
|
When you forget that
your existence is to
glorify Jesus, you stop
living for Him and your
purpose in life becomes
selfish at that point.
One of the best ways to
glorify Jesus is to
serve others.
|
John
13:14-15
If I then,
your Lord
and Master,
have washed
your feet;
ye also
ought to
wash one
another's
feet. For I
have given
you an
example,
that ye
should do as
I have done
to you. |
Another thing to
remember is the Love we
talked about in Step 6.
If you Love someone, you
feel privileged and
eager to do things for
them. Keep the Love
alive!
THE MORE YOU DO,
THE MORE YOU CAN DO
Have you ever known a
woman who is incredibly
organized, and no matter
how much chaos seems to
be going on around her,
things seem to stay on
schedule in her home?
You can be that way too,
but only if you're
determined to do so.
Efficiency, persistency,
responsibility,
organization ... These
things all work
together. Probably the
best way to put them
into practice is to get
rid of one thing that
defeats them all, and
that thing is
procrastination. Oh yes,
and a bad attitude is
another defeater of your
purpose. You know what
needs to be done, and
you know that when you
put things off, it not
only affects you, but
everyone and everything
else that you're
responsible for.
If you put one thing
off, you must take time
from another
responsibility to take
care of it later. Then
the time you robbed from
the other responsibility
will have to be replaced
by neglecting a third,
and the problem just
keeps on growing.
|
1
Corinthians
14:33, 40
For God is
not the
author of
confusion,
but of
peace, as in
all churches
of the
Saints ...
Let all
things be
done
decently and
in order. |
If you're frequently
bothered by feeling
unappreciated, you're
seeking for glory in the
wrong place. Again, your
attitude and your point
of view are so
important. Let your
satisfaction come from
knowing that God
appreciates all your
efforts in taking care
of your responsibilities
... His children.
Remember who's feet
you're washing, and that
alone will be so
rewarding that you won't
care who else notices.
|
John
13:12-15
So after He
had washed
their feet,
and had
taken His
garments,
and was set
down again,
He said unto
them,
Know ye what
I have done
to you? Ye
call me
Master and
Lord: and ye
say well;
for so I am.
If I then,
your Lord
and Master,
have washed
your feet;
ye also
ought to
wash one
another's
feet. For I
have given
you an
example,
that ye
should do as
I have done
to you. |
One thing that you truly
don't want to
procrastinate about is
being virtuous. Get an
early start. Your family
is watching you. Your
friends are watching
you. Everyone you come
in contact with partakes
of the virtues you
display before them.
Think about how grateful
you are when someone
goes out of their way to
do something for you,
then you know how Jesus
feels when you do
something for one of His
flock. His message
wasn't meant only for
Simon Peter. Feed His
lambs.
And as always, reflect
on God's Grace, every
day of your life.
|
STEP #7
Meditate on:
RESPONSIBILITY
Related
Study:
Music
Selection:
Don't forget
to write in
your
Personal
Journal!
Go back over
each Step
often to be
sure you
have not
missed
anything.
|
If you have any
questions about the
program, contact one of
the FEMALE CHRISTIAN
TEAM LEADERS in the
Christianity Oasis Chat
Room.
Or you can contact us
at:
VirtuousWoman@ChristianityOasis.com
To
continue our program,
select:
STEP #8
I’ll meet you there!
Take care and have a
SON-sational day.
|
If you have any
questions about the program, contact one of the FEMALE CHRISTIAN TEAM
LEADERS in the Christianity Oasis Chat Room.
Or you can contact us at:
VirtuousWoman@ChristianityOasis.com
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