This year, I am committed to deliberate growth. To unlock the joy of salvation and revel in its deepest blessings.
My heart’s desire as a woman is to grow in grace, wisdom and humility. To study, cultivate and pursue these qualities, yes, and consequently raise girls who grow into these virtues as they become women.
As I think about the “average” woman–in the media, in public, I notice these virtues missing. And why?
I sorely lack. I want to study and meditate on these attributes until they become familiar friends, the adornments that make beautiful in the eyes of the Lord. Will you join me?
As women of God, could we better spend our time than searching ‘like a treasure” for “the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit”?
Grace
By “grace” I mean two things: that air of femininity that has a subtle effect on her movement, her voice, her speech and demeanor. And secondly, exercising grace in the way I see others, at all times, no matter where a person is.
Wisdom
Because “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”, the pursuit of wisdom must begin with the fear of the Lord. Modern Christianity has all but ignored (rejected?) this clear counsel of Scripture, and His people have paid dearly for it. The fear of the Lord is good for us and essential to please Him.
“No one can know the true grace of God who has not first known the fear of God.” -A. W. Tozer
Humility
Reading Humility, by Andrew Murray, has been life-changing. He poignantly communicates that the great error of most Christians is failure to pursue humility first, before any other Christian virtues. It is the trait that embodied the whole life of our Lord, and it is the one that most contends with our prideful flesh. We would do well to be continually, proverbially prostrate, begging for our pride to be crushed, our selves to be emptied, so we can be filled only with Him.
“Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.” ― Andrew Murray
“Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.” ― Andrew Murray, Humility
“Lord, make us women of grace, wisdom and humility, noble among women, shining as lights in darkness, a beacon of hope to the hurting and lost.”
15 comments
I am looking forward to this series. I sorely need it!
Can I just mention something? A few years ago (not as many as it should be) I got the book Humility by Andrew Murray. I would carry it around in my bible case so everyone at church could see I was reading a book on humility and see how humble I was. 😀 Oh my, did I have a lot to learn! LOL!! (still do)
LOL!
I am very much in need of these things! I’m excited to join in on this with you…and I think I may need to read that book!
Beautifully written. Thank you for sharing. I SO desire to be filled with grace, wisdom and humility. I will be getting that book by Andrew Murray also!
Highly recommended, Rebecca!
I’ll definitely be joining in with you on studying these attributes, too, Kelly.
You put this post up at a perfect time (on a Saturday night). I read this last night, and it helped so much with the “Sunday morning crabbies” that we (my family, and me too, truthfully) are too often afflicted with. It seems satan works overtime on Sunday mornings.
I’m so thankful for what you brought up in the “Grace” section, especially about voice and speech. I too easily let myself get sucked into the negativity around me that I get angry and become the worst part of the problem! But by the grace of God, today was different. Tensions were rising again between two family members this morning, but God used what you had written last night to remind me that I don’t need to angrily intervene when the tension stresses *me* out. I can extend grace and watch how the Lord defuses the situation without my “help”, thank you very much! And defuse it He did…today has been one of the best Sundays we’ve had for a while, despite the time change and sleep deprivation 😉
Thank you for reminding me that we’re called to a higher standard. And I’m thanking God for how He’s using you, Kelly, to speak into my life through posts such as this. Please know what a blessing you are!
Looking forward to this Kelly.
Hope you all are well. My family prays for yours daily. Our 4yr old daughter has asked so many questions about your family’s situation, especially “Why did God make bad winds to break their house all up and make them ‘fraid?”. There have been many oppertunities for us to talk about how God’s ways are higher than ours and that His plans are perfect even when we don’t understand. God has used your family and even your tragedy to touch our lives.
So precious, Charity.
I love this post and this is definitely something I would like to aspire to. I see myself as lacking in all three of these areas!
Beautiful! These are wonderful traits to work on! I may also have to get the book you quoted!
I will join you! I’m sharing this on facebook…so. very. GOOD!
My prayers continue for you and yours!!
I see my lack of humillity specially when I testify to non believers and they reject the message.
I tend to take it as something personal and forget that they are really rejecting Jesus, not me.
Ahh that ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. The one that I, so naturally in the flesh, do not possess. It has been my prayer for the last several years that the LORD will develop it in me. Still much room for improvement, but I do see the Lord working in me.
I’ll be joining you for the journey!
So glad for the company on the journey 😉 Look for series posts, interspersed with other fun stuff. Looking forward to it!
I just started reading Humility by Andrew m. I am wrecked! I feel like I am being born again all over again! Another great book is called Gods Lavish Grace by Terry Virgo! It unpacks grace in a way that will change your life! It’s amazing and it actually is the key to all the things you listed! Check it out! You’ll see!