The Godly Woman's Journey: Spiritual Vibrancy

Memory/Meditation Verse: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. ~ Proverbs 30:8 (NIV)

This "Proverbs 31 Journey" which modernized into the "Godly Woman's Journey" has taken me on a different path than I thought it would in the beginning of this year. I felt such a burden to better myself as a wife, mother and friend and knew I needed to be a whole lot more of the Proverbs 31 Woman. My focal verse was:

"...sent to strengthen [my husband and children], to encourage [them] in [their] faith, and to keep [them] from being shaken by the troubles [they] will go through. ~ 1 Thes 3:2&3 (personalized)

This study however has lead the calling of my heart into a different path of sorts. God layed this study on my heart because He needed me to make a change in my heart, one that I didn't realize that I needed at the time. As I studied this legend of a lady, determined to get to know her better, to become her, I quickly learned that in order to be the Proverbs 31 Woman to my family and others I first had to love and worship our God more fully, more intimately.

Worship God more. I thought I was doing a good job. I was cherishing the intimacy I had experienced but conviction fell on me that I wasn't doing enough. There was more, a deeper intimacy that I needed, that He wanted to share with me.

No matter how much time I spend doing, studying, praying, and attending church, there is more. I have became so incredibly convicted that maybe I have been living my religion more than worshiping Him. God is calling me to live in a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. The the rest would fall into place...so to speak (we know how interruptions from the enemy can even make that a challenge).

Living ones religion. For too many denominations, that's what it is about. Sad to say, one can have religion and not have a relationship, a true intimate relationship, with God. One can be spiritual in action and not spiritually and intimately connected to God. One can be active in the church but not active in their personal walk with God. I have seen it. I have come to realize that at times I have lived it.

Now don't get your defenses up. I think we are inclined to do that when it comes to this topic. Having lived every day of my life with a Christian foundation from my parents, I too like others lived the way of the church. Not saying that is bad-in fact, I am more blessed because of the foundational work that has been given to me. But, as I have grown spiritually, and failed spiritually, I am coming to learn this spiritualism is so much more...so much more.

Church is a fundamental component of a Christians life but not to be the only fundamental part. A church is built and governed by man with the underlying principles of scriptures, right? We hope so. However, as with any other structure managed by man, it can fall apart, it can hurt and even destroy lives. Too often it is the people within the church that most often turns those of the world away from coming to seek and know our God. It is a painful reality that needs a good hard reckoning with.

The church. Religion. A practicing of ones faith. Does it necessarily make one religious? Does it guarantee an intimate relationship with our Creator? Is it always a safe place to go?

This is what this years journey has lead me to and awaken my senses to. A religion does not make us spiritually strong. A religion is not what God is asking of us. A religion can leave us empty.

Shamefully and too often I have been busy about the doing for God that I have missed God himself. All the good work "in His name" has not necessarily filled my soul. And in that I have failed to be the salt and light of His amazing love in this world. I have missed the joy of spiritual vibrancy, the completeness in life that can only come from Him.

" The presence of God--not how well we can perform duties of religion--is what creates within us a spiritual vibrancy....vibrancy--life within our soul--is the effective work of Jesus." ~ Lisa Whittle, {W}hole

The Life within my soul. Not how well I did a job or the recognition I inwardly hoped for but emptiness made full with His presence. Life reflected from my my Soul, spiritual vibrancy, for reflecting His work in and through me. The amazing work of Him in my life cannot be ignore and I am so convicted in the urgency to share that healing, that gift with the empty souls of this world.

The Light I am to reflect. The radiance of His healing, grace, and love I have come to cherish and live by. We must be careful that we are not being an object that blocks His radiance, but instead, we become an object of faith that reflects and radiates Him.

If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—firm muscles, strong bones. You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again. ~ Isaiah 58: 10-12 (Message)

Suddenly this year I am feeling a calling, an urgency to reach out to those who desperately need Jesus...people who have known Him and fallen away, and people who have never experienced a vibrant relationship with Him.

Suddenly my heart aches, not to be active in a church ministry within four walls, but to be active in displaying His presence in my life so much so that those outside those church walls are compelled to seek Him.

My heart no longer desires restoration to the point of being worthy of serving again in ministry within those four walls, but instead I feel a desperation to tell others how my fall, my brokenness, my pit experiences have instead brought life and healing and intimacy with the only One who can restore. My empty places are full...full of Him. Re-dedication and re-dedication means nothing without a heart that is steadfast on Him, vibrant for Him.

"The presence of God in our life will produce a thriving spiritual existence that nothing else can generate--creating a genuine passion and concern for those things that once did not compel us." ~ Lisa Whittle, {W}hole

Commitment and dedication is a result of a heart that is focused on God. In a spiraling affect, our doing and our motivation is a reaction of that heart. When one can pray our memory verse above and live it out, they can better experience the spiritual vibrancy we were created for...kingdom work.

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. ~ Proverbs 30:8 (NIV)

In other words, don't allow anything in my life that will block me from you Lord. Not the wardrobe in our closet or the house we call home, not the dollar amount our bank account holds or the status we earn in our careers or ministries...what will truly matter is what we do for Jesus. What are we doing to support His kingdom? What are we doing to draw others to seek Him?

Does our spiritual vibrancy drawn the lost Christians and lost souls to you? Does your life story make them take notice of God? Are they curious to your fullness of joy?

"Where there is spiritual blandness, we are to provide savor. Where there is spiritual darkness, we are to provide illumination. We are to draw people to Jesus by our loud display of His abundant love. " ~ Lisa Whittle, {W}hole

Spiritual vibrancy begins with sacrifice. Sacrifices of anything that might get in the way of you and God. Are you brave enough to ask God to allow only those things in your life that are necessary? Can you mustard up the strength to ask God to limit anything that might distract you from Him and from displaying Him to others? Daily manna, daily bread...only what you need.

"...Focusing on anything other than God is to abandon Him." ~ Nancy Douglas, Draw Me Near: Pursuing an intimate relationship with God.

God has boldly asked me to step outside of religions four walls and to step into His presence within this world. Oh, I still attend a worship service and value it. But it is no longer a matter of what I gain from the service or how many ministries I can be involved in. Too often that was my main concern. Shifting gears, I am challenged in my intimacy with God. And in that, how can I serve others? How I can mirror His reflection and cause others to be drawn to Him because of what they see of Him in my life.

For my determined purpose is that I may know Him that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into His likeness even to His death, in the hope that if possible I may attain to the spiritual and moral resurrection that lifts me out from among the dead even while in the body.~Philippians 3:10-11, Amplified

Spiritual vibrancy. A reflection of Jesus in our life. We should not be attached to a denomination but rather attached to God. We were not created to be labeled by the our religion or our ministry, but we should be label by His grace and redemption as reflected by our my hearts actions. We are closer to being the Proverbs 31 Woman when we are His maidservant, craving more and more of Him, filled and overflowing. So much of Him that is spills over into another's life. Spiritual vibrancy.

My Holy and Sovereign God, you are my everything. Nothing else matters as much as you. Continue to fill me Lord. I am so thankful that you have filled my holes, my emptiness. You complete me. Keep away anything that will block me from your radiance. Continue to fill me so much that you spill over into the lives of those lost and without you. Grow this urgency I feel in my heart. Use me for your kingdom growth. I am so grateful for all that my life story represents and the healing that is too good not to share. Your presence in my life is my daily manna, my daily bread. I am clinging to you, my Shepherd.

For a beautiful song that reflects this message go here.

Living in His Embrace~ Pamela