It's the Real Thing

The following is a portion from the book: No More Christian nice Girl by Paul Coughlin and Jennifer Degler from Bethany House Publishers


Are you getting hungry to know more about authentic goodness? Here's an inspiring definition from Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:
Goodness in man is not a mere passive qulity, but the deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and persistent resistance of all moral evil, and the choosing and following of all moral good."

Tweak that definition for modern-day women: Goodness is active. Goodness deliberately chooses to do the right thing and firmly resists what is wrong. Merely avoiding bad things doesn't make women good.
If you want to choose to do the right thing, you have to first know what is right, and that invloves getting the mind of Christ- understanding and valuing things the way God does, having His eyes and ears and heart. Having His mind will enable you to clearly distinguish right from wrong, but be forwarned: You will pay a price. When you start thinking like Christ, you are guaranteed to sometimes make choices that offend and anger other people. the Gospels prove this fact. Jesus chose to value and welcome the unwashed masses: prostitutes, tax collectors, partiers, the woman with a perpetual menstrual flow who was deemed "unclean". Jesus chose to honor the impoverished widow's minuscule two-mite offering over the far larger (but less costly) offerings of the wealthy. These choices confused, offended, and infuriated the Pharisees and religious leaders.

For God so loved the World....this is my world He has called me to love....

In my devotional time I get a little overwhelmed with the bigness of God and His worldview. I sometimes beging to think that I am not doing my part to reach the world for Christ. I am not lining up plane tickets to visit Uganda, or championing a city wide crusade to reach the lost...all very commendable and very enticing! But then, in reality, my prayertime comes to an end I hear the stirring of Lori (our special needs friend whom we have inherited of the Lord) and I know that her shower time is about to take place and I need to stay ahead of the game or we will have behavioral issues with which to deal. She is clinically diagnosed schizophrenic with terets,and mild retardation.
Then Heather, my youngest,homeschooled is a Senior in High school this year starts her routine and gets her day underway. Breakfast is made and lunch is packed and the day has begun...my world is pretty muched mapped out for me. Somehow I find fulfillment and contentment in carrying out these tasks because they bring my life purpose and meaning.
I have laundery to do, supper to plan, guitar lessons to attend. Dental appointments to sit through (with Lori). Youth activities to plan, and friends to invite over after church.
None of which would be possible without the Leadership of the Holy Spirit and my Husband.
some days are more challenging than others, and schedules can and do get complicated, but all-in-all, this is the World the Lord has called me to love in His power and wisdom!