Where Is Your Focus?

Too often we lose sight of the fact that it is not our abilities that give us the ability to prosper and succeed -- but it is God who blesses, God who empowers.  In Genesis Chapter 1, we see where God created the heavens and the earth.  But notice verse 2, "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of he waters. "

Notice what it says:  The Spirit of God moves in darkness.  The Spirit of God moves in empty wastelands.  The Spirit of God moves when there is a void.  Do you have an area in your life right now that is void, without form and dark?  Is there an area that is not in alignment or matching up with what God has said in His Word?

So if we are speaking -- expecting to see results -- without moving, then we cannot expect to see the fulfillment of promises.  Simply put:  You cannot claim the promise of God while violating the principle of God.

A great example is the life of Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1).  Hannah was the wife of Elkanah, and to her shame and bitter disappointment, she had not been able to conceive.  She deeply desired a child, and her own limitations became her focus.  Elkanah's other wife, who was seeing God's promise fulfilled with the gift of many children, frequently provoked and tormented Hannah, bringing her to tears.  Perhaps it was even unintentional, but often someone's "success" pours salt on the wound of  our "failures."

So one day Hannah "stood up" (v.9), and went to the Temple to pray.  There she poured out all the bitterness and hurt to the Lord through silent, tear-filled sobs.  I believe it was during that pouring out of her heart that revelation hit her spirit.  She vowed, "If you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then i will give him to the Lord..." (v.11)  The revelation that hit her spirit took her eyes off herself, and shifted her focus to the Lord.  So she gets up, wipes away her tears, straightens her clothes and heads home to her husband.  notice that her situation had not changed, but revelation had motivated her spirit.

Instead of giving up, she went home to Elkanah, and the Bible says, "in the course of time she conceived and gave birth to a son" (v. 20).  Hannah put God first!

First Fruits by Paula White

Train Young Women - Young Women Listen

 

Older Women Train Young Women.....

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:3-5 ESV

Young Women Listen.....
1)   love your husbands and children
2)   be self-controlled
3)   be pure
4)   be working at home
5)   be kind
6)   be submissive to their own husbands

John 14:15

"If you love me, keep my commandments."

Are you legalistic or are you spiritually disciplined?  What exactly is legalism? A lot of people in this day and age seem to think that legalism is doing just about anything!  “You are being legalistic because you told me I have to do something that I don’t want to do!”

Legalism is a list of rules that you feel will make God happy with you. If you have a set list of do’s and don’ts that make you feel ‘more spiritual’ then anyone else and the heart attitude does not have to change then you are legalistic. Legalism is self-centred and desires to do things to gain merit with God. Legalism is a heart issue.

Spiritual discipline is also a heart issue but the motivation is that you love God and you are willing to please Him no matter what it takes or what others say about you! Spiritual discipline is a relationship with God and not a list of do’s and don’ts.

Legalism will have the same attitude of desire toward sin. The inner heart will still be in rebellion towards God although the outer life LOOKS like they are serving God. The difference will be when someone, who has true spiritual discipline, will humbly accept rebuke and exhortation. They will desire to change and hate even the smallest sin within their life. The legalistic person will show anger towards those who try to rebuke and exhort them because they feel there is nothing wrong in their life! These are the differences between a legalistic person and someone with spiritual discipline.

There should be an understanding that these things listed for young women to do are NOT legalistic if they are done properly. If you do these things because you love God and want to please Him (If you love Me, keep My commandments) then you are using spiritual discipline and this is pleasing to God.

Titus 2:3-5 ESV Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, (4) and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, (5) to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. - See more at: http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-verses-about-parents-children-mothers-fathers/#sthash.eE5egAos.dpuf