BBC goings-on

Just thought I would update the rest of the world on last nights meeting. Our numbers were few but it was a really good night and discussion was focused :) We had started a chapter on being moulded by Discipline. Last month the girls had studied the necessity of discipline so we looked at different areas of discipline last night. Our mind, will, emotions, bodies. We ran out of time so will look at 'time' at our next meeting.

Our mind: Rom 12v2 tells us to let God transfom you into a new person by changing the way you think. We are also to trust in Him (Isaiah 26v3), bring thoughts into captivity and under the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10v5) and set our minds on things above (Col 3v2). The mind is emphasised as it controls our everything. Rom 8v6-8 makes it abundantly clear that the way you think is intimately related to how you live, whether in Christ, the spirit and by faith, or alternatively in the flesh, sin and spiritual death. A sinful mind leads to separation from God and we cannot please Him.

Our will: Our will is something within us behind our emotions and desires, that after all decides and controls us. Our response to God should never be contingent upon how we feel. In Psalm 101v1-4 the psalmist pushed evil things away, and Psalm 119v107,173 the psalmist kept his feet from evil, God's hand helps us.

Our emotions: one of the best ways of handling our emotions is to fully acknowledge our feelings to God. Psalm 109 (read it, its nuts) shows David being really angry, hurt and rejected. But he expressed his emotions to God absolutely honestly, did not dress them up in any way. v30-31 shows how he ends up praising God, as God saves you from those who condemn you. Similarly in Lamentations 3v1-26 Jeremiah felt pretty wick but then in v21 his thinking is transformed...God's compassions fail not. they are new every morning. great is thy faithfulness. we all know the verse/song. but we were freshly amazed at how God's mercies/love is NEW EVERY MORNING. Like NEW. EVERY MORNING. Anyway maybe you had to be there but I hope these words touch your heart anew as you read this. God loves you, every day.

Here is a quote from Hannah Whitall Smith (iv never heard of her before this) but i think she puts it well ...
cease to consider your emotions, for they are only the servants; and regard simply your will, which is the real king in your being. Is that given up to God? Does your will decide to believe? Does your will choose to obey?

Our bodies: Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor6v19) We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom12v1) and beat them into submission (1Cor9v24-27). We kind of wondered how are we practically to do beat ourselves into submission...comments please! It is important to honour and discipline our bodies because we our body is a temple and we are not our own. Proverbs 31 woman is our example (v17) she girds herself with strength (spiritual, mental and physical fitness for her God-given task) and makes her arms strong and firm.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the BBC. Join us with help of our master as we strive to become more disciplined in becoming His women of excellence.