There is a big difference between reading God’s word and studying God’s word. I am so thankful to be part of the ladies Bible study at Life Bible Church. Often times formal Bible studies turn into nothing more than a social hour followed by a gossip session known as prayer request time. This is absolutely not the case with the ladies at Life Bible Church, and it is truly refreshing.
We have been digging into the book of Philippians. All of the ladies involved in the study are truly there to learn and grow. It is great to see that everyone is not just reading the text but researching the time period, researching the origin of Greek words, and reading what commentaries have to say about the passages. I love seeing the pages of notes and questions written in the individual study notebooks. The ladies all come prepared to learn, share, and grow. It has really been a great experience.
Lessons from Philippians Ch.1
I have read Philippians multiple times, but never really studied the book. Chapter 1 was a great reminder to me about the work I still need to do in my life to become more Christ like. Studying this chapter has reminded me that I can not always control the situations that come up in my life but I can control my reactions to situations. It is so hard for me to react in a positive way to many events. It is hard for me to reflect that Christ is the center of my life when it seems like my world is falling apart. Many times when adverse situations assault me I grumble, complain and act like a small child with no discipline. I really need to focus on remembering that everything that happens in my life is meant to happen. I need to give up control and let God be in control, it is so easy to say but so hard to do.
Another thing I am reminded of is that I need to rejoice all of the time, not just in the good times. Look at Paul, he is in prison yet still rejoicing. I fail miserably at rejoicing during the hard times in my life. At times I could be the poster child for the “woe is me club.” If we look closely enough we can find something to rejoice about even in the midst of our most trying times.
I am not perfect and never will be but I can work at letting God be in control and rejoicing even when I feel like all hope is lost. With God there is always hope. I think we all need to strive to be more like Paul and not be situational Christians.