This little excerpt from Susan Hunt’s, Spiritual Mothering, gets to the heart of the greatest impediment to serving God: self. If most of us are honest, we would admit that we are waiting for something. For example, a single woman waits for “Mr. Right”, a married woman waits for a tension free marriage, a mother waits for her prodigal to come home, a physically afflicted woman waits to be healed. Waiting on God, in and of itself, is a biblical thing but that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about glorifying God in the very midst of our less than ideal circumstances. True Kingdom mindedness does what the apostle Paul did — glorified God in all things. A woman’s premiere purpose in life is not convenience, ease, or even happiness; it is God’s glory.
“Many women today are overwhelmed with the complexity of life. They are floundering because they have no focal point. When their expectations are not realized their emotional equilibrium erupts. When career, marriage, or children do not give them the security or significance they anticipated, their confidence evaporates. They are influenced by the unrealistic images of life and womanhood portrayed in the media. Their purpose in life is shaped by their desire to attain the personal happiness they are told they deserve. So they are not only disappointed by unrealized expectations, they are defeated. Christian women are not immune to this. A four-letter word causes us enormous problems: self. Our self inclination will send us reeling unless we have settled that core issue: what is our life purpose? Once God’s glory is our purpose, then we have a center point to which we can relate each decision and each situation.”
Susan Hunt, Spiritual Mothering: The Titus 2 Model for Women Mentoring Women, 1992, Wheaton:Crossway, page 32.
This is the first time I have heard of this book…this is definitely one I am going to look into getting to read soon! Thanks so much for sharing it!
I’ve always liked this book.
“Once God’s glory is our purpose, then we have a center point to which we can relate each decision and each situation.”
This is the crux. By dying to all else, living for the glory of God will constrain us, compel us, and define us.
Thank you, Christina!
-E
This is something I struggle with, as I’m sure many do. I also think being a christian woman and feeling this way always made me feel extra empty… like I was REALLY doing something wrong. And in a sense I think I was missing the mark and knowing who Christ is and coming to a saving knowledge of Him it is not surprising that I felt extra empty and depleted. I know what it is like to have fulfillment or at least a taste of it. Sometimes I think I need a proverbial kick in the ol’ butt to get my eyes off my SELF and onto the Lord.
Thanks for sharing this book, I think I’m going to purchase it.
Love you,
Meg
I’m on my last chapter of this book and have enjoyed it so much!
I had not heard of this book either. Thanks for sharing the quote, Christina.
Excellent exhortation, Christina, thank you so much for sharing this! I appreciate your “spiritual mothering” through your blog, may God continue to bless you and your posts ♥
How did you know that I needed to read/hear this? God is faithful and you are willing and wonderful to post this. love and blessings!
These are not easy truths for some women Christina but they are liberating. Thinking of 2 For. 4:17 – that eternal weight of glory will be shared with us! Have a blessed Lords day. This comment is a true labor of love as it comes from my new “smart” phone and has taken forever to type- LOL. We’re on the road again. Tomorrow we’ll be attending Wayne Grudems SS class. Love you!
Thanks to all for your comments on this post. The biblical mandate for the older to pass on to the younger has weighed heavy on my heart in recent months. There are so many voices and so many worldly messages out there screaming for women to obey. Heaven forbid that the daughters of the church be schooled by the world and not the church. May God give us all the grace to get beyond self and rightly take our place as mothers to the daughters of the church.
@ Diane — you did an outstanding job typing on your new “smart” phone! : ) I look forward to hearing your report back on the Grudem class!
Love and blessings to all on this beautiful Lord’s Day!
“We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done … so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.” (Ps 78:4,6-7)
Our women’s ministry used this book several years ago . The older women paired with the younger women, not necessarily by chronological age, but also by spiritual age. Each couple agreed to meet at least once a week and to speak on the phone at least once a week. Many lasting friendships were created. Both the older and the younger women reported that, through this mentoring program, they had both grown spiritually, and many of them continued their meeting together. I love you Christina!
“A woman’s premiere purpose in life is not convenience, ease, or even happiness; it is God’s glory.”
Christina,
Thank you for sharing this excerpt. I’ve been wanting to read this book for some time. Your quotes is confirmation that I need to do it sooner than later. Thank you for consistently speaking the truth in love. Much love to you!