We’re starting young adults’ Bible studies at our local church. I’m very excited. Last night was our first study, and we had 6 girls (and a few are coming next week who couldn’t make it this week) and the guys had 6 as well with more prospects for the weeks to come. It’s been a slow road of getting our young adults’ ministry off the ground, but God is good and faithful, and His timing is perfect. (Yes, I’m preaching to myself here, and God continues to teach me this throughout my life.)
During our meeting, we girls discussed what the world expected of us as women, how we viewed ourselves, and how we would describe ourselves and our current stage of life.
We had some magazines there, and we talked about how the world wanted us to be the girl on the cover of Glamour plus the girl in the articles of Good Housekeeping, and oh, yeah, you’d better be working out like the woman in Prevention. The world has so many expectations, as do we personally, but we look forward to studying Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur and what God calls us to as women of Christ.
When I was asked to describe myself, I said, I was one who juggled a whole lot of hats, a women with a variety of responsibilities, and a lot of pressure to be all those women we’re “supposed to be”. Thus, the corned beef hash cooking this morning in my lifting gloves. Yes, it happened.
The hardest part is not being the woman from Glamour (I say that tongue-in-cheek) or the fitness guru from Prevention and the Martha Stewart (in some ways 😉 ) of homemaking is the pressure to just add the Lord and my relationship with him like Adam would add whipped cream to an ice cream sundae—spray it on as fast as he can while trying to avoid the overflowing and melting masterpiece.
I don’t want Christ to be the topping to an overflowing life that’s slipping and sliding and falling apart. I want him to be the sure foundation of a solid life full of joy and trust in Him and allow the other pressures to fall as they may. With Him as my foundation, I’m sure not to fail.
So, yes, this morning I made corned beef hash in my workout clothes while wearing my lifting gloves in between sets. It made me laugh as I thought of our conversations last night and of the daily pressures I face.
Making My Boast 
This is an awesome topic! Lately I’ve been feeling a lot like I’m trying to be a woman’s magazine kinda girl – and I have to cover all the bases or I am a failure. I know I’m still a teenager, but I guess with the looming cloud of “the-rest-of-my-life” over me, I feel like I should be doing everything at once to prepare me for things like college, what I want to be when I grow up, how to be a wife and mother someday, and working on loving and taking care of myself as a creation of God, etc. I find that I get too overwhelmed and don’t do anything at all! (Although I have to admit – I totally studied History in sweaty yoga pants and a running tank today!)
Your Bible study sounds awesome! I love John MacArthur’s material – it’s so easy to understand for me, and really convicting. 😉
Hi, thanks for sharing.