Moving Forward by Looking Back, continued

From my last post you know that quietness is a high value for me in my relationship to God.  But there’s more.

As I sit and ponder what it is that God has for me in the new year, I realized that the best way for me to discern that was to look at what God had already said.  The best way to move forward was by looking back. 

So I asked myself two questions …

1. What are the scriptures that God has used significantly in my life?
2. What are the desires that God has put on my heart?

Three scriptures have been highly motivational to me the last several years.

Parts of I Thessalonians 1 in the Message translation says,  “God not only loves you very much … something happened IN you, your life is echoing the Master’s words”.  BTW, this is the scripture that the name of my blog came from.

And I love II Corinthians 2:14, “Thanks be to God … who always leads us …through us spreads the fragrance (some translations say, aroma) of the knowledge of Him everywhere.”

II Corinthians 3:18 says, And we with unveiled face, reflect the glory of God and are being transformed!  Sue paraphrase.

I sum these three scriptures up with the thought that I need to live out who God created me to be.  It is who I am, not what I do that is spreading the aroma of Christ to my friends. 

Then I look at the desires God has given me.  Then I sit and listen for an answer to this prayer, “God what will it look like this year to live out who You have created me to be?”

One of my desires is to grow in being a helper to my husband Bill.  Bill’s job often requires that he travel.  To come home is to return to a place of nourishment and refreshment for him.  I desire that our home is a haven for him, for us.  I live out who God created me to be as his wife, by doing things with our home that communicate haven.  The atmosphere in our home is important. Immediate application ~ re-organize my desk in the kitchen!

Another desire is to continue to grow myself in listening to God. One way I’m doing that is by starting my times with God each morning with what I call, “sit and stare”.  For me that means enjoying God’s creation and quieting my heart before Him so I can listen well.  It often means reviewing what God has said in the past.  Philippians 3:1 encourages me in this arena. 

And related to that, another desire is to help other women grow in listening to God. So I will continue to blog.  I will continue to lead Bible study.  I will continue to make friends as I enjoy my knitting group.   I will continue to pray that God will show me what this looks like.

“So faith comes from hearing …” Romans 10:17