Oh my, this one was a doosy (sp?)! It was entitled "Christ: The Wife's Heart." I'll just say that even though I felt I was making progress I feel like I took 2 steps back after reading this chapter! Here are the highlights (if you call them that since they make me feel pretty low):
*A desire I have is only as good as my willingness to wait on God's timing. I must continue to serve God whether I get my desire or not. If I am not content to wait on God, and if I am miserable and sin as a result, then my heart's desire is not set on the glory of God.....instead it has become an idol.
*Idols/lusts are rampant! We all set our hearts on attaining things that God does not want us to have right now! This is true for me!
*An idol can be anything. It may even be a good thing. But if we want it so badly that we sin if we don't get it or sin to attain it, then we are worshipping an idol rather than Christ. Wow!
*Ready for this one....We worship what we serve, speak about, sacrifice for, seek after, spend time and money on, and trust in. In other words, who or what you worship is "what's on your mind," "what you long for--wish for," "what is really important to you," and "what you have set your heart on."
*My thoughts, motives, and choices should be set on glorifying Him, not on my idolatrous heart's desire.
*Whenever a wife sets her heart on her husband behaving a certain way, she will likely end up disappointed, frustrated, and hurt.
Sidenote: Psalm 119 is an amazing psalm to read/pray through to refocus your heart's desire!
*These are the desires I want to cultivate:
That I may know God's word and obey it.
That I may delight in Him.
That I may seek Him with all my heart.
That I may be pleasing to Him regardless of my circumstances.
That I may cultivate an attitude of joy and gratitude in what God is doing in my life no matter what my husband does or does not do.
That I may have joy in God deciding how my life and circumstances can glorify Him the most, that He can use me for his glory.
I was blown away by this chapter....and to think there's only 14 more chapters to "beat me up." I'm not hating it though, on the contrary, it's been freeing to see my sin more clearly, a lot of it ignorance, and to desire to change it! Praise the Lord for opening my eyes and helping me change!
