As I was talking with a friend of mine recently, we saw the need of encouraging Christian women, to start reading “big books”… Why, what do I mean by this?
Plainly said, we are too emotional most of the time, and we live in a world that loves to do that; it is always trying to deceive us by our emotions.
I am not against emotions at all, I just know from the Bible, that we must bridle them, or they will “drive us crazy”, in a never ending roller coaster of ups and downs that will lead us no where but to our own self-pity, or our own self- exultation.
Even in our prayer time, emotions without bridle, can lead us to pray wrongly, to ask for the wrong things, and with false motives. Do we pray according to what the whole Bible teaches? or according to our emotions, picking one verse here and another one there?
We need to bridle our emotions, but how?
1. Through the Power of the Holy Spirit.
2. Studying the Bible, and I mean, studying it, not only reading it.
We need to start reading not only books about “How to Homeschool Efficiently” or “God and Managing our Time” or so on… (and I love those, I also read them) we need to start reading and studying doctrine.
Doctrine is the body of beliefs and teachings that make up our Christian Faith.
If you have been here, in this corner of “who knows where”, you probably have figured out that I am a Reformed Calvinist. I have learned to love doctrine. The teachings of our Forefathers. It was not easy, I had to make an extra, a conscious effort.
I have now learned to buy “big books”, and read them, sitting on a table, with an open Bible and a notebook. It’s a learning time. It’s a time to learn what do I believe and why do I believe so and so doctrine-
It has been rewarding.
When I pray, when I talk to friends, I can bridle my emotions. I can ask the Holy Spirit to bring to my mind and mouth the right words, the correct doctrine…
What do you say to your friend going through a financial problem? “God will make it alright, He wants you to be rich?” (Believe me, I have heard that more than once!) Well, doctrine, the Bible as a whole teaches differently.
So, in our prayers, in our conversations, in our meditations, in our going into the world, we need doctrine.
Let’s start reading “big books”.
Monergism, my favorite online Christian bookstore, offers a Reader’s Guide to help you choose “big books” from Introductory Reading to Advanced Reading.
I have also found that an easy way to choose what to read is by asking myself some little questions…foe example, Is Jesus God? Can I prove it with the Scripture? ….of course I couldn’t, so I found a book, I read it, studied it and my soul was richly blessed.
I have also bought some commentaries and I have read them along with my devotions every night. Oh, what a blessing! Esther and Ruth, came alive; Summer was a refreshing time to study the Psalms,I grew more and the Lord opened my eyes to see more of Him. Studying in-depth the Five Points of Calvinism, was a treasure.
Monergism’s homepage is also full free resources, archives,and free mp3 dowlnoads to study. Jump in the pool…be refreshed!
May the Holy Spirit give us a deep desire to study, to read, to ponder, to eat, to grow.
Only He can do that.
“To suppose that whatever God requireth of us that we have power of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of Jesus Christ of none effect.”
John Owen
P.S. The picture on top seems to have nothing to do with the theme, however, I was eating in that place with the friend I mentioned at the beginning of my post.
