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Several weeks before the start of 2023, I felt this undeniable nudging of the Holy Spirit. I felt it before, but I always had an excuse not to listen. Take a break. Pull yourself away. I kept returning to that still, small voice telling me to “fast” social media. I put “fast” in quotes because I don’t want to compare this fast in any way with the fasting described in the Bible. Breaking from digital platforms is in no way an equal comparison. But after being on social media for about 16 years, it would be a sacrifice in some way to go cold turkey. I have taken breaks before, but this was different. This was a clear direction to break away from all my accounts for one year. So, on January 1, 2023, I quietly stepped away.

I felt this calling for a sense of revival in my spiritual life. Merriam-Webster defines revival as “a renewed attention to or interest in something.” I needed a renewal in my heart, so I committed to becoming more rooted in God’s Word. Rooted was my word for 2023, and Colossians 2:6-7 would be my guide: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in Thanksgiving.”

I started a chronological reading of the Bible without any distractions during my devotional time. More times than not, I would sit down with my Bible but first check my social apps. Before I knew it, an hour or more had gone by. My time with God in His Word was often neglected by being consumed with scrolling the views of the world. I needed to make a clean break from the digital world and soak in the pages of the Bible. I started from the beginning in the book of Genesis. If God’s story defines my worldview, I had to be obedient and revive it with a renewed interest.

It Starts with His Word

I can’t explain it but my soul needed this fast. As a freelance writer and editor, the Bible is often the focus or reference of my work. But God’s Word often felt dry and dull. It was the resource I pulled off the shelf instead of what should be the lifeblood of my work. I hardly recognized it, but that quiet Holy Spirit nudge to break away was just what I needed to acknowledge that the roots of my faith were rotting out from under me. God wanted me to be obedient to nurture those roots and build my relationship with Him—starting with His Word.

A healthy tree that rises from the ground with a firm trunk and multiple branches fanning its leaves across the sky must be equally supported by a strong root system.  The 19th-century minister Charles Haddon Spurgeon preached about taking proactive measures to nurture one’s spiritual life. “They tell me there is as much of a tree under as above ground,” Spurgeon said, “and certainly it is so with the believer; his visible life would soon wither if not for his secret life.” The secret life Spurgeon was referring to was not to hide it from the world but to keep my time with God sacred. As a believer that sacred time develops a firm foundation. It is a call of obedience to holiness and, hopefully, a heart revival.

In 2022, the American Bible Society released its State of the Bible report describing an “unprecedented drop in the percentage of Bible users in the United States.” More Americans are becoming disengaged with the Word of God, and according to the study, only ten percent of U.S. adults use the Bible daily. That was me—I was becoming more and more disengaged. Don’t misunderstand; I had my Bible open at church on Sunday and almost daily found a quick scripture reference to try and apply to my life. But it fell in line with more of my to-do list. Bible reading: check. A quick prayer: check. On with my day. God was saying, “No, I want more of you, Julie.” So I carved out my mornings—away from social media—and each day the Bible became more alive to me than ever before.

It’s Not About Me

My reading time slowly developed into a habit, but I also changed how I read the Bible. This time, I stopped looking for myself in Scripture. What? It sounds crazy, but I heard a podcaster say she really didn’t comprehend the Bible until she stopped looking for the answers to her life and just read it to understand the character of God. “Stop looking for yourself in Scripture. Look to understand God.” I knew this would be difficult, and I would have to rewire my brain in how I read the Bible. But the more I read from this perspective, the more God revealed His character to me.

The Bible is not a story about me. It’s about God. Previously, I would bring my thoughts, preconceptions, and feelings into Scripture and often found it difficult to understand many passages of the Bible. But when I solely concentrated on looking for God’s character through the chronological story, I found a God who is constantly yearning for a relationship with His creation—including me. When I stopped looking for answers in Scripture, I found them and Him. Oh, how I treasure His Word in my heart!

Applying the Bible to our lives is important, but not until we read—cover to cover—and unlock the mystery of God and His character. It feels as if I have spent a lifetime reading devotionals, attending women’s Bible studies and conferences, and getting bits and pieces of God’s Word. But this year, when I committed to reading the Bible daily, without commentary or a well-meaning application, I began to be genuinely rooted in God’s Word.

The best analogy of this is I remember visiting a store with handcrafted quilts. There was a quilt folded over a wooden rack. Each square of the quilt was beautifully embroidered with a unique image. There were animals, trees, flowers, and water scenes. Each block on the quilt revealed these amazing intricate designs. But when I lifted the quilt off the rack, it revealed all those images depicting one seamless landscape. That quilter intentionally crafted every square with a bigger picture in mind. That’s the Bible; every author, book, chapter, and verse was intentionally designed to reveal God’s story to humankind.

Stop looking for yourself in Scripture. Look to understand God. — Tara-Leigh Cobble

 

A Lifelong Journey

So, here I am, nearly twelve months into my chronological journey through the Bible. I have grown in biblical knowledge, yet I have so much more to learn. There were days when the Bible became alive to me with greater understanding. And there were days when confusion was the theme of my day’s reading. But Scripture reading is a lifelong journey. It’s the relationship tool to know God. Those pages are taking root, and it’s up to me to nurture that growth.

It is humbling to write this part because I must admit I let social media cut in on my sacred time. If I had not been on social media platforms, other things might have overshadowed my time with God instead. But I am grateful for that gentle tug to step away. Shutting down the distractions was God’s gentle reminder to commit to His voice. I had to ask myself: Do I put Him in a place of prominence in my life? Do I idolize and strive for other things more than Him? It was only through quieting the voices around me that I heard His voice calling me to a deeper relationship with Him. God was reawakening in me a habit of daily aligning with Him. The same habit He taught to the Israelites—the practice where our identity is found in Him and Him alone.

With all this rooting and renewing, I think I have a treasure trove of things to share and blog about. I have asked God whether He is rooting me in His Word for a specific purpose. I haven’t received an answer. But for now, my Bible reading continues. I decided to concentrate on the Old Testament in 2023. So now I’ll venture into the New Testament in 2024, where the plot thickens and God’s redemption story is revealed. I am grateful that God was mindful of me in 2023. The time I have spent in His Word has been invaluable. Over the years, I let the habit of neglect uproot far too much. I never want to take His Word for granted again.

(Adapted from a previous article in Faith Family Freedom magazine)

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Have you ever just yearned for a sense of balance in your life?

That’s me. Right now!

It seems we are living in a world of extremes. Just take a few minutes reading the latest political opinions, and extreme is the narrative. Everyone seems to take an opposing side from one another. There’s rarely a balance in our interactions and debates.

And then we have this tolerance movement where no one can have a different opinion or at least we are not to share it.

It’s like we have forgotten to add the balance of reason, knowledge, kindness, and humility in our interactions with one another.

But how do we hold on to our convictions, stand boldly for truth without tipping the scales?

Is it even possible?

I recently went through an experience that I want to share with a questioning and prayerful heart. I am writing from a place of I don’t have the answers. But maybe my need for balance will answer the question indirectly.

It has to do with ministry and evangelism.

It was a seven-week training session to counsel women in crisis. I learned so much. I began to understand how to effectively minister to women and share the love of Christ without manipulation. No judgment. Just loving and comforting women in need and ALWAYS sharing the gospel by asking permission first. Not imposing my beliefs but sharing out of love and concern.

Yes, yes, yes!!

You see, I have seen ministry done the wrong way. I know the negative and intimidating effects of what “gospel” manipulation can do.  It’s devastating. And it is not the gospel as Christ teaches us through Scripture.

I soaked up this training, and it felt like I needed this in my life. If you are a part of any faith-based ministry long enough, you can get a bit jaded and hurt.

I’ve learned to navigate the stings and scars in ministry by always diving back into the word of God. And the Bible continually teaches—it’s not about me. Pour into others, Julie. Bitterness is a seed that takes root to manipulate and destroy your ability to minister.

I have witnessed others—more deeply scarred than me— soothed and healed by the power of God from their painful ministry experiences. It’s awesome when God balances out the extremes and heals the devastating effects of sin.

But my seven weeks ended with an unfortunate revelation. A woman who had been counseling other women in crisis pointed to her cross necklace. “See this,” she said. “I never wear this in the counseling room. I don’t want people to feel I am biased or manipulating them in any way. We minister, we don’t manipulate!”

My thoughts: But, wait! Isn’t this a faith-based organization? The cross around your neck is a representation of your hope. It’s your life. It is why you feel called to minister to other women in need. You ARE biased as a proclaimed follower of Jesus Christ.

I walked away from that training a bit jaded, again, but this time by the other side. That balance between ministry and manipulation was tipped the other way, and that side felt wrong too.

So you see, here I am— a follower of Christ—yearning for that balance in ministering to others.

How do I share the gospel of Jesus Christ in today’s society of extremes?

How do I balance not tipping the scale toward the devastating effects of manipulation or to the other side of timid evangelism that so often is overly concerned with tolerance and offense to others?

The only answer I keep coming back to is the word of God.

Scripture is the perfect balance in our lives. It is the resource that teaches us how to minister without manipulation but it also strongly compels us to walk with boldness; shining the light of Christ— that miraculous transforming power of the Cross—for ALL the world to see.

The balance is in putting the gospel first as the stable foundation of our ministry. For when you take away from that in any way—on either side—you lose your witness and effectiveness in ministering to others. The scale tips and you become an extreme—too assertive or too weak.

I have now witnessed both extremes in ministry that lead to unbalance. But look at this image. Where is the symbol of the cross? Smack dab in the middle. How about that?!

So I circle back to my question.  How do I become an effective witness for Christ to a hurting world in need?

I am reminded of this Scripture, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16)

Help me God, to always minister to others from the balance of Scripture and never be ashamed of the Cross that sets the captives free!

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I don’t have a good memory.

I blame it on having three kids or not taking some natural vitamin that boosts my brain power.

I am constantly writing memos and lists so I remember to do all the things that I think of for a split second before it will vanish.

Thank you, to the person who invented sticky notes!

Sometimes as a Christian, I wish I could remember my journey with God. I wish I could recall to mind all the times God spoke to my heart, taught me a valuable lesson, encouraged my faith, or answered that prayer that I thought would never be answered.

Why do I forget God’s goodness to me, time and time again?

It’s like I wish I could write God-journey-memos and put them on my heart, so I never forget God’s faithfulness to me.

Fear sets in… Pull a memo… Oh, yes, Lord, that’s right. You were there then. You are still here with me.

Anger gets ahold of me… Pull a memo… Yes, anger destroys but peace brings forgiveness and healing. You taught me that, Lord.

Doubt plagues my mind… memo found… Yup, I remember that prayer. That was a long journey with you, God. I doubted, but Lord you were there. You gave me peace and contentment in the process. God, you are always faithful!

I don’t know why I forget God’s faithfulness to me over and over again. Maybe it’s my memory. Or perhaps it’s because God wants me to keep pursuing my relationship with Him and lean on His words and not mine. If I remembered every God-journey-memo, then maybe I would depend too much on my thoughts, taking for granted the power of God’s word.

I am thankful I don’t need my memos because God gave us His reminders through the Scriptures. The only thing I need to remember is to keep pursuing Him.

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. (Deuteronomy 11:18)

I’ll probably always forget, but I am grateful for His daily reminder.

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I still can’t get those images out of my head. Women were marching on Washington clad in vagina suits and pink pussy hats. Just writing that sentence irks me. Am I really raising my daughters in this crude society of women?

The words of Ashley Judd’s speech at the Women’s March on January 21, 2017, still have me shaking my head in disbelief. She recited a poem from a nineteen-year-old expressing outrage about our current president. Ironically, the poem railed against Trump’s past vulgar remarks with equal poetic vulgarity. It ended like this, “Our p__sies are for our pleasure. They are birthing new generations of filthy, vulgar, nasty, proud, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, you name it for new generations of nasty women.”

Me: No, thank you!

Modern-day feminism has resorted to crassness instead of respectfulness. Women who call out injustices, inequalities, and a man’s vulgar remarks with equal vulgarity…I guess modern-day feminism has risen to the occasion.

Today’s women’s movement uses celebrity platforms of women who think they speak for all of us. Their political and social opinions are wrapped in hatred, anger, and a cry for justice that looks more like self-centered relativism. It’s not a society of women I want to raise my daughters in. I refuse to raise a generation of vulgar females because it is not who God created women to be.

I recently did a study on the book of Ruth amidst all of the recent news on women’s speeches and marches. Now juxtapose this recent news with Ruth’s story, and you might be able to find the humor in it with me. Today’s women are screaming about their inequalities, and then there’s Ruth. She loses her husband and her only means of income in a culture that does not treat women with equal footing as men.

Yes, yes, it was a different time and place in history, but you have to look at this woman and realize there is a reason her story is set aside as a complete book of the Bible. She is the exact opposite of the characteristics that define modern-day feminism. She was humble, selfless, giving, honest, hard-working, and defined love as serving others over her needs. You don’t find Ruth on a platform screaming about her “rights.” Instead, she’s picking up scraps of grain behind harvesters so that she and her mother-in-law would have food to eat.

If you have never read the book of Ruth, I won’t give the story away. You have to read it to understand that charity defined her life, and eventually, her selflessness redeemed her widow’s story. A redemption story that ultimately would become a divine legacy.

The story of Ruth is really about what it means to be a generation of women who follow Christ. It celebrates womanhood amidst the struggles of life and real injustice. There are no words of self-empowerment, filth, vulgarity, or pride. Ruth is the very definition of what I want to teach my daughters to be in this ‘nasty woman’s world.’

Women who use their talents and strengths to serve others.

Women who find worth and value in their relationship with Christ.

Women who see humility as a strength and not a weakness.

Women who value their sex with virtue and respect.

Women who celebrate life and the God-given miracle of carrying a child in her womb or in their adoptive arms.

 Women who celebrate their differences with men and find equality in those differences.

 Women who don’t strive for perfection but emulate grace through all the struggles and imperfections of life.

Raising my daughters with a biblical worldview over modern-day feminism is not popular. It’s turning away from all things progressive and marching against a tide of women who will look down on them and probably ridicule them. I don’t care! We will not be judged or known by how loud we scream and our “performance” in this secular world. Instead, like Ruth, if we follow the call of Christ in our lives, we will be known for our charity and humility.

I have this t-shirt that says, “Ruth. Mary. Sarah. Esther. #Squad Goals.” It’s a reminder of the women I want to emulate in my life—biblical representations of women who followed Christ in a culture that often rejected the things of God. I am nowhere near imitating the selfless characteristics of Ruth. She’s a squad goal, but she’s also my hopes and dreams for a future generation, especially the young women I raise.

I’ll keep wearing my biblical #squad goals t-shirt against the tide of pink p__sy hats. It might not be popular, but I’d much rather carry the title of Christ-follower than feminist.