Since my Bible is KJV, Titus 2:3 reads a little differently then in the book. "The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness..." After looking up the word "holiness" in the Greek I discovered that the word "reverent" could also be used (like it is in the NKJV.)
I really love looking in the Greek to find greater truths and wisdom I would otherwise have missed.
Behavior (Gr - katastema) having to do with the condition of something, demeanor, deportment, bearing
Holiness/Reverent (Gr - hieroprepes) sacred & fitting, being consecrated to God
Following are some of my thoughts after studying the words behavior and holiness. "My behavior stems from my state of mind, my inner life. Before my behavior is an action it is first a thought. My thoughts and actions should be in accordance to God, as something sacred and consecrated to Him. I must empty my heart of self and dedicate my life completely to God. When God is my all, my actions will point to Him."
"Reverent in Behavior" - a heart and life that is set apart and consecrated to God. Every thought, word, and action is done to bring glory to God and honor to His name. It is a life that reflects Christ and points others to Him."
I love that fact the word "consecrated" keeps popping up in my study. Consecrated means being set apart fully for God.
I loved the look into the life of Anna. (I've only touched briefly and still want to do more.) Anna was described as a godly woman. She was fasting (denying herself of world pleasures), praying (without ceasing), and giving thanks! Her life was filled with service and worshipping the Lord. She was committed, dedicated, self-controlled, and consecrated. She lived looking and seeking for her Savior. What an example for me and you!
I absolutely loved Elizabeth George's practical steps to making this real in our lives. Between this study and another book I'm reading (Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy) I'm excited to have some practical steps to take in my life. Below are some habits I'm hoping to establish in my life.
PRAYER - spend 5 minutes at the beginning of every hour in prayer. Spend time on my knees right before I sleep at night & land on my knees when I awake in the morning. Choose to spend time talking to Him when I am alone, instead of simply letting my thoughts wander.
PURPOSE - do this through worshipping and giving thanks.
PRAISE - read one chapter from the Psalms before getting out of bed in the morning. (A great book for this is The Psalms of David - the entire books of Psalms in beautifully illustrated! click here) Have a personal time of worship by singing hymns to the Lord. (Personally I thought going outside into our woods or by the pond would be perfect for this!)
PICK (an point to meditate on) - attributes of God, or promises from Scripture. Meditate by reading it in different versions, looking it up in the Greek, journaling thoughts and insights, or slipping a verse in my pocket to look at throughout the day.
My Calling: "to worship God in spirit and truth, to seek to be consumed with Him, to love Him fully, to follow Him completely, to fill my heart, mind, soul and spirit with His Word."
Ellerslie (in Windsor, Colorado) was a place that inspired me to worship and made me aware of God's presence. (See some pictures below for a glimpse of the scenery!)
After studying 2 Timothy 2:9-15, here's my very short summary. "Even my clothing should stand out separate from the world. EVERYTHING in my life should reflect Christ." (If anyone is interested in seeing my notes from looking up a lot of these words in the Greek, let me know and I'll try to post it.)
Spending time with our Lord and truly seeking to know Him is key to living this godly life. How can we expect to be godly on our own strength, without God? We cannot do this on our own willpower, strength, or thinking it into being. The truly godly life, one that reflects Christ in everything, in only accomplished by the emptying of self and allowing God to fill us with Him.
Some changes I need to make in my life: (please pray for me!) I need to spend more time with Him, getting to know who He truly is, and not just who I think He is. In my conduct I need to be more joyful and more serving to others. Speech - more kind & encouraging, and not negative. And in my thought life I need to be willing to accept God's will and plans for my life and not seeking and planning my own way.
Well, that's all I have for now. After some more studying I hope I'll have more to share. I'd love to hear what you've been learning, even if its just a sentence. :) Please share your gleanings by leaving a comment or sending me an email!
May God bless you as you continue to grow and learn more about our high calling!
Love, Nicole
Thank you for the beautiful post and sharing with us all you're learning. I love the photos, brings wonderful memories of an amazing weekend fully set apart for and with our Lord.
ReplyDeleteThe word consecrated also stood out to me. I just love the word. It has such meaning.
I would love your notes on 2 Timothy.
The following I shared earlier in an email with Grandma but thought you and others may enjoy too:
"I am just thrilled with this study. It so happens I've been doing a detailed study of Colossians chapter three and when I was looking further into A Woman's High Calling, particularly, "the older women are to be reverent in behavior" or as the KJV says "behaviour as becometh HOLINESS". As I study this verse and what it means to be reverent in behavior I thought of Colossians 3:12-17. It is a list of several things we, the elect of God, HOLY and beloved, are to put on: bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing, forgiveness, charity, peace of God ruling in our heart, thankfulness, word of Christ dwelling richly in us, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns & spiritual songs, singing with grace to the Lord, doing all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, and lastly giving THANKS to God. I was so excited about this correlation. And what makes it even more exciting and what I really want to share is that because Christ is in us, through the Holy Spirit, we can be victorious and actually live this calling. In our own flesh it is impossible to please Him, but through Christ, through faith in Christ, we can live the abundant life. I am so excited it gives me goose bumps.
Well I need to finish chapter one. Again thanks for the post.