The Resolution for Women

by Priscilla Shirer

  Can you relate to that? Maybe your eyes meet our fourth resolution with that same disheartenment. So many blunders and mistakes stand out. So many lapses in judgment. How could you ever live up to this standard of being distinctly devoted, utterly separate, a person “faithful in all God’s house”?

  Then Moses example should give you and me great hope and encouragement. For despite his lengthy record of inadequacy, something about his story, legacy, and heritage was deemed worthy of highlighting and repeating to those of us who would love to think our lives might be similarly noteworthy. And tucked inside these simple verses from Hebrews 3 is the crucial, deciding theme upon which Moses’ entire story hinges.

  The key was in the calling.

  It was “heavenly” (v. 1).

  In spite of all kinds of spills and sputters in the execution, Moses held fast to the calling the Lord had placed on his life. “He was faithful to the one who appointed him” (v. 2 NIV). Even in the noisy wind tunnel of guilt and regret, even with loud music inviting him to dance with the decadent, he could still catch the faint whisper of heaven compelling him to forsake temporary feelings and pursuits for the sake of God’s will. And herein lies what separated him and his people from all others.

  He was not perfect, but he was purposeful.

  He wasn’t without mistake, but he was marked by God’s presence.

  He marched to a higher standard, an overriding and compelling force that drew him to desire what mattered to his God more than what mattered to other people. An overarching view of his life reveals a man not swayed by the whims and fleeting passions that sought to redirect his focus from heaven’s call. He was headed to Canaan. His goal was milk and honey. And even when it meant picking himself up off the deck of defeat and discouragement, he did not stop until God Himself allowed him to go no farther. He was called by heaven—an appointment that ordered his priorities, pursuits, and passions. Not perfectly but persistently.

  Faithfully.

  We, too, like Moses, are privileged to share a calling that has heavenly origin. Even now, if you listen closely, you can hear its echo in your heart—can’t you?—inviting you to go on an adventure with God. As you turn these pages, look inward to see if you’re sensing an inner gnawing for something more to be experienced in this life of yours. If the potential of these resolutions causes your heart to burn with holy anticipation, then you are experiencing the call of heaven—inviting you, beckoning you, encouraging you. Yes, heaven is calling out, looking for the faithful who will not only wake up each day listening for it but will respond to it when they hear it. It’s this groaning, this soul cry that longs for things eternal, not for the things of this world. Whole dollars, not fractions. It’s what causes us to feel a bit unsettled, sensing an internal ache we’re never quite able to quell, one that will not allow us to find complete satisfaction in the silver coins of culture’s currency.

  God in Christ has made us different, and now He invites us to desire the things He made us different for. This is what qualifies the faithful—those who recognize, accept, and pursue God’s path, knowing He will see to it that His calling comes to fruition. The “faithful” are those who resolve to despise the pathways of earthly success in exchange for the divine mission given specifically and uniquely by the Father.

  It’s why a mother might choose to stay home in an effort to prioritize her family, because she knows how that enticing yet all-consuming job offer could take her away from what matters most.

  Heaven calling.

  It’s what causes a single woman to refuse the offer of a distinguished gentleman who’s got everything going for him except a passion for spiritual things and an interest in God’s plan for her life.

  Heaven calling.

  It’s what compels a ministry leader to keep moving forward with her study and planning and the building of God’s “house” even when finances and outside interests look bleak.

  Heaven calling.

  It’s what keeps a wife faithful to her marriage, compelling her to hang in there without any real, earthly security worth mentioning left to hang on to.

  Heaven calling.

  It’s the call of the faithful. You and me. To fix our eyes on Him and His plans for us, and then—with the empowerment of the Spirit—to go about achieving them in our various relationships and endeavors.

  What do you sense heaven is calling you to do and be? What do you believe to be God’s overarching purpose for creating you and then setting you down in this generation at this particular point in history? Do you know? Are you seeking to discover it as you wake up in the morning listening for the hush of heaven? The best way to begin is by being faithful to what He has set before you right now. Sense the stirring in your soul as God’s Spirit quickens you to see what He’s called you to do today. Then pursue it at the expense of all else.

  Unashamedly.

  Diligently.

  Faithfully.

  Shhhhh. Listen.

  Heaven’s calling.

  • How is Moses’ example encouraging and inspiring to you?

  • How will you be required to go against rationale or cultural pressure to stay committed to what heaven is calling you to do in this season of your life?

  Faith vs. Faithfulness

  For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (James 1:3 ESV)

  A mother eagle is fiercely intent on guarding her eaglets. She builds her nest high above the ground, safe and protected from intruders, then lines it with a layer of soft, comforting materials. Makes a nice, cozy resting place for her young.

  But an eagle’s nest contains more than meets the eye. Underneath this coating of soothing comfort, she has constructed the base of her nest with rocks, sticks, and other sharp objects—a rather ironic fact that her growing brood will soon come to discover. For when she deems the time appropriate, the mother eagle will shake up the nest, turning it almost inside out, exposing the bristly underside to their soft, young backsides. No longer is it a place of comfort for her babies; it is now extremely uncomfortable, a place they’d like to get away from.

  For, yes, a mother eagle is fiercely intent on guarding her eaglets. But she is equally determined to see them reach their full potential. So her job is not complete until she’s caused them enough discomfort to make them ready to experience the reality of what God created them to do.

  To stand to their feet.

  To spread their wings.

  And fly.

  The concept of faithfulness, much like an eagle’s nest, also entails more than meets the eye. It isn’t merely the comfortable, untested summary of someone’s beliefs—her faith—but rather a physical outworking of her actions. It’s more than just having a firm persuasion; it’s moving that firm persuasion into forward motion. Having a strong set of beliefs is one thing. But standing up tall on them, making decisions according to them, and adjusting your life to line up with them—that’s quite another.

  That’s faithfulness.

  Faithfulness is born when the outward expressions of your beliefs are lived out over time. Often through difficulty. For difficulty is where faithfulness is honed and brought to life. You’d never classify someone as being faithful unless you’d seen her stand firm during a course of action and decision where it would have been much simpler to throw in the towel. The more consistently a person does this, the more honored she is for her steadfastness and perseverance.

  It would be a real waste of time, for example, if you and I were to spend all these pages and pages of time together, sign our resolutions, believe in the impact we expect them to have on us, then close the cover and go about our lives as if we’d never made any decisions at all. We would be, in essence, enjoying the cozy comforts of the nest without ever experiencing the effect it should produce in us. We can believe that these resolutions would be effective. But if we don’t act on them, we’ll never see the fruit they were designed to produce. Never fly on the wings of God’s Spirit. Never experience the places Hi
s Word gives us access to.

  Making resolutions is not what makes you faithful. That’s just like eaglets in a nest. Only when the nest is stirred and your wings are spread, when you stay in flight no matter how hard it is to keep your wings flapping—that’s when you’re proving to be faithful.

  Faithful to heaven’s call.

  Like Jesus. During His life and ministry here on earth, “He learned obedience through what He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Though He always had a firm persuasion to seek His Father’s will and was perfectly successful in doing so, He proved His faithfulness by working it out day by day, living through difficulties, surrendering His will (Luke 22:42), offering prayers and petitions (Hebrews 5:7), staying committed to His Father’s purposes regardless of His own human desire to steer away from crucifixion and death. As a result, “He was perfected [made complete], He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him, and He was declared by God a high priest” (vv. 9–10)—prepared for His ultimate purpose because He’d “learned obedience” the hard way. Walking against the grain. Stacking up His bold profession against the bitter perils of life. Staying completely surrendered, totally committed to the Father’s plan.

  Faithful.

  And if this is something that even Christ—deity clothed in humanity, our ultimate example of holiness and righteousness—if even He chose to humble Himself enough to gain His faithfulness through experience, then the same is certainly true of us.

  Hopefully you’re a person of faith. But heaven is calling you to be a person of faithfulness as well. When you’re at your job. When you’re hanging out with friends. When you’re struggling financially. When you’re faced with a tough decision. When you’re doing your daily life and wish you were doing somebody else’s. By resolving to be faithfully His, you are deciding to allow everything you believe about God and His Word to consistently guide your feet, your hands, your mind, your heart—despite anything and everything that may point to the contrary.

  In a world marked by constant change and incredulous options, a woman who is resolved to live faithfully is an irony. A mystery. But being different is worth the cost of being diligent and strong. Being uncharacteristic is worth the cost of feeling complete and lacking nothing, prepared by God for the great work He has for her.

  For you.

  His faithful one.

  • In your own words describe the difference between having faith and being faithful.

  • Would you describe yourself as a faithful person? If so, in what areas of life?

  I’d Like a Word with You

  The Bible. We treasure it, and yet like too many valuable things in our lives, we have a tendency to turn it into just another burden. We often think of the Bible as something we’ve “got to do”—usually something we “haven’t done.” We could be painting our nails or getting a head start on our housework. We could be scanning our favorite Web sites or going out with our coworkers to lunch. We could be stretched out on the sofa for the evening or pushing the snooze button on the alarm, but . . .

  “Got to read my Bible.”

  (Long sigh.) “Where is it?”

  It’s easy for us to begin feeling this way about His Word unless we realize that being faithfully His is rooted in the kind of relationship we have with it. He has given us His Word to learn from and enjoy. To refresh us. To call out the desire for relationship with Him that He’s planted deep within our souls. To speak to our hearts. To show us who He is. To awaken us to our failings, yes, but then to draw us toward the restorative, redemptive blessings of obedience. Not only that, but like a radiation treatment on a cancerous cell, His Word is actively renovating us even when it seems like nothing unusual is taking place.

  His Word is not a chore. Not a nag.

  It’s life. It’s love. It’s living truth, solid as granite yet soft as a baby’s skin.

  And it’s not just to read. It’s to absorb. To bathe in. To live by.

  To inspire us, reshape us, and define us.

  That’s because it’s alive. Not simply a book written with historical data for your information but animated by His Spirit for your edification—to speak intimately and personally to you regarding His purposes for your life. If you’ll listen closely as you read it, you’ll feel the warmth of God’s breath brushing across your cheek as His Spirit infuses old words with right-this-minute application. Most often, heaven’s call to you will be heard as you are soaking in His Word. And your ability to remain steadfast in your pursuit of the “faithful” label will germinate from the encouragement you receive through its precepts. Since faithfulness is a fruit of God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:22), you can be certain that His Spirit within you will work in tandem with the edification you receive from remaining consistent in His Word, helping you press on toward the goal—“the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

  So as we wind down this section on being faithfully His, in which I’ve encouraged you to be a woman marked by dedication to heaven’s call with a lifestyle to match, I want to encourage you in your personal commitment to His Word. For without it you’ll lose your way and your strength. The Bible is the tool divinely inspired to guide and equip you for a life lived faithfully. In a world inundated with ideas to the contrary, it is your constant reminder of who you really are, why you’re really here, and who you really belong to.

  You’re His. And His Word helps to keep you sure of that.

  That’s why I want to give you this lengthy list of affirmation statements taken directly from the Word of the living God. They’re not direct quotes from Scripture, but they recast the theme of the referenced verse so you can declare it in first person. These are not necessarily to be read all at once. I hope you’ll return here again and again, years into the future, just to read a half dozen or so at a time, keeping yourself grounded in who you are, whose you are, and what this glorious, eternal, triumphant fact means to you.

  As you audibly speak these biblical statements over your life and the lives of your loved ones, your mind will be renewed, your faith strengthened, your actions and attitudes transformed. “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”

  I love the Lord my God with my whole heart, soul, and mind (Mark 12:30).

  I walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

  The Lord is on my side. I will not fear what man can do to me (Psalm 118:6).

  I am competent not in my own abilities but because He has made me competent by His Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:5–6).

  I abide in Christ, He abides in me, and I bear much fruit (John 15:5).

  I have the mind of Christ; therefore I act in a way that is consistent with His actions (1 Corinthians 2:16).

  He will never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5).

  I do not look with disdain upon my weaknesses. I see them as opportunities for God to display His powerful strength and grace through me (2 Corinthians 12:10).

  No weapon formed against me can prosper, and every tongue that rises up against me in judgment will be condemned (Isaiah 54:17).

  I will be hospitable without complaint (1 Peter 4:9).

  I will not use my tongue to speak cursings, but rather I will speak life-giving blessings to everyone I meet and in every situation I face (James 3:8–10).

  The Spirit indwells me; therefore I am the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16).

  I am faithful over a few things, and I will be made ruler over many (Matthew 25:23).

  I humbly submit to God, and I actively resist the work of the devil, knowing he must flee from me (James 4:7).

  I will not give the enemy an opportunity or foothold in my life (Ephesians 4:27).

  The One who is in me is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

  I choose to obey the Lord and receive the prosperous abundance and blessing He will bestow on me (Deuteronomy 30:8–9).

  My heart keeps the commandments of God. They will add lengt
h of days and peace to my life (Proverbs 3:1–2).

  I walk by the Spirit and do not fulfill the desires of my flesh (Galatians 5:16).

  I am enabled to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).

  The Lord guards my going out and my coming in, today and forever (Psalm 121:8).

  I rejoice in the Lord whether circumstances are good or bad (Philippians 4:4).

  I will not be afraid when I lie down, and my sleep shall be sweet (Proverbs 3:24).

  I obtain the favor of the Lord (Proverbs 12:2).

  The Lord is in my midst, and He sings over me with joy (Zephaniah 3:17).

  I am the apple of my Father’s eye (Deuteronomy 32:10).

  Goodness and mercy will follow me not only today but all the days of my life (Psalm 23:6).

  I have been made in the image and likeness of God Himself. This is my heritage (Genesis 1:27).

  I have not been given the spirit of this world; rather, I have the Spirit of God that I might know the mind and will of God for me (1 Corinthians 2:12).

  I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16).

  My steps have been ordained and ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:23).