Asbury United Methodist Church www.asburytulsa.org
SUMMER/FALL 2009
WHAT’S YOUR NEED?
Oswald Chambers wrote in his daily devotional, My Utmost for His Highest: “The moral miracle of redemption is that God can put a new nature into me through which I can live a totally new life. But I must get to that point. God cannot put into me, the responsible moral person that I am, and the nature that was in Jesus Christ unless I am aware of my need for it.” When we open ourselves up to godly guidance, we are reaching out and seeking for the “nature that was in Jesus Christ” to come into our own life and this is what happens when we invest in the lives of other women. When we invest in other women’s lives we are not there to give them all the answers to life’s problems, but we are there to point them to the one who created life and that is Jesus Christ. He is the Great Healer, Physician, Counselor, and Comforter. He really does have all the answers. When we walk beside another in the name and cause of Jesus Christ we build our relationships as we place our challenges and problems at the foot of the cross. We don’t have to carry these burdens alone; we direct them to the Word of God – the Bible. The home you grew up in may not have been Christian. If it was not, you did not see a Christian wife, mother, career woman, single woman, sister, aunt, or daughter-in-law role modeled for you as you were growing up. Now, as a Christian woman yourself, you have questions about how to be a Christian woman today. This is where your sister in Christ can help, advise, and model for you. While she will not replace your blood relatives, she can be a spiritual mom to you and guide and teach you the ways of a Christian woman. Could this be all you need to progress in your life? You may have some deeper issues that a Christian professional could help you with. So don’t be offended if your sister suggests that you see one. We have received training to not go beyond a boundary we sometimes don’t feel equipped or capable to handle. We need to be able to tell you if we are feeling inadequate, not in our faith but in our training to deal with every issue that may develop in life circumstances. As we walk with other women as a mentor or a Christian friend, let us remember it is not in our own strength but in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit that has been given to us as a gift from God. So my sister, what is your need? Darlene Johnson, Pastor with Women