Beyond Sunday Morning

I love books.

I love books about God.

I love Bible studies.

And I'm loving Becoming More than a  Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa Terkeurst.

It's just our second week of studying it, through Proverbs 31 Ministries.

But it's hit home.

Because I'm that girl. I'm a "good girl". I like to plan and follow rules and make to do lists...

and that often takes priority.

I see a Bible study and think, "Wow, that'd be great to study." And then I see another, and another. My love for reading can sometimes get me in trouble.

And then I feel guilty because I can't keep up.

Or I speed read through whatever I'm reading so that I can have it "done" for the day.

But that's not what He wants from me.

He wants all of me.

He wants me to love Him with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind.

And to love Him like that, I have to know Him.

I have to know His Word.

I have to try to learn to listen.

One of the things we were asked to do in our small groups for Proverbs 31 Ministries was to think about our goal for this Bible study. Our small group leader asked us to complete a sentence. "My goal in doing this Bible study is to know God more, truly know Him. One way I'm going to do that is to daily, intentionally, seek out opportunites to honor Him by developing a friendship with Him. Talking to Him. Trying to listen to Him. Seeking opportunities to serve Him."

And that made me think about why I do any Bible study that I do.

I've been convicted here lately that too often I make things about me, instead of about God. I think about how I can do better, what I can do to serve Him... but Bible study is really about getting to know God. What He's already done. How He loves me. And as I get that... the rest will fall into place. As I read His Word, it will get into me. It'll transform my mind... which will affect my actions... which will cause His love to spill out of me.

Bible study is about becoming a friend of God. To be a friend, you have to listen. You have to spend time with someone. You have to be open.

And being a friend of God means going beyond a to do list. Going beyond Sunday.

This week I will take my relationship with God beyond Sunday morning by spending time, intentionally, daily, in His Word. ‪#‎LiveItOut‬ ‪#‎BecomingMore‬ ‪#‎P31OBS‬ 

With purpose. Learning to be quiet. And  being all in.