Brothers, don’t be children in your thinking. In evil, be like infants; but in your thinking, be grown-up. 1 Corinthians 14:20 CJB
When I read this scripture, I really had to pause and think. I wanted to start this prompt off with the areas that I am strong. I don’t like talking about my weaknesses – I try not to speak of them. However, this series is about growth so focusing on what I have learned already isn’t going to challenge me to grow. I wanted to talk about thinking on the right things, I do that because I know where my mind goes, my actions will follow. Or write about taking thoughts captive, although I am not perfect this is something I consistently practice. I am not a person who worries a lot, I know it accomplishes little. These are all godly practices on thoughts that I am comfortable discussing.
If I turn to my areas of struggle, immediately what comes to mind is a religious mindset. There are things that I was taught growing up that very much play into how comfortable I feel with certain things. One that quickly comes to mind is women preachers. Now there are some amazing women evangelists, I love to listen to Christine Caine, Joyce Meyers, Lisa Bevere, and Beth Moore to name a few. They challenge me almost every time I listen to them. Their ministries are primarily to women, for women, and of course by women. I think I even reason, the men that listen to them are doing so by choice.
When it comes to women at the pulpit, I struggle with that religious thought pattern. I realize that it is a contextual scripture.
Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (NLT)
The first people who Jesus revealed himself to were women after the resurrection. The women came to the tomb, and Jesus sent Mary Magdalene to share the good news.
Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message. John 20:17-18
If it was good enough for Jesus to tell women to share the gospel, tt is just a religious mindset that needs to go. It keeps me from speaking out, because I am a woman. I can’t have my husband share what is on my heart, he is not there beside me. Instead I remain silent. When I let what is inside of me surface, it has generally been because I feel like I will burst if I don’t release it. It is a religious mindset that I need to grow-up in my thinking.
Over the past ten months, God has also shown me that I have thought more highly of other people’s opinions that His. I have let other’s opinions keep me from walking in what He has called me to. He has been working to change my thinking into grown-up thinking in this area too.
The other area that God has been working on in my thinking is holding on to the past. I shared about that journey on day #1 with a scripture that shifted my thinking in that area. I am still learning to walk it out, but it is moving into grown-up thinking.
I believe that God takes me slowly in changing my thought process. He knows I need to fully grasp thought changes before I can handle having my world rocked again. I am sure that there are more thought strongholds or at least deceptions that need to be revealed in my life, but I know He is moving me to grown-up thinking.
This blog is part of a #Write31Days series on growth. 31 Days is an online writing challenge, where bloggers pick one topic and write a post on that topic every day.
Restoring Voice 