She Does

Over the last three weeks we have investigated what it means to be the change in our world.

We are part of a community, a community that loves people and cares about people.

The first week we discussed the nature of change and what that might mean for us personally and corporately.

We've also looked at what it means to love - How are we doing on 1 Cor 4 - our list on love

Love is:
Patient
Kind
Never gives up
Never loses faith
Always hopeful
Endures through every circumstance

Love is not:
Boastful
Proud

This is a great list of how love works.

How are we going on the love scales?

We asked:

What would we like to do more of, to love others more fully?

What areas of loving others do we struggle with?

Last week we discussed what it means to care - looking at the nature of caring and having a heart of compassion that seeks to live a life of kindness and humility; a care for others that prompted an action of some kind - taking a genuine interest in, being concerned for others, taking notice of...

This week we come to "She Does"

What does it mean for us to be a woman that "Does"

This implies action and taking the notion of "She loves" and "She cares" that one step further.

It implies that we are women of action, not merely giving lip service to the idea of loving others but actually showing that we love others by our actions.

This is why 1 John 3:18,19 becomes so important

Dear children, let's not just say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.

The world sees that we are followers of Jesus by the way we treat each other, and the way we love each other; the world is also looking at how we treat those who are not yet followers of Jesus.

Our actions in this respect will often speak louder than words.

What are we doing, that shows others that we love them, and that we are active in loving them in a way that speaks to them about the love of God?

That's why we gave out the little green book at Love in action, It's why Love in Action is the motto that we choose to live by for Citylife Women.

I never want us to be women who are only loving others by what we say, but also by what we do.

One of the definitions of the word do - (3rd person present indicative of do)  - a verb - a "doing" word
"To be the cause of (good, harm, credit, etc.); bring about; effect  www.dictionary.com

The key thing here is that something actually happens.

When we do something - we are active - as a follower of Jesus - "She Does" means that she is active in something, she is the cause of something - hopefully good - and she brings about something.

To effect something - to make it happen.

What is it that we are making happen in our own lives?

What are we making happen corporately, as a company of women?

I'm challenged by this because I feel like we can often be a lot of talk, great ideas, and good intentions.

But change comes when we do something about the good intentions and make a difference somewhere somehow.

What good intentions do you have?

What good intentions have you actually started? Or carried through to completion?

Ecclesiastes 7:8
Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.

Genesis 2:2
On the seventh day God finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.

What if God had not finished his project of creation??

2 Corinthians Chapters 8 and 9 are often used to encourage us to give.

The context is the offering for the people suffering in Jerusalem - Paul urges the Corinthians to finish what they started.

I think there is a fair amount of human nature in starting well, but struggling to finish well. Sometimes the things of life just seem to get in the way.

A couple of weeks ago we discussed in groups some of those things that hinder us or distract us from getting of with the job. We all have these things that get in the way - I certainly do.

Paul encourages the people to continue to be passionate about giving, to pick up where they had maybe slackened off and to bring to completion, that which they had started.

I'm reading a couple of books on minimalism at the moment and the writer (who has had a typical "climb the corporate ladder" kind of life and found it less than satisfactory) made the point that we so often end up doing things like a career that seem important, but we would probably do better if we did what we were passionate about. He started writing, because that is what he was passionate about.

Now, hopefully they are one and the same thing, but are we actually doing what we are passionate about.

I'm not talking about abandoning everything else - but finding what that something is and using it to build something significant. It may not be prominent - but significance does not need prominence.

Please keep this in mind - because we live in a world where we equate them as one and the same.

So here's a few thoughts:

What are you passionate about?

What projects are left hanging in the balance; or half completed; or not even started?

I want to challenge us today to think about those ideas, good intentions, projects and community action.

What next step is God asking you to take?

Maybe there is a project he is asking you to complete; some people to meet with; something he wants you to start doing that you've been putting off.  

Maybe, there is a half completed project or intention that God is asking you to stop hanging on to.

What is your next step?

Share with someone your next step and when you plan to take it.

We can all encourage each other and help each other to be accountable.