by Kelli Garms | Jan 17, 2020 | Spiritual Growth, Women's Ministry
I remember back to when my family had first returned to the U.S. after spending most of my childhood and adolescence on the mission field. My mom would wash and reuse zip lock bags and plastic cups. Now, I watch my kids use a paper plate for one (1) cookie and then throw it away. How times have changed! We live in a disposable culture. Even things like computers, cell phones, and kitchen gadgets seem to be cheaper to replace than the money, time, and energy it takes to repair them.
Unfortunately, this disposable mentality has seeped into other areas of our lives. It is more difficult to get people to commit to jobs, ministries, and even relationships. If you have a disagreement with someone in your church, you can go find another church. If you have a falling out with a friend, that’s ok, you can find another one on Facebook. If you don’t like something your boss said or did, just get another job. Everything in our lives seems to be disposable.
An unfortunate side effect of this mentality is that we don’t have any depth in our lives. Our friendships are shallow or even non-existent. We give up on our marriages at the first sign of trouble. We walk away from our jobs or our ministries because they aren’t fun anymore.
But there is something to be said about sticking with something or someone even when things are hard or monotonous. There is maturity and depth that comes with working through the issues or choosing to be content in our circumstances. And the loneliness that comes from a disposable mentality can be suffocating.
From what have you been tempted to walk away lately that maybe deserves a second glance?
by Kelli Garms | Oct 25, 2019 | Family, Spiritual Growth, Women's Ministry
Do you wish your husband was more spiritual? We are at a unique time in our history where, as women, we have access to so many tools to improve our personal walk with the Lord. Unfortunately, sometimes it can lead us to frustration with our husbands if we don’t see them tapping into resources like we are. Here are some things to remember:
- Your expectations for your husband’s spiritual walk aren’t necessarily God’s expectations for him. God doesn’t love us more because of what we do or don’t do. Our spending time with Him is for our benefit; as we spend time in His Word and in prayer, we fall deeper in love with Him, but it doesn’t change His love for us.
- Your husband doesn’t answer to you. He is a grown man who makes his own decisions. Dropping hints, nagging him, or trying to manipulate him into a closer walk with the Lord will very likely have the opposite effect.
- Celebrate the “little things” when you see God working in his life. Is he faithful to church? Does he listen to podcasts or watch youtube videos that discuss spiritual things? Is he a godly father to your children? Ask God to open your eyes to the things He is doing in your husband’s life.
- Most importantly, pray. Pray for your husband, but also pray for yourself. Pray that God would soften your heart, open your eyes, and convict your spirit when things get frustrating. Pray for your husband’s protection, the guarding of his heart, and the shielding of his eyes from everything the enemy is throwing at him.
Remember that your personal walk with the Lord is just that—personal. Your husband’s walk with the Lord is also personal. Wait and watch as God does a marvelous work in you both!
by Kelli Garms | Oct 11, 2019 | Spiritual Growth, Women's Ministry
As I’ve been reading through the Bible this year, I have been struck by how God started the journey of so many great men and women. None of them were able to stay comfortable and complacent and still accomplish what God had in store for them.
- Abraham had to leave his country and set out for an unknown destination.
- Noah, who had never seen rain, had to build an ark and preach about a flood without a single convert.
- Joshua had to take the mantle of leadership after watching how often the Israelites turned on Moses.
- Ruth had to leave her family and country and become a beggar in the land of her enemies.
- Daniel lived in Babylon as a solitary believer.
- Paul, David, John the Baptist, Samson, Esther…. The list goes on and on.
It has made me realize that my desire to stay comfortable is a desire not to be used by God. Ouch!
Will you get uncomfortable with me? Let’s see what God can do when we take that step in faith!
by Kelli Garms | Sep 13, 2019 | Bible Study, Family, Spiritual Growth, Women's Ministry
In last week’s post, I talked about submission in 1 Peter 2 & 3. Lest you think submitting to your husband makes you inferior to him, I wanted to continue in that passage today.
Peter includes only one verse that speaks directly to husbands, but it sure packs a punch! Let’s look at 1 Peter 3:7:
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Am I right to assume reading that verse got your hackles up?? There are several things in this verse that can rub us the wrong way, but let’s unpack it a bit. I think you’ll find it becomes a comfort to you.
When Peter commands husbands to live with their wives in an understanding way, the idea is to do life together. This isn’t describing a domineering husband with a floor mat of a wife. Doing life together implies a partnership, and partnership implies equality.
The term translated “weaker” in reference to the woman is speaking of physical strength. Whatever you may believe about gender roles, you can’t deny that physical strength lies on the side of the man. This is not a slight to women, however, who are natural nurturers and care givers.
Peter specifically references the equality in God’s eyes when he tells husbands that their wives are “heirs with you of the grace of life.” We can’t be co heirs if we are not equals.
You can submit to authority and still be equal in importance. Christ is not inferior to God, yet He submits to God’s will.
Although you can’t control how your husband responds to you, submitting to your husband is a strong testament to your faith in God.
by Kelli Garms | Sep 6, 2019 | Bible Study, Family, Spiritual Growth, Women's Ministry
I recently went through a study of 1 Peter 2 & 3, and a portion of these chapters talks about submission. In the midst of discussing submitting to the government and employers, Peter reminds us that wives should submit to their husbands.
Can I be honest and tell you this has always been a struggle for me? In reality, I don’t just struggle with submitting to my husband; I struggle with submitting to any authority. And I don’t think I’m alone. My mom tells a story about my sister who was refusing to sit down. Once she finally obeyed, she spouted, “I may be sitting on the outside, but on the inside, I’m still standing!”
What I discovered in my study is that submission to my husband has nothing to do with my husband. It isn’t something he earns like a reward for good behavior, and it isn’t something he loses because he didn’t meet my expectations.
My submission to my husband has everything to do with my relationship with God! It is trusting that God will work in and through my husband for the benefit of our family and our community. In fact, Peter speaks of a wife’s submission as a means for her husband to walk closer with God. The other side of that coin is if I don’t submit to my husband, I could hinder his walk with the Lord!
I don’t know about you, but it might take me a minute to digest this one! Though it will continue to be a struggle for me, I pray the Holy Spirit brings this passage to mind each time I start to rebel. Can I pray for you, too?
I love how Scripture gives us the tools we need to renew our minds and become more Christ-like!
by Kelli Garms | Aug 30, 2019 | Spiritual Growth, Women's Ministry
I remember sitting around with my college friends talking about what God had in store for our lives. What was He going to call me to do? and could He just do it already so I could plan out the rest of my life, please?
The truth is, had He told me then what I know now, I’m not sure I would have accepted it. Growing up as a missionary kid, I was ready to go wherever He wanted me to go–even the uttermost parts of the earth. But what He asked me to do was be willing to stay. As you can imagine, I have wrestled with that calling throughout my life.
I have come to realize that I viewed my “calling” the wrong way. I always imagined there would be this ONE THING He would ask of me. I figured there was one way for me to leave a mark on this world (I never really considered if that mark would be mine or His). And I was always waiting for Him to let me in on the big secret so I could get the ball rolling.
Here is what I have learned: Your calling isn’t some big thing you will do in the future. It is made up of the little steps you take today in obedience to Him.
It might look like changing dirty diapers, cleaning toilets, teaching a Sunday school class, discipling someone one-on-one, or even holding babies in the nursery. It might be going to a job from 8 to 5 everyday, taking orders from someone who doesn’t share your values, or knowing you can never do enough for the children in your classroom who are hurting.
My mom used to tell me to “bloom where you’re planted,” and I’m pretty sure this is what she meant. Stop waiting for God to show you what He wants you to do in the future, and do what He’s asking you to do now.
You may wonder if you took a wrong turn along the way, didn’t listen to His guiding of your steps, and ended up in the wrong place. Take heart! You are where you are called to be. It might not be as glamorous as you imagined, but as you take those small steps in obedience today, you are storing up treasures in Heaven, where the world’s version of glamorous is a drop in the bucket!
