Convictions

I am reading a discipleship study for women called Wise Women Build Houses by Barbars Mouser. It is a small and seemingly simple book, but do not let the cover or size of the book deceive you. This book has such rich material that it is really convicting me and causing me to re-evaluate my spiritual condition.





In the first chapter she challenges the reader to build a Wisdom House by first laying the foundation (Christ), then hewing the pillars (Godward virtues) and finally adding the roof (our covering).


I have been stuck for one month on hewing the pillars in chapter 1. This section is only 5 pages, but so rich. Barbara Mouser lists 7 virtues ( pillars of the faith if you will) that must be hewn for the house to stand. 

1. Fear of God: The beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10)
2. Love for God:The First and greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37-38)
3. Faith in God: without which it is impossible to please God. ( (Heb. 11:6)
4. Knowledge of God: What God desires more than sacrifice ( Hos 6:6)
5. Hope in God:Chief purpose of the scripture (Rom 15:4)
6. Joy of the Lord: The source of our strength ( Neh 8:10)
7. Comfort of God: Cheif means of our walk ( Acts 9:3)

Following this she challenges the reader to list the opposites of these 7 "Godward pillars".  I had to cheat and look at the answers in the back.

Opposites are as follows:

1. Fear of God > Rebellion against authority
2. Love for God> Hositily toward God
3. Faith in God> Unbelief toward God
4. Knowledge of God> Hardened sensibilities; eyes that don't see, ears that don't hear,hearts that don't understand.
5. Hope in God> Unbelief which causes grumbling and despair
6. Joy of the Lord> Grief which refuses to be comforted
7. Comfort of God> Rejecting the soothing ,peaceful presence of the Holy Spirit when in pain of filled with worries

She says that "You MUST have Godward virtues in your wisdom house or you will be an idolater and some variety of humanist. Manward virtues alone do not make a wisdom house" (pp18).

Next she challenges the reader with questions and here is where it HIT ....

OUCH!! PRICK....POKE!! 

Question #2: "Hewing is hard work. Prayer, meditation on Scripture and obedience are primary means of hewing pillars. Explain how disciplining oneself in these activities, especially in times of temptation, will result in building pillars of character". 

So here is where I stopped and have camped for a month.

Bottom line is this! I am not disciplined in the habit of prayer and meditating on God's WORD daily. Oh, I do it here and there. But, really.....daily! NOT!! I am an epic fail!!! I have been a Christian and a disciple of Christ since I was 7 and really following him as my LORD for dare I say it.....21 years.

So, the question I am pondering is "Why?". What are my "temptations" that she is referring to that would result in my poor consistency of hewing these pillars ? 

I am praying about this and trying to figure it out. I am thinking that it is just the daily humbug of life and the distractions of life and facebook. Seriously. What is the first think I do in the morning!!? I update my Facebook status....why? Because I am a narcissist. Isn't that what facebook is all about? Hearing myself spew out whatever comes to mind?!!

I am really praying and asking God for a woman to rise up and take me under her wings and hold me accountable and meet with me once a week to thoroughly study this Book (Wise Women Build Houses). It is the first book I have read in a LONG time that is really convicting me to draw deeper into the well of God's living water.

Broken, Adrienne

P.S. I started the next part on the roof....WOW. I figured that I needed to move on even though I am still stuck on hewing pillars. The roof part is really good and I will post on that next.