Thursday, February 25, 2010

Slighty Bad Girls Chapter 1, questions 3 & 4

Great responses from the first blog ladies!

Let's continue on seeing how God used Sarai, even though we may be quick to think she was not so worthy of being used...

3. Abram and Sarai left everything - family and friends, houses and lands, and all their worldly goods that wouldn't fit on a camel - to follow God's leading. if the Lord asked you to leave everything and follow his lead, how would you respond? The Lord made several "I will" statements to Abram, promising to bless him and to make him famous. How might such promises increase your faith?

4. When you learned that Sarai was a beautiful woman, in what way did that alter your perception of her? Did you fear for her in Pharaoh's court or assume her pleasing appearance would protect her? In our culture how is beauty an advantage? A disadvantage?

3 posts from you guys, and I will do mine and move on to questions 5 & 6

7 comments:

  1. If the Lord asked us to leave everything and follow His lead, I pray I would be entirely obedient. Given the situation we're in with Phillip's job, it's a little easier to picture this since we don't have most of our "stuff" with us (everything that makes our physical home). When we look at our missionary friends in the Pacific Rim who sold just about everything (house, cars, belongings except for absolute necessities, etc) to serve God for years at a time with 3 little ones - it's absolutely amazing to see how God blesses them and works in their lives. Very encouraging. I think God's promises would definitely increase our faith since we always have His words to fall back on. Would it mean everything is easy... no. There would definitely be difficulties, but again the safest place to be is in God's will no matter what the calling.

    No doubt Sarai was a beautiful woman. She caused heads to turn when they entered Egypt (princes of Pharaoh). I only feared for her for one reason and that was because Abram lied about who she was... not anything to do with her beauty because I knew God would protect her and Abram. Nonetheless, God kept to His promises of the cursing and blessing part. Advantages of beauty in our culture is the increased attention people give you and maybe more confidence in yourself. A disadvantage would be that beauty doesn't satisfy everything in life - only an intimate relationship with the Lord.

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  2. Good stuff miss Amanda, and I have to agree, when you have friends who are missionairies away from home, it helps you to see how God is the provider, no matter where we are...you're answers are always impressive, especially without the stinkin' book! haha

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  3. Thanks! I wanted to hear what you had to say, but I'll wait for 2 more people....

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  4. 3. If called upon by the God I would like to say that I wouldn't hesitate to follow. Promises of blessing would make it easier to have faith and would make me feel less uncertain of my decision.

    4. Learning of Sarai's beauty didn't alter my perception of her. I feel in the Pharaoh's court she was probably treated better than she would've been if she'd been less attractive. Most cultures prize beauty and react accordingly. In our culture beauty is an advantage in that people tend to naturally find you more favorable and forgive your mistakes easier. It's a disadvantage because you may not be taken seriously and because you may fall back on your appearance and not focus as much on being a genuinely beautiful person inside.

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  5. Teresa said: I don't know if it would increase my faith or not, probably would, and I was afraid for her b/c she was beautiful. Good looks get you far in this world.

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  6. Okay ladies, I have to admit here that I can be one selfish brat at times...pick up and move? Well, it had better be one pretty big reason, and God's calling on our lives better be LOUD and CLEAR! I personally would probably be weighing out the costs of this sacrifice. "Is it what is best for the kids?" or "Maybe God really isn't in this, or I'd feel more at peace with it..." I can totally see me trying to put my agenda above God's. Sometimes it seems easier to humble myself before the Lord and to find His will more satisfying than my own, but I can't say that it is always right off the bat!

    Being before the Lord in His word definitely assists me in finding that submission quicker, but I can't always say it helps make it easier.

    Now, if the Lord would only make it so easy as to give me some verbal promises, knowing what I know now, heck yeah it would in crease my faith...unfortunately for us, we don't get those verbal commands now 'adays...would it have increased it back then? I don't know that it honestly would have...they didn't have the benefit of His written word, or his indwelling Holy Spirit as we do now, so I maybe would have still struggled...obviously ol' Abe had some faith, as most of us know, he did walk up that mountain to sacrifice his son...however, promises of fame obviously enticed Abraham, would that entice most of us now? Unfortunately, it could...but again, in our day and age, well, the promise to be famous would be more of a curse!

    I guess I have always known Sarah was quite the looker. So, I don't know that it changed my opinion of her in any way. However, reading her story does lead you to believe that her beauty would be more of a curse for the situation when she is taken by Pharaoh, cause you know he's gonna want her!


    Oh, let's see, in our culture, how is beauty an advantage...well...in our stinkin' self-righteous, fake is better culture, beauty is an advantage in getting attention, and I'm thinkin' it probably helps when it comes time to find a significant other...however, in so many ways it is a true disadvantage!


    I know I'm not the only one whose been known to think that the primped and prettied bombshells may not be the brightest crayon in the box...Jealousy breads when there is someone who is more attractive than others thrown into the mix, insecurities rear their ugly heads left and right, therefore, a chip grows on the beauty's shoulder and causes them to become defensive.

    Now, granted, I was probably more of a below average, natural, hippy, kinda tomboyish gal in High School, however, I had lots of friends who were the beautiful cheerleaders who got a lot of attention. Other girls would be so mean to them, and would prejudge them with the cruelest intentions without ever getting to know them. But, hey, I could be friends with both parties, and not be the focus of any wrath. Why? Well, they just didn't have any reason to be insecure or intimidated by my looks. Now - let's jump up to my late 20s, almost 30s - I still have some pretty hot friends, and some that are not-so-hot, let me clarify - all of you are in the hot, hot, hot category! Anyway, I can see those insecurities present with women even now. Beauty in my book, well, beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised! Lookin' good can make you feel good, however, when you're finding yourself focusing on feeling good about your looks, well it can typically be a BIG disadvantage when growing your relationship with Christ.

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  7. And by the way Angela, yes, I agree, with better looks comes more forgiveness by some...but comes far less forgivesness by others...and some do tend to rely too much on their looks, the problem is, our entire society feeds that day in and day out...good thoughts ladies!

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