I came across the Bible Study Chaos to Calm from A Virtuous Woman.org and was was intrigued by her study. Originally I was going to skip it because Melissa Ringstaff, a preacher’s wife, is not Catholic and she wouldn’t be able to offer advice from a Catholic perspective. However, while she does not discuss Jesus in the Eucharist or asking Our Lady for prayer, she does make some beautiful yet practical points about being a virtuous Christ-like woman and they were truly speaking to my heart. So I continued with the study and just added my own Catholic materials to supplement.

Past posts:

Chaos to Calm Bible Study, Vol 1:  Morning Prayer & Finding Joy in the Craziness of Motherhood

Here are a few points that really hit home during Week 2 (Day 6)

Point 1: The Duty of Man (or Woman)

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13,14

Melissa explains:

It is our WHOLE duty to fear God (show Him due respect and reverence) and keep His commandments (God’s eternal moral law found in Exodus 20). Sounds pretty easy, right? Not really. In fact, the closer I come to Jesus the more wretched I realize I am! …

…The closer you come to Jesus the more you will desire to keep His commandments. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). As followers of Christ we delight to do His will, we want to keep His law.

When I first read this I thought to myself, what about when doing God’s will is not a delight?

It reminded me a story a priest once told about a young man who was used to partying and dating a lot of women. Then he met an incredible girl who was not only beautiful on the outside but on the inside as well. They got to know each other and the young man wanted to date the girl. She said she would but only if he was willing to stop his partying ways and date her exclusively. She was not going to be one of many girls.

He was upset by these demands and did not want to give up his fun. However, his desire to be with this girl was so great that he reluctantly agreed. At first it was very difficult for him to leave behind his old ways but as the weeks passed and his friendship with the girl grew, his love for her began to grow as well.

One day he realized that it was no longer a burden to live by “the rules.” There was no one else he’d rather be united with in life.

The priest went on to explain that we are like that young man. Just as he began to be faithful to the girl out of duty it eventually was done out of love. So it is with God. Often we follow the commandments out of duty or fear of punishment but eventually we follow out of love for Christ. I heard that explanation years and years ago but it always stuck with me.

Point 2: Making love of God our motivation.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3

Melissa goes on to explain how to reach (or maintain) love of God as our motivation.

A. Daily Prayer

(Melissa reviews lessons 1-5 of the Bible study)

This has been part of our homework each day. By now you should be feeling better about getting up early in the morning for prayer and devotion. A daily gathering of manna for the soul. Having an early morning prayer sets the tone for the day and gives you the strength you need to get through the day as a virtuous woman. Through daily prayer you will begin to see peace take over your heart where turmoil used to reside. You will begin to feel contentment where dissatisfaction used to creep up. You will begin to understand God’s purpose for your life. God has a plan in mind for your life – the perfect plan! It is up to you to seek out His plan for you. And while you begin to live a life of prayer, you will begin to see sin in its natural state.

I had been doing fairly well with my waking up early in the morning and I have to admit that it makes a big difference in my attitude. However, with Easter vacation I seemed to have also taken a vacation from my prayer time. I slept in every day of the last week. Today was the kids first day back at school so I set my alarm to wake me early this morning determined to return to my morning prayer time. As things turned out, I was up at 2am taking care of a sick child. It seems God wanted me to spend time in prayer in the wee hours of the morning instead.

Melissa also talked about the importance of repenting and asking for forgiveness during our prayer. This is an area I really need improvement. I’ve gotten into the habit of doing my nightly examine as I am in bed. I am usually exhausted and almost always fall asleep before I am done. I need to turn off the TV or close my book or get off the computer a little earlier so I can do my examine before I knock out on my pillow. That is my prayer goal for this week.

We all have our own weaknesses, our own temptations, our own struggles. We all have a purpose set before us to follow His will for our own lives. Through daily prayer, our character will develop into something beautiful – something like the woman of Proverbs 31.

“We have a purpose set before us to follow His will for our own lives.” I needed that reminder. THIS is my vocation first and foremost. The waking up at 2 am, the cooking meals and doing laundry and taking care of the kids. It is not glamorous and to the outside world it may seem a waste of time but this is my path, my road to sanctification. This is how God will mold me and with his grace it will be the means He uses to help me conquer my selfishness, impatience, laziness and all the other areas I need to work on. As St Therese showed us, it is the little things done with great love that bring us closer to the Heart of Christ. Keeping prayer in the morning and evening  helps me to better unite all the little things I do each day to Our Lord, transforming my duties into a prayer to God.

B. Daily Study

Learning to follow God’s commands is a life long journey. Having a meek and quiet spirit that is filled with His likeness comes through prayer and the studying of His Word. If you are not in God’s Word on a daily basis you are missing a tremendous blessing! There is so very much to learn through God’s Word. There are so many lessons, so many revelations that can only fully be understood if you are really reading and studying the Word of God for yourself.

Maybe it’s a stereotypical Catholic thing but I seriously don’t read Scripture as often as I should. I am getting better now that I am doing my morning devotions but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

If you have the same problem, you may try using the Truth and Life Dramatized Audio Bible New Testament. Brian bought this last year and he really enjoys listening to it in the car.

Another option is to download a Bible app to your smart phone. There are a number of free ones but I was checking out the  iMissal’s Catholic Bible that Brian just downloaded to his iphone. It is a little pricey for an app at $10 but Brian said it is was clean, easier to navigate and bookmark and it was the version he preferred.

C. Daily Living

Melissa says:

You know, it is not enough to pray and study if we don’t take those lessons we have read and those lessons God has spoken in our hearts with us throughout the day. We need to practice what we have learned! We need to make ourselves – however difficult at times – to follow through. Whether we have been convicted to speak with love or convicted not to watch soap operas or to have patience with our children (just as Christ is with us) we need to take those convictions – those lessons – and put them into play.

By putting into practice those lessons we have learned, we will begin to live a sanctified life, a life of obedience. We will begin to understand what it means when the Bible says that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments.

This does not mean we will never have a set back or mess things up royally. When we do, we should go to our loving Father, yet again, and ask for forgiveness and strength to do better in the future. It IS possible to live according to His law and His will for your life. It may not always be easy or fun but it will always be worth it in the end.

There is really nothing more to say to that but, “Amen!”