Many Hats, One Purpose

Each one us have different identities that require us to wear a different "hat." Some of the hats we use are the ones of a mother, a wife, a sister, an aunt, a friend, and a co-worker. By the end of the day we may have switched hats numerous times to fulfill a certain responsibility. When we go over to our hat collection and really begin to examine each one, we might notice that some hats are worn more than others. We can tell from the tears, the holes, and the stains which ones we put on more. We might even have some hats that still look brand new because we haven't worn that hat too much. It might be a hat that you don't want to wear because you aren't comfortable wearing the hat, but like talking about it. When we examine our Christian life, we can think of our hats as spiritual gifts. God gives each one of us a certain spiritual gift and just like our hats, we are expected to use them. God didn't bless us with a spiritual gift just so we can hang it up and admire it. He expects us to utilize it to further His kingdom!

Paul reminds us in Romans 12:6-8, that we each have a different gift according to the grace given to us. God gives us gifts so we can build up His church. In order to use them effectively, we must (1) realize that all gifts and abilities come from God, (2) understand that not everyone has the same gifts, (3) know who we are and what we do best, (4) dedicate our gifts to God's service and not our personal success, and (5) be willing to utilize our gifts wholeheartedly, not holding anything back. Our purpose is to be faithful and to seek ways to serve others with what God gave us.

Look at this list and imagine the kinds of people who would have each gift. Prophets are bold and articulate. Servers are faithful and loyal. Teachers are clear thinkers. Encouragers know how to motivate others. Givers are generous and trusting. Leaders are good organizers and managers. Those who show mercy are caring people who are happy to give their time to others. It would be difficult for just one person to have all of these gifts. Romans 12:4 tells us that, "just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not have the same function." Our ministry cannot function if we all had the same gifts, just as our ministry won't be its best if its people don't use their gifts. Identify your gifts and ask God to reveal to you how He wants you to use them to build up His family. We are to be thankful for people whose gifts are different from ours because where one is weak the other is strong. Together, we as a family, can build up Christ's church.

A couple of months in Life Groups, we took a spiritual gifts inventory and discovered our God given gifts. When you examine these gifts can you honestly say that you wore it out from using it too much or have you hung it up to admire it and talk about it to your friends? Do your spiritual gifts reveal that you have "worn it with pride?" If your gift was serving, how have you served at the Refuge? If your gift is an encourager, how have you encouraged someone for the Refuge? If your gift is teaching, how have you taught at the Refuge? If your gift is giving, how have you given to the Refuge? As we begin to multiply our Life Groups, try not to think about leaving your comfort zone in one Life Group, but start thinking about how God can use this multiplication and your gifts to reach people through The Refuge. The opened doors at Stacie's apartment complex is a HUGE blessing for us. God is giving us a chance to really show Him how we will use the gifts He gave us to reach people. It means that we might have to get out of our comfort zone and talk to people that we have never met. It means that we might have to encourage people that we have never talked to before. This week, I challenge you to find ways to use your spiritual gifts. As we begin to use our spiritual gifts we must remember that they all serve a purpose and that is to build up Christ's Kingdom and win people for Him. We may not be comfortable using the gift because we have never had to use it before. If you never step out in faith and realize that God doesn't make mistakes in issuing us our spiritual gifts, then you will never know the blessing that you will be missing. Use your spiritual gifts so much that if they were to resemble a hat then you would see holes, tears, and stains in which you would admire and proudly say, "man, I really wore out that hat!" Then you would be comforted in knowing that God will say, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant."

10 Minute Challenge

How many of us get so wrapped up in our daily routines that by the time we sit down at night we are so exhausted, but all we can think about is what needs to be done tomorrow and try to decide how many things on our "to do list" can be pushed back to another day? Like most of us, the last thing we think about is spending time with our Heavenly Father. When we sit and really think about it, we owe Christ so much. God sent us His Son to die on a cross for us so that we would be saved from an eternal separation from Him. Christ was hung on a cross, He paid the price of OUR sins, and we show Him our appreciation by praying for our food before meal time and by opening our Bibles on Sundays when we go to church. If God loved us that much to bridge a gap between Heaven and hell then why can we not set aside a time in our life to study His Word?

I would like to suggest a challenge for each of us. I am not going to ask that we take an hour of our time to get in the Word and pray every day because we know that the physical and emotional stresses of our daily lives would enable us to do that. I am going to encourage you, however, to start dedicating 10 minutes of your daily routine to Bible study and prayer. In order to keep each other accountable I would encourage you to comment on this post what Scripture you read and what God revealed to you through your chosen Scripture. My prayer for doing this is that we will be able to grow in Christ as we develop a new found relationship with Him, as well as, relating to each other on a different level.

I look forward to reading how the Lord spoke to you during your Bible study and look forward to seeing you at our next Life Group this coming Sunday.

Love in Christ,

Becky Lemons
Psalm 146:1-2

Women of Refuge Outings

The Women of Refuge try to meet together in fellowship once a month. We try to plan various events so that we do not lose touch and stay connected during our busy lives. In December we went to Canton for a shopping day and lunch. We enjoyed the beautiful day God created while we shared our love of shopping! This month we met for dinner and went to Hometown Cinemas to watch Joyful Noise. We laughed and enjoyed our night out.

Next month we are planning to go to the house of Dianne Lemons to watch a movie and have pizza! Be sure to invite your friends and neighbors. Since this is a ministry, it almost seems selfish to not include all parties involved in planning events. With that being said, we are asking for suggestions for future events. Some of the suggestions so far have been as follows:

Weekend Shopping Trip to San Marcos (leave Saturday morning and come back Sunday)
Canton Shopping Trip
Spa Day
Dinner and Bible Study (study 5 Love Languages {for singles too}, Seasons of Marriage, or something related to women)
Allen Outlet Mall Shopping
Slumber Party/Bible Study (stay the weekend at Dianne's house)
Shopping Trip to Pearland, Texas
Arboretum and Lunch (Spring)
Once a Week Workout (meet to workout during the week)

If any of these sounds like something you would definitely like to do and have other suggestions, then please feel free to contact me at becky@gototherefuge.com. I look forward to spending time with each of you!

Love in Christ,

Becky Lemons
Women of Refuge Ministry

Welcoming Statements

Welcome to the Women of Refuge blog! Thank you for taking the time to check out our blog and for investing in our ministry. The sole purpose of this blog was that I wanted to create a personal space for the women of Refuge to go and connect with each other through devotionals and inspiring messages. My prayer for this blog is that it will connect us on a more personal and spiritual level. My prayer is that you’ll be inspired and encouraged and that what you read each week will help guide you each day as you live life. I challenge you, and myself, to connect on a deeper level with God and influence the community around you.

I am blessed to have each of you women in my life and a part of the Refuge Church.

In Christ,

Becky Lemons
Refuge Women's Ministry