Sarah (Illustration by Joel Spector, 2005)
Life in the Margins: Sarah
'Sarah struggled to secure her place in God's purposes, as life passed her by and her hopes of bearing the child of promise expired. We will learn through Sarah's story that even when it looks like we're missing out on the big things God is doing, we have a high calling and a vital mission to carry out every day of our lives'.
Read: Genesis 11:26-31; 18:1-15
Questions from the book to get you thinking...
1) Describe a time when you felt God's silence in your life. How did you interpret God's silence? What did you think about God? About yourself?
2) How did God's silence impact Sarah? What did she believe she needed to do to have a place in God's purposes? How did that belief affect her as well as her relationship with God and with others?
3) How did the fact that God created Sarah to be his image bearer and an ezer mean that her place in his purposes was already secure?
4) How did Sarah's focus on bearing a son distract her from her mission to be Abraham's spiritual ally and to reflect God's image in her relationship with Hagar?
5) How did Sarah and Abraham fail as a Blessed Alliance? How did they succeed?
6) When we are living in God's silence, how do we get sidetracked from our true mission?
Can't remember how to take part? Here's a reminder.
Catch up on the conversation so far here.
5 comments:
I actually enjoyed this chapter. I identified with the idea that, for most of her story, Sarah must have felt that God had forgotten her. I particularly liked the bit where the author suggests that we freeze her story before the birth of her son when we can feel"stuck somewhere in the middle, longing to see God's hand, trying to find my place in His purposes, struggling to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving". She suggests that our completeness comes from God and not our culture which can often make us feel lost. But how? I'd have loved her to elaborated.
Thanks for starting us off Helen. I'm really grateful as I've taken my eye off this ball a bit here in CH...
Re: Sarah's 'lostness'... That whole section about God's disconcerting silence felt like familiar territory. At the same time, I could relate to feeling so defeated by my circumstances that, like Sarah, I forget to factor God in the equation. I so often need to remember the 'nothing is too hard for God'.
The part about the Lord speaking directly to an eavesdropping Sarah made me smile. He knows our little foibles as well as the big picture! It's one thing to love God, but I think His tenderness makes me like Him too, if that isn't too presumptuous.
Helen, I've been giving this whole idea of finding one's wholeness in God a lot of thought. I wonder if it is as simple as constantly offering myself to Him, to be filled with His presence, love & peace. Any 'Breaking Free' girls reading this? Can you help me remember, as I don't have my workbook with me - what is it that Beth says about filling ourselves up on God so it frees others from having to meet our emotional needs? Anyone know what I'm talking about - it was kind of an aha moment for me. I love the idea that we are so satisfied with God that everything else is 'just gravy'.
I have felt the silence many times ,feeling the defeat , but recently when i felt my "dry period" comming on i choose to through myself in His word searching , and asking for prayer, my 'dry period " passed very quickly this time , but I was thirsting for more of the Lord's Words and guidance , I just couldn't get enough, I thing what you mean by "Being So Satisfied With God that everything else is Just Gravy?
Julie
Hmm, its not easy finding ‘completeness’ when culture/ society tells us that we are lacking in some areas because we don’t fit a particular mold is it? I suppose it brings us back to C.C James’ point about it being vital that we remember that we are created in the image of God (an individual with a significant mandate) and that really; nothing else is needed for us to be of great significance or to be used in wonderful ways by God (easier said than done!) I think that helps me to some extent to drown out the voices that tell me that I am lacking in some way and need for something to happen in my life before I am valuable enough to be used by God. Sarah is such a wonderful example of someone who far from being ‘in the margins’ where God was concerned (although she lived in a male oriented world and circumstances seemed to indicate she was sidelined by God), was actually someone who was going to be used to fulfil a vital role in God’s plan in God’s time. If only she knew so all along! It would have saved her so much heartache.... I was challenged by the statement that God doesn’t spare us from hard choices and that we have a responsibility towards God, ourselves and others to make responsible choices but am so thankful that as reminded by Sarah’s example, although our lives are full of well intentioned mistakes, God is able to work despite these mistakes to bring about His purposes.
Hi Julie. Yes, that's more or less what I mean - God becomes the meat, potatoes and 2 veg that satisfies our desires/needs, so that we don't need anything from anyone else.
This frees us to be who God intends us to be, and frees others from our need to manipulate situations to get what we think we need (eg. the Sarah/Hagar situation). That's certainly not to say that we don't need other people. I do believe that community is vital for a healthy sense of self. I just mean that our identity is so grounded in God that we don't need 'strokes' from those who can't possibly give us the unconditional affection and attention we want...
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