Lesson 1 - INTRODUCTION
The C.O.P.E. Bible Study does not mean to encourage coping in order to get by, but instead to overcome circumstances and issue situations. Women of God have great power in their faith, once they know how to put it to work. The power is not us as believers but the one in us…the Lord Jesus Christ – friend and Savior.
Let’s look at this study as one that introduces us to action or A.C.T.
A - Accomplishment (based on what we do)
C - Contentment (based on what we feel)
T – Temperance (based on attitude and discipline)
Common sense tells us that we cannot accomplish unless we do (meaning an attempt to do something), yet, too often and too many of us expect to accomplish much by putting forth little. We wish for contentment, peace, if you will, but put little effort into the expectation of it. We want it, hope for it, even pine for it but then wait for others or even God to stroke us into calmness. Our attitudes are often based on upbringing, social behavior around us or wishful thinking but it is more necessary to temper our minds eye on purpose, focusing on the desires of God, not on man.
This study is for the purpose of causing growth in our Christian walk. We are a canvas that others in the world see on display every day of our lives. How are we going to prove all we claim to be when we walk in despair and fear? Are we supposed to prove anything? Isn’t that up to God?
We will discover in the study that yes, we are expected to walk before the world in triumph and victory. But as God told many in the old and new testaments of the Bible….he is with us through it all and for his purpose. We can only fail as Christians if we allow it. He is with us – he will never leave us, but how many times do we walk away from Him?
Please, if you are hurting or in despair, if you struggle in your daily life because of circumstances that seem beyond your ability to make right, then hold on and trust our Lord.
The Christian is not promised a stress-free life on earth, but we can learn to live a stress-less one.
It wasn’t so long ago and maybe still in existence the shaking of heads when a Christian, especially a Christian woman used the terms “self esteem” and self worth”, “coping” etc. It was frowned upon to think that you may be lacking in self esteem, after all, weren’t you born again, with the Holy Spirit in you? How could anyone be lacking in anything? Growing up and into my early Christian years as a woman, I can tell you that I had no self esteem – or CONFIDENCE. I was easily intimidated. I knew God was in me, but I hadn’t learned to put His will and wisdom to use in my life. I was informed that using the word “cope” wasn’t Christian. “Christians don’t cope”…they are victorious in everything! Yet, to me, learning to cope was essential in learning how to overcome and I still feel that way. It is like baby steps. Every Christian walks their walk by first taking baby steps long before they live by leaps and bounds. I have never read an auto biography yet of one of the heroes of the faith, that didn’t tell of how they coped on their way to overcoming. After all, not coping means what? …giving in? giving up? Hmmmm.
In the weeks ahead we will be looking at the tools we need to be the person that God meant us to be.
C = Confidence vs. Intimidation
O = Organization vs. Confusion/Procrastination
P = Positive/Proper Attitude vs. Uncertainty/Defeat
E = Edification vs. Ignorance
Some time ago I was listening to a radio program when during the commercial break I heard something like this… “Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a handbook for daily living – a place to turn to for answers and directions for the things that overwhelm us on a daily basis?” “Wow!” I thought to myself, this person really needs to come to our Bible study. We DO have such a handbook. It guides and directs and teaches. I know its author personally and He has autographed my copy with his love. Psalm 32:8 says “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with my eye.” To the Christian, there is no doubt that the Bible is our handbook, authored by the creator God himself.
In the book “You Can Too” by Mary Crowley, founder of Home Interiors and Gifts, Inc., she tells of a time when she and her husband went to Nassau on their vacation. On one particular Sunday they found themselves worshiping at a little church. At one point the preacher leaned over the pulpit and in a booming voice said “BE SOMEBODY, GOD DOESN’T TAKE TIME TO MAKE A NOBODY!” That phrase was carried back by Mrs. Crowley and shared with thousands of women since then. Mary Crowley passed on to glory many years ago, but that statement has literally changed the lives of many women. “Be somebody” - understand your worth. You are somebody special in God. You are made in his likeness and his Son gave up his life for you. “God doesn’t take time to make a nobody” – what a loving God we have that he makes himself aware of our every need and desire. He walks with us – daily – if we take him by the hand. You are not a nobody…God proves that with his love and awesome plan for your life.
Are you saved? If you are, then Jesus says to you in John 10:10b that he came to give you life and that you might have it more abundantly. In verse 11 he tells us that he is the good shepherd who gives his life for his sheep.
(Do you understand the question – “are you saved?” If you don’t then please read the statement at the end of this introduction. It is information that will change your life.)
With the promise of life abundant, where does strife, confusion and heart break come from? How do we deal with it and can we overcome it?
(To save space here, please have your Bible handy) Let’s look at man and women in Genesis chapter 2, starting in verse 7. Read through to the end of the chapter. So far everything is going pretty good. The “Young People’s Bible History” book, (copyright 1872) pictures Adam and Eve as the only two human beings to ever experience total bliss, happiness and joy over an extended period of time. What went wrong?
In chapter three we get a clear picture. Even though they blamed each other, Adam and Eve eventually would lose their life of peace and bliss because of their own actions. Now, don’t go blaming anyone yet, not even the devil or Eve who normally gets blamed for the downfall of mankind. The whole story involves three beings, all guilty of wrong doing. They worked on and off one another. One intimidates; one caves in to temptation and guile and one doesn’t stand up to the truth. All fail miserably and all are to blame. One - the devil, purposely goads and tempts another to do exactly what God said not to…it was a choice Satan made. One - Eve, falls to temptation, though I hesitate to call it deception, she had been given explicit directions that she failed to follow….it was a choice that Eve made. One - Adam, blames Eve (why not, Eve blamed the devil) and doesn’t accept his responsibility as head of the house…..he wasn’t forced to eat…it was a choice Adam made.
It wasn’t until sin entered into Adam and Eve’s lives that strife was evident. Because of that original sin, we face sin today and have to deal with strife, sometimes seemingly to heavy to bear. Genesis, chapter five, verse five, tells us that Adam lived 930 years. Whew! No retirement package, no social security, no counselors…just live. Live and deal with the matters of the day, of which sin became more and more a part of their lives.
Adam and Eve left the security and beauty of the Garden of Eden to face a life of shame, hardship and despair. I am sure there were happy times. They had their two sons (God would bless them with more children later). Being a mom and grandmom, I can tell you that most of my greatest joys come from those titles. However, their two sons would also bring the first family the greatest of heartbreak and the first murder ever recorded in man’s history. How could they bear the heartbreak of losing one son at the hand of the other and on top of that to lose Cain as a vagabond for his life time, never to settle in peace? Cain said in 4:13 “My punishment is greater than I can bear.” God, being mindful of Cain’s sin, sent him away, yet set a seal of protection on him. That’s God for you, always willing to make something better of us.
Have you ever been where Cain was? Have you ever felt that you could bear no more? Ready to throw in the towel, so that you don’t have to face another minute of another day in the circumstances you are in? Perhaps we all have had those moments. Some fleeting, for others very devastating. God’s purpose was not for us to suffer. He gives us the right of choice. To me the right to choose has always been seen as a gift, but with it comes great responsibility.
Our dilemma’s will often come with the power and wisdom to set things right to assure the outcome. The rest may often be the area called ‘God’s will’ in our life- those things that we must endure, learn from, and live out for His glory.
CONFIDENCE - To place confidence over intimidation we must recognize who and what we are. Who...we are the children of God, once we are saved; what...We are chosen of God to use His strength, wisdom and love, not fear…fear cripples and shatters our confidence and our confidence is in God. The two, confidence in God and fear, just can’t go together. Proverbs 3:25,26 “Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”
Hebrews 13:6 “We may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
It is a wonderful thing to know that the Lord’s personality is not contingent upon my personality-that the Lord’s will is not contingent to my desire and that the Lord’s way is not contingent to my promises!
He is Lord and he wants us to walk confidently in him!
*Next: Key 1 in the 10 Keys of Confidence
***A message to those who have never made Jesus Christ their savior. You may say you know him and believe he is God’s son. That’s a great start. You may say that you have gone to church your whole life and you know he died on a rugged cross at the hands of evil men and that he died for the sins of the world. That’s even a better start- but it is not enough. Jesus wants a personal relationship with you. Something you can count on, lean on and trust. God’s word is real and it is true. Take a few minutes and read the following passages from the Bible. Then, perhaps, you will pray a prayer of saving power and become a new believer in the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way.
“OVER” (Above in position – Webster)
ONE WAY: “Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
VICTORY: “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 15:57
ETERNAL LIFE: “For the wages (payment) of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
RECEIVE: “...but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” John 1:12
“COME” (To draw near – Webster)
CONFESS: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9
OWN: “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you (the believer), which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” I Corinthians 6:19
MAN: (Man cannot save himself) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9
EVERLASTING SECURITY IN CHRIST: “I am he that liveth, and was dead: and behold, I am alive for evermore…” Revelation 1:18
- OVERCOME - “…this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” John 5:4
Now…trusting in His truth you can say this prayer (or use your own words) Father, I know that I sin and need a savior. I would like Jesus to come into my life and rescue me. I turn my life over to Him. I believe on his holy name and pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
It doesn’t end there. Please contact me if you have made a decision to accept Jesus as your Savior. I will hold you up to the Lord in prayer. SP – author/founder of C.O.P.E.
|