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Lessons from Creation: Orderly Growth
by Marnie Pehrson
www.SheLovesGod.com
There is an important principle of order that we can learn
from our Creator and the creation process.
It is the principle of orderly growth found in the book of Genesis in the
six creative periods. Everything was created logically and in order.
Day 1: Separation of light and darkness
Day 2: Separation of the waters on earth from the water in the
atmosphere
Day 3: Creation of earth, seas, and vegetation.
Day 4: Creation of lights -- Sun, Moon, Stars, and Seasons
Day 5: Creation of whales, fish, fowls
Day 6: Creation of cattle, beasts, animals, man and woman.
 Notice that
each day built on the one before. The fish could not be created before the
seas. The plants could not be created before the sun and the earth. We too must
do things in order. You cannot run before you know how to crawl. In your homes,
careers, and even in your spiritual growth, you must do things in wisdom and in
order. It is not requisite that you should run faster than you have strength.
Getting ahead of yourself and trying to do too many things at once will only
serve to overwhelm you.
I believe as women we expect too much from ourselves in many respects, yet
often neglect the weightier matters. We expect ourselves to be Super Moms --
these dynamic women with successful careers and healthy, happy and brilliant
children, glamorous wives for our husbands, spotless home managers, and
spiritual giants. Few of us can live up to these kinds of expectations without
cracking under the pressure.
Instead of trying to be everything at once, we can learn to pace ourselves
while keeping the important things uppermost in our minds. We can also realize
that ''To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the
heaven.'' (Ecclesiastes 3:1) We can have it all as women, but sometimes it may
not be possible to have it all simultaneously. There are choices to be made. We
might have to sacrifice our spotless house when our babies are little in order
to be better mothers or to be able to continue to develop our talents. We might
have to put down that career magazine to spend more time with our husband or to
read our scriptures.
It is really a matter of priorities. When we put God first in our lives,
everything else will naturally fall into place. Matthew 6:33 explains, ''But
seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.'' When we seek God first and truly hunger and
thirst after righteousness (Matt 5:6), we are filled. I speak from experience
when I say that if we truly have God first in our lives, but we have the
remainder of our priorities out of order, the Lord has a way of making us feel
uneasy and off-center until we straighten out the rest of those priorities.
But what are those other priorities? When we put God first, and seek to live
our lives in accordance with his will, we learn of Christ's commandment, ''A
new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you,
that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another.'' (John 13:34)
Love begins at home -- whether in the family we grew up in, the family we have,
or the one we hope to have. We learn about love in our families as we serve,
teach and spend time with each other. The natural consequence of putting God
first in our lives leads us to pull our family to the top of our priorities as
well.
Once we have God first in our lives, we are prepared to reach out to others
within our circle of influence. We learn that when we are in the service of our
fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God. As Christ taught in
Matthew 25:40, ''Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me.''
Once we are clear on what really matters most to us in our lives, choices
become easier. When we are forced to let something go because we do not have
the time or energy to do everything we'd like to do, we'll know what to keep
and what to set aside.
I am not speaking to you about these things because I have them all figured
out. This is a daily struggle for me. But I have learned that God will help us
change our hearts and shift our priorities. Over the last 6 months, God has
blessed me with events and people who have helped me pull Him to the number one
spot. And it has totally transformed my life. I still struggle between career
and family time, but I am actively working to pull loving and serving my family
and others higher up the ladder.
I testify to each of you that Jesus Christ lives -- that He is our Savior,
our one and only Advocate with the Father. And by Him, and through Him and of
Him the worlds are and were created (John 1:1-3). As James E. Talmage once
said, ''The world's greatest champion of woman and womanhood is Jesus Christ.''
He understands the many roles we fill as women and he is waiting and willing to
help us with the demands on our time and our energy. He stands ready -- waiting
to help us if we will but ask. He so wants to shower each of us with his
blessings. As we put Him first in our lives, He will ''open the windows of
heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive
it.'' (Malachi 3:10)
Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ.
Marnie L. Pehrson
http://www.shelovesgod.com
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Written by: Marnie Pehrson
Marnie Pehrson is an Internet developer, writer & creator of
SheLovesGod.com -- A support community for Christian women. Join in our
discussion list, chats, message boards and questions of the week. Also feature
your own articles in the community and voice your opinions at http://www.shelovesgod.com.
The author may be contacted at http://www.shelovesgod.com
webmaster@shelovesgod.com.
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