The following excerpt was extracted with permission from Martha Peace’s book Saobia e Conselheira, Editora Fiel.
Believers often have exuberant zeal, but very little knowledge; it is common for his desire to serve the Lord to be great, but to make his Christian character terribly imperfect; they are like a nurse novice in training who arrives at the hospital in her new starched uniform, her shiny shoes and her carefully knotted hair in an impeccable bun She is excited and delighted to be here!Its exterior shows a professional and competent appearance, however, appearances deceive.
If you are not fully aware of your limitations, your work can be extremely dangerous!
When I began my Christian career, I was like this young nurse in formation, excited and very active, wanted to serve the Lord by great means. I thought I’d soon be like that famous Bible study teacher I’d heard about, whose classes doubled in frequency each week. Soon, there was no room for new visitors.
When I was a new convert, a lady in our church named Linda came up to me and expressed her desire to lead a Bible study group at home. And he said, “Do you want to give the study? I was very excited to say, “Yes !!!?”
Linda and I invited our friends, our neighbors and everyone who gave us the opportunity to invite. Our study was conducted on Wednesday morning and we started with two or three women. I taught the gospel of John, verse by verse. The frequency was rare and unstable. A particular week caught my eye. We had eight women firmly committed to returning the following Wednesday. I went even more to the preparation of the study and Linda prepared the house. When the day came, Linda got up early and made pepperoni cookies. When I arrived, the aromas of coffee and pepperoni were irresistible!We were so excited! We pray and look forward to the arrival of each of the guests.
Soon the time has come, and time has passed?It was so late that we had to face reality: no one came!I wanted to cry. Linda said, “Perhaps the Lord does not want us to have a Bible study group. “My hope of seeing large groups of women listen to my lectures shattered before my eyes. However, instead of canceling meetings, we decided to take a week to pray and then do at least one more study.
The following week I was anxious to think about what the Lord was going to do. now, looking back, I find it obvious what God was doing; I was beginning to shape my character and protect these large groups of women (many of them). who, for that matter, never came) from my immaturity in doctrine and character; I looked at the present, but God contemplated all the future path and began to prepare me to serve it; at the time, my unconscious and unpayable zeal was dangerous as this unbridled and rebellious nurse.
In this chapter, I will explain three areas of my own life, in which the Lord first worked so that I could now educate and encourage other women. The three areas were and remain: doctrine, character, and ministry.