I just got home from an overnight church women's retreat, which was held at an area resort. It was a wonderful day and a half of study, prayer, worship, and girlfriend gab in our jammies in front of the fireplace (I was staying in a four-bedroom cottage with six other women). And then there was the chocolate.
The retreat was called "The Perfect Getaway," and, as the name implies, we grappled with the concept of perfection in our culture. Just a flip through a few women's magazines and we are assaulted with articles on how we can attain perfection in every area of our lives: How to Have It All. You, too, can be the perfect wife, mother, friend, hostess, career woman, etc. by following these five easy steps. Or, if you're too hung up on perfection, here's how to let go of all that. Before you know it, you're caught in a pursuit of nothing but dissatisfaction at the very least, not to mention guilt or heartache when you fail..
Our study focused on the book of Philippians. In our discussion time, we talked about God's plan versus the world's pressure, and we came away with a better understanding of God's idea of perfection. I feel better equipped to recognize and reject the pressure to be "perfect" by the world's definition.
God's plans are always better.
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How wonderful it sounds, and I appreciate the reminder that I'm not going to be able to get a grip on what God's plans are without digging into my Bible. Too often I substitute my own or someone else's plans for his, because I haven't spent enough time in God's Word to know the difference.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you went and were renewed - thanks for posting about it!
Well said about knowing God's plans. Most of the time, I know my own really well, and His plans, which pop up occasionally (ha ha!) tend to surprise me. It really should not be this way.
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