Because He Loves Me – Intro and Chapter 1

Today is the day I will begin blogging what I am learning from “Because He Loves Me, By Elyse M. Fitzpatrick. I am joining Grace Full Mama as she and Ruth from Gracelaced host this study from their encouraging blogs. Please jump in and join them as well! Would enjoy reading your insights also!

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“I’ve written this book because grasping the reality of God’s love will provide every answer to every question we have about Him and ourselves. It will tell us who we are, why we are here, and how we’re supposed to do what we’re supposed to be doing. Delighting in God’s love will transform everything about us, including who we are, or our identity. This love is illustrated for us in Scripture, and particularly in the story we call “the gospel”. Elyse M. Fitzpatrick

I (Diane) am reading this book because, “Unless we’re very intentional about meditating on these truths (there were ten pages of Scripture about Jesus in the pages preceding this quote), they slip from our thoughts like misty dreams that evaporate in the morning light. That’s why Luther said we must ‘take heed, then, to embrace…the love and kindness of God…[and to] daily exercise [our faith] therein, entertain no doubt of God’s love and kindness.'” Elyse M. Fitzpatrick

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It will be no surprise to any of you to read that life is busy. We all have some mix of husbands and children, a home and pets, jobs, and daily tasks to keep things humming. We have things to maintain and things to create, meals to cook and kitchens to clean. Noses to wipe and baths to give. Plants to water, gardens to weed. School to teach and papers to grade. There are so many wonderful blessings. I really mean that…these are wonderful blessings! But, in the midst of navigating these blessings, it is so easy to forget why we do what we do. It is easy to forget who we are. It is easy to be distracted from our First Love.

In Because He Loves Me, Elyse Fitzpatrick asks us a question…”In your pursuit of godliness, have you left Jesus behind?” She asks us to consider some things…the ones that stood out for me were: “Are you more focused on your performance for Him or His for you?” “At the end of the day is there rest in your soul because of Him, or is there guilt and a determination that tomorrow you’re going to “do better”?” She also asks us a few questions at the end in order to help us consider what we have read and are going to be reading. She asks us if we agree that many of us [the readers] are so focused on “living the Christian life” that we’ve left Jesus behind. I would agree with this statement.

Reading this chapter has been very refreshing for me. My mind is reengaged toward the essential practice of thinking about Jesus and praising Him throughout my day. Though the dishes and the farm box are currently calling me from the kitchen, I have kept my bottom on the couch and pondered His greatness. God has helped me keep my mind engaged here with Him and His Word…refreshing my soul. While I will need to answer the cries for cleanliness coming from the kitchen, I will now do so with a heart of worship…a peaceful heart. It is my prayer that God would sustain my thoughts and help me to keep my focus on Him and His goodness and His purposes for each aspect of my daily life. It is so easy me to be pulled in all directions, lose my joy and become exhausted. While the pulling won’t end [and truth be told, I don’t want it to end…] Perhaps today I can be pulled in all directions with joy!

If you are reading along in Because He Loves Me, this week I will be reading Chapter two…with a blog post to follow next Wednesday. Thank you to Grace Full Mama and Ruth from Gracelaced for hosting this study! It is very timely!

Blessings!