Joan read with a passion. She led a small, weekly Bible study, but it wasn’t always the Bible that we studied. She introduced me to C.S. Lewis and Dietrich Bonhoeffer and other writers. Her knowledge was inspiring. One of the things she often said was, “If a lot of different people keep telling you that you should be doing something, perhaps God is speaking through them, and you should listen.”
Joan was the first to admit that she didn’t particularly enjoy teaching Bible study, but she had been asked so frequently that she felt it really could be God speaking to her. She also confessed that while her preparation was always complete, some of the thoughts shared during study just seemed to “pop out.” She felt this was the result of giving the Spirit the room to speak.
Has God been calling you? Are you listening? Maybe it’s time you gave the Spirit a little elbow room.
This message was adapted from “Bible Study Mentors and Me” by Marian F. Marion that appeared in the January 1997 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.