This article is part four of a four part Bible Study series: "Becoming A Woman Of Excellence." Be sure to read parts one, two and three!

The final thing that we need in order to become women of excellence is a heart that desires to be obedient to God. We need to be totally devoted to Him. We need to have a heart that desires to follow after Him and do His will.

Proverbs 4: 23-27 (New International Version)

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."

We do this by concentrating on doing what is right. What if we are faced with a situation where we want to do what is right but we are not sure what we should do. Then we need to STOP! We should not do ANYTHING until we ask God for guidance and we know for sure what is the right thing to do for that situation.

We need to stop doing what is wrong. The split second we think or do something that is contrary to God’s heart, we need to stop immediately. This is the key to training our heart to be responsive to God.

If it is gossip, stop! If its an unworthy thought, stop! If it is a spark of anger, stop! We need to stop the thought before we act on it. If it is a word that tears down rather than builds up, stop before another word is said!

When we know that we have said, done or thought something that is a sin and is displeasing to God, we need to confess that sin to Him right away, the sooner, the better! Not only do we need to confess, but we need to forsake that sin and turn away from it, no longer allowing that sin to have any control in our lives.

If our sin has hurt another person, we need to make things right with them as well. We need to apologize to them and ask them to forgive us.

Philippians 3: 12-14 (New Internatioal Version)

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers (and sisters!), I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Once we have confessed our sin, we need to MOVE ON and continue striving for the goal to become a woman of excellence! Our enemy, Satan, delights when our failure to obey God keeps us from serving Him. Satan wants us to feel guilty when we fall into sin.

We must not allow our emotions to keep us from going on and following after God. Our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus. We are forgiven and set free from the power of sin! That does not mean that we will never sin again, it means that even when we do sin, once we confess that sin, we are not subject to the wages of sin. For the wages of sin is death. Sin has no power over us!

Obedience is a foundational stepping stone on the path to becoming a woman of excellence.

So right now, consider whether you have totally yielded your heart and your will to God. God is looking for a heart that will obey Him, that will do His will. Does this describe your heart? Does your heart follow hard after God? Has God been revealing to you as I have been sharing, any areas in your life that you have not completely submitted to Him? Any areas of sin in your life that you need to confess to Him and turn away from? If so, take some time right now to acknowledge those areas of disobedience, confess that sin to the Lord and choose to forsake it, so that you can press on towards the goal of becoming a woman of excellence!

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