Imagine waking up every single day convinced that the 24 hours ahead of you are a precious gift to be used wisely. Imagine also, that you know exactly how to spend them to be a force for God’s good.
How do you learn to experience this abundant life, fulfilling the plans God has for us? The answers are found in following the footsteps of the One who lived fully, because He was determined that we might do the same.
In Determined: Living Like Jesus in Every Moment (Abingdon Press) a six-week Bible study of Luke, Heather M. Dixon, author, speaker, and Bible teacher, follows the life and ministry of Jesus and the choices He made on His way to the cross. This study connects readers with the Savior on His mission to love the world and gives them a model for intentional living that they can replicate to live each day to the fullest and make a difference for God’s kingdom.
Imagine waking up every single day convinced that the 24 hours ahead of you are a precious gift to be used wisely. Imagine also, that you know exactly how to spend them to be a force for God’s good.
I had a chance to interview Heather to learn more.
What is the main message you hope women take away from Determined?
I want women to know that Jesus was determined to love them and that the abundant life He
promises is attainable when we make the choice to live just like He did.
What was your inspiration for writing this study?
Because of the threat of major medical events associated with my Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome,
one of the words that is used to describe it is terminal. I chatted with God often as I tried to get
comfortable with that word. And He reminded me that I was not the first to walk this earth with the
awareness that death was on its way.
Jesus had three years to fulfill His earthly mission. He accomplished His purpose and lived fully with
a determined mindset, one that was eternally focused. The blessing for us with that mindset is that
it makes every present moment beautiful and valuable. That's the choice I wanted to embrace—not
living with a terminal perspective, but living fully with a determined attitude.
How has writing this Bible study impacted your own life and walk of faith?
The Determined study changed the way I saw Jesus and it changed the way I make daily decisions.
I met Jesus when I was twelve because my best friend in middle school invited me, an unchurched
introvert who had just lost her mother, to church camp. And all this time I thought I've known
exactly who Jesus was. I knew that He was loving and forgiving, compassionate and good. I knew
that He was the Son of God and that He died on the cross to pay the debt for my sins. I knew He was
my Savior. But until I studied the book of Luke, I didn't know how determined He was to love both
you and me. I didn't know that every choice He made on His way to the cross was intentional. He did
nothing without the ultimate goal of saving the world in His mind. Jesus lived determined.
Studying the choices He made on His way to the cross made me change the choices I make on a daily
basis. It helped me realize that every choice matters and that the choice to live like Jesus is the path
to abundant living. That doesn’t mean that every moment will be filled with unicorns and rainbows.
Life in this broken world is hard. But it does mean that Jesus walks with us through every one of
those hard moments. His presence is the abundance we need to see them through.
What is one practical tool you offer women in Determined?
Life can be so overwhelming sometimes so this is a question I asked God often as I was writing:
what's a template we can follow every day that will help us embrace life fully? And the answer came
from what we study in the first week of Determined—Worship, Word, Pray, Obey.
This is the pattern I seek to follow every day:
Spend time worshiping God
Read His Word
Pray over what God needs me to do that day
Then obey Him by seeing it through
Look for ways that you can embrace this pattern every day: Worship, Word, Pray, Obey. You don't
have to rearrange your entire day to do this. You can worship in the car as you run errands, listen to
the Bible on audio as you take a walk, and pray as you are in the shower. Then you'll know how best
to spend the rest of your day in obedience. Be determined about making this pattern a habit, and
you'll be well on your way to living like Jesus.
Share one of your favorite “Habits for Success” from the study and why it is your favorite.
I love the reminder from Luke 6:45 that we speak (and think and act) from the overflow of what
occupies our heart. As a wife, a mother, and a friend, there are so many times when I am tempted
to feel like I have to know all the answers in order to support those around me well. How can I help
my husband work through a management issue at work? How do I respond to my son’s question
about why people do bad things? How can I love my friend through a situation that I’ve never been
through before?
My study of Luke taught me that the habit of spending time with Jesus is the one that will best help
me love the world around me. When we fill our hearts with the good news of Christ, His wisdom and
love will overflow into all that we are doing. I don’t have to know all the answers. I just have to know
Jesus.
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil
things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” – Luke
6:45 NIV
What do you love most about ministering to women?
There’s a certain sweetness in a room filled with women who are hungry to draw near to God. It’s
the smiles, the warm hugs, the laughter, and the silent acknowledgement that yes, her to-do list
feels just as overwhelming as mine. Sometimes it’s even the tears. The unspoken camaraderie
among women makes it easier to share the burdensome and challenging things because you know
you have an army of friends and prayer warriors standing beside you. And that you aren’t alone.
That connection exists whether it’s a face to face encounter or an online experience. Women
support women. And I love supporting them as they pursue their Creator.
What do you love most about studying the Bible?
God's Word has carried me through some of the scariest moments of my life, and some of the most
wonderful ones too! I love that the Bible can tangibly speak into whatever I am facing in the coming
day, that it is full of nuances to be discovered, and that it reveals the compassionate nature of the
God we serve. Every time I open the Bible, I learn something new. It’s the God-breathed
interweaving of divine truth, crossing time and authors and circumstances, yet still applicable to me
today, that increases my adoration of God's Word. It tells the story of His choice to involve humanity
in His plan for the world, one that includes the Savior who was determined to rescue us. That kind of
love changes you and I believe in the power of God's Word to transform lives.
Heather M. Dixon is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher who understands living with a story that is not easy. Diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, an incurable and terminal genetic disorder inherited from her mother, she has dealt with difficult circumstances. Heather is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to trust in God, face their greatest fears, and live with hope. Through her blog, TheRescuedLetters.com, speaking, and Bible studies, Heather helps women find the courage to live by faith, even when they don’t like their story.
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